As I write this, I’m having one of those days.

Despite having Ronan being watched by a caregiver and needing to do some stuff I just…don’t wanna.

My focus is all over the place and while I’m trying to write a serious article about serious stuff, I find myself jumping to Facebook more often and checking my email over and over again in hopes of having something different to do.

Sometimes I use this as a sign that I need to rest. Lord knows rest is hugely important for our giant brains.

Sometimes this means the thing I’m working on isn’t actually that important or ripe for work yet. It would be better if I put it aside and came back to it later.

But sometimes, like today, it’s because I can’t muster the desire to do ANYTHING besides loaf, but I desperately need to get something done.

So, what do I do instead?

First, I write things like this. I start out with loudly declaring on a page that I DON’T WANNA. I’d rather be mindlessly scrolling Facebook or something that requires less brainpower than work, even if I love my work. Sometimes just acknowledging the problem is enough to get the juices flowing again and find the spark of productivity.

If that doesn’t work, I read or watch something interesting. I have a blog feed of my favorite blogs and I’ll read a couple articles to give my brain a break in a way that is more relaxing than social media. Or I’ll watch a short video like from the Worth It series by Buzzfeed.

If I’m still stuck I’ll try moving my body. I’m particularly prone to migraines these days and always seem to be managing some symptoms. A good stretch or being upside down seems to help a lot with getting my body refocused.

Other things I try: cleaning my office, rewriting my to-do list, making calls to schedule appointments, journaling, meditating, staring out a window.

Sometimes what I really need is to zone out. My brain is working overtime these days with cancer caregiving, being a toddler mom, and running a business, so sitting in front of Great British Baking Show with some popcorn or reading a magazine while Ronan plays, even if just for 15 minutes, is really helpful. Even better if I can actually lay down during his nap time and close my eyes.

And truthfully, mornings are just not productive times for me. I know there’s a lot of productivity articles that cite the morning as being the most productive time, but for me and my biorhythm, afternoons are always better for me.

So maybe, instead of fighting all morning to accomplish something I can try to do things that require less brainpower until the afternoon when I can crank out more stuff. Mornings with a caregiver may be better spent reading, cleaning, or doing admin stuff than trying to write or do something super creative.

But, hey, I managed to do this today. So maybe this is really what needed to happen instead. I’m going to go have lunch and rest now.