In the spirit of having a day off work, I thought I would share my top tips for having an utterly unproductive day.

Step 1

Turn off your alarm in the morning instead of hitting that “snooze” button. Guarantees at least another hour in bed before you feel like you must get up. Then, grab a coffee and take extra time over getting ready for the day.

Step 2

(cc) Purple Slog from West Allis Wisconsin, USA

Right, now that you’re up and ready it’s time for the next step: writing out a really detailed to-do list of things you should accomplish that day. When I say “really detailed” I mean really. Break down each item into smaller, more digestible chunks, for example:

• Read the newspaper.
  • Discover I have to buy one first
  • Go to the shop
    • Open door
    • Walk down street
    • Enter store
  • Buy newspaper
  • Go home
  • Sit down and look at the first page
  • Read article
  • Turn page
    • Repeat as necessary

There. One overly detailed to-do list. Now that list is key for the next step of “unproductiveness”. Also, it doesn’t hurt to spend extra time making your list look pretty – colour, doodles, stickers, etc.

Step 3

(cc) MHM55

Now the to-do list is finished, go and make another coffee. Then, once that’s done, ignore your to-do list entirely. Here are some examples of things you could do that aren’t particularly productive:

• Stare at your Twitter feed, waiting for something interesting to happen.
• Play silly Facebook games, for example Bubble Witch, Dragon City, and The Sims Social.
• Make another coffee.
• Wander up and down the stairs hoping inspiration will hit you.
• Think of all the ways you could get over your boredom (but remember, you can’t do anything from your list!)
• Re-read this blog post.

Conclusion

After a full day of ignoring your to-do list, if you’re anything like me it’ll make you feel crap that you’ve been unproductive. If you’re anything like me, that feeling with stress you out. But do you know what’s even more stressful? Having written an epic of a to-do list that is actually impossible to complete.

I’ve tried and tested this: The awful feeling that is a result of not completing everything on a to-do list is just as bad if not worse than having an unproductive day. Obviously, the best way to avoid this is to have a shorter to-do list (but not shortening it by making umbrella tasks!).

I always aim to get 1 or 2 things done on my day off, at least. For example, 2 loads of laundry done, or that assignment written up and submitted. Then, I go to bed at the end of the day feeling accomplished, happy and ready for tomorrow.