If you’re pregnant right now, you might be lying in bed or on your couch, wondering how the heck you can manage to be productive during pregnancy.
Maybe you feel like you’re not yourself anymore because you have so little energy. Or you beat yourself up for getting so little done.
To be honest, it feels a little wrong to write a post about productivity when it’s 11 am and I still haven’t really started my day. But the only time I get to sleep is in the morning hours when my body is finally too tired to complain about being so uncomfortable all the time.
And let’s not talk about the 5 or 6 times I get up every night. Whether it’s to pee or because I try turning and my round ligament pain wakes me up…
The bottom line is, being productive when you’re pregnant isn’t that easy. But here are some pregnancy productivity tips to help you with that.
Accept that your body is being productive all the time
I mean, think about it. You’re growing a human inside your uterus. That’s more than most non-pregnant people accomplish in 9 months!
No matter which trimester you are in, pregnancy always makes you feel less productive.
At first, it’s the extreme fatigue and nausea. Then, you feel a ton better, but you also start thinking about the million things you need to do to prepare for the baby. At last, you start feeling like a walking zombie bean bag because you can’t sleep. You’re too big. And you’re also not allowed to drown yourself in coffee.
But at the same time, you’re accomplishing this giant project that is producing a human being. And that makes up for the lack of productivity in work and chores, right?
Just try to be nice to yourself and enjoy your pregnancy while it lasts. It’s okay to rest, and you don’t have to feel guilty about being unproductive during your pregnancy!
Focus your energy on the important tasks during pregnancy
I think it’s just a given that most people have less energy when they’re pregnant. I thought I was the only one, but after doing a bunch of research on the internet, I came to the conclusion that feeling unproductive during pregnancy is quite a common thing.
But since you know that you’ll have fewer resources to spend, you better spend them wisely! And by that, I mean focusing on the most important (not urgent!) tasks.
Are you used to working on long-term projects, but also do tons of little things to make money on the side? Maybe ditch those little things for a while.
If you concentrate on tasks that bring you closer to your goals, you’re investing in your future. That’s a much better idea than making 100 extra Euros but get no closer to reaching your goals!
That’s why you should aim for efficient time management during pregnancy. The goal is to utilise your energy wisely and spend the rest of the day resting and enjoying life.
Get your priorities straight
When supply is smaller than demand, you need to determine a viable survival strategy. In economics, you would increase the price of your goods. During pregnancy, you should be focusing on the most important things in life.
Don’t spend the whole day sitting at your desk without eating. Don’t think that you can just sleep when your work is done. And don’t stress yourself by taking on too many tasks at once.
It’s a common belief that your stress levels and mental state influence the development of the baby. Therefore, you should be taking care of yourself during pregnancy!
Make sleeping, resting and eating a priority. Spend quality time with your partner, family, and friends. And use the remaining time for those projects that will add value to your future.
By setting clear priorities, you’ll be able to accomplish tons of things during pregnancy. And you won’t waste any precious energy on unimportant tasks!
Create a pregnancy-friendly work environment and schedule
Now that you’ve determined what you want to work on, it’s time to establish a pregnancy friendly-work routine.
In order to be productive during pregnancy, you need to find a comfortable position. Whether it’s in bed, on your couch or switching between sitting and lying down: find a way to work that’s comfortable for you. It doesn’t have to look productive!
Getting things done during pregnancy is all about that sweet combination of self-care and work.
You should also adapt your work schedule to your pregnancy needs. Can’t sleep at night? Then maybe ditch being productive in the mornings. For me, working in the afternoon has been the best option. It allows me to start and end the day slowly while being productive in between.
Finding the right work environment can really boost productivity while also maintaining a healthy work-life balance during pregnancy.
How do you deal with decreased productivity during pregnancy? Please let me know below!
And if you liked this post but aren’t pregnant (yet), you could also pin it on Pinterest for later. 😉