Monday Motivation Hack: Take a Break

Ah, motivation. Sometimes you can feel it coursing through your veins, and sometimes it seems as fleeting as snow in the spring. When you feel completely out of motivation, burned out, or exhausted, what do you do?

So far in our Monday Motivation Hack series, we’ve covered things that help you when you’re highly motivated, like to-do lists, morning routines, and mindfulness. But what about those days when getting out of bed seems like a struggle?

These are the days when it’s time to switch gears and do something radical—give yourself a break.

So today, I’m not going to write thousands of words on how to keep motivated. Instead, I’m giving you the space to take a breath, drink some water, and take that break.

If you want to read something while you take a break, consider one of these. If you just want to walk around the block or watch pandas on YouTube, that’s fine, too. You deserve it.

1 How to Take a Break Without Breaking Focus

2 7 Ways to Motivate Yourself When You’re Exhausted

3 How to Stop Procrastinating and Take Control of Your Life

Talk to vs. Talk with–Which Should I Use?

• Talk to and talk with both mean to converse with someone.
• In almost all cases, talk to and talk with can be used interchangeably.

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If you are having a conversation, are you talking to or talking with someone? Is talking to someone different from talking with someone? Let’s settle the issue.

When to use Talk To

Some feel that talk to should be used only for one-sided conversations—when a television host addresses the viewers, perhaps, or when a boss reprimands an employee. However, imagine that someone asks to talk to you. Would you remain completely silent, assuming that in the request was an implicit expectation for you not to respond? Probably not, because in everyday conversation, talk to is understood to mean “converse with someone.”

The employee became curious when her boss asked to talk to her in the conference room.

My wife hates when I interrupt as she talks to me.

When to use Talk With

Some people also feel that talk with should be reserved for discussions between two or more participants. Unlike the expression talk to, an interchange is implicit in the understanding of the preposition with. However, it’s rarely necessary to make such a strict distinction.

The toddler often talks with her teddy bears about her day.

Brent asked if he could talk withthe celebrity about his recent film.

Examples

To make America’s roads safer, cars should constantly talk to each other over a wireless car-to-car network rather than just relying on drivers to see what others are doing.

CNN

Now, scientists have discovered that the stunning creatures do this when they want to ‘talk’ to their fellow whales.

Daily Mail

CHI Health cardiologist Michael Delcore will talk with guests about the signs of a heart attack and when to call 911.

GO

Yesterday afternoon, I had the privilege to talk with Adams about his reaction when he heard about being traded, who were some of his favorite pitchers growing up, his pitch arsenal, and you will hear about some of the toughest hitters he has faced during his college and professional career.

District On Deck

How to Stop Procrastinating and Take Control of Your Life

Are you procrastinating? Is there an essay or a blog post you just can’t seem to get done? We could suggest:

Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

Though, it won’t likely help.

Why not? Professionals, students, educators, writers, and so on have all heard this advice, and we all feel compelled to follow it, but—let’s be frank—it’s not easy to just “stop procrastinating.” We don’t procrastinate for the sake of procrastination or laziness. There are emotional and psychological barriers that manifest behaviorally as “procrastination,” and it’s important to understand these before trying to learn how not to procrastinate.

What Is Procrastination?

Though we all have experience with putting things off, that doesn’t mean we necessarily understand it. Simply:

Procrastination is a state in which one is delaying work on or completion of a task or project.

It’s important to note, however, that there is good procrastination and bad procrastination. Good procrastination helps you get more done while bad procrastination just makes you miserable with little to show for it. It is possible to procrastinate the right way and reap the benefits. Let’s assume, however, that you want to avoid the bad kind of procrastination (who doesn’t?). Here’s how.

Why Do People Procrastinate?

It may be useful for you to think for a few minutes about why you are postponing a given task. Often, the cause of your procrastination differs according to the task. What are the top reasons for procrastination? Generally, they are:

• feeling overwhelmed
• confusion
• boredom
• lack of motivation
• distraction

When writing, for example, procrastination normally comes from confusion or feeling overwhelmed. When I have to do the dishes, it comes from boredom. It’s important to understand the enemy before it can be defeated. Isolate the root(s) of your procrastination.

We’ll address methods of dealing with confusion, feeling overwhelmed, being bored, lacking motivation, and being distracted.

Ways to Stop Procrastinating

While it does take time to plan and organize for productivity, it will pay for itself over the life of your project or goal. Avoid procrastination with these eight tips.

Coping with Confusing and Overwhelming Tasks

1Make Written To-Do Lists

To-do lists are a tried-and-true way of getting your bearings and keeping yourself from getting overwhelmed. They also help you organize your thoughts and can prevent confusion. It’s ideal to make a new list at the end of each day to prepare for the next day. Keep in mind, however, this tip won’t help much if you over-plan or set actionable tasks that cannot be completed in less than half an hour. If a task takes longer than thirty minutes, break it up into smaller tasks.

2Start Each List (and Day) With One Important Task

Uncertainty about how to manage all the steps of a larger task can feel overwhelming. The antidote? Organization and proactivity. Accomplishing something toward your goal is a great way to empower yourself to take on the next step or to free up your energies for other tasks throughout the day. Choose one task or group of tasks each day that you should complete in order to feel productive. Do these tasks first.

3Seek Information and Support

When we are overwhelmed or confused by how to move forward with a task, it can come from feeling inadequately prepared for taking on the task. If this is true for you, work in some time (and tasks on your list) for seeking guidance. For example, if you are confused about an essay or writing task for school, a good place to seek guidance is from your professor, your adviser, or a writing center tutor.

How do you cope with confusing and overwhelming tasks?

Coping with Boredom, Lack of Motivation, and Distraction

These particular causes of procrastination are common among students writing for a mandatory course or among professionals obliged to complete reports and documents regarding the mundane aspects of their work. This is especially true when the project isn’t something you have chosen for yourself. Luckily, not only are there great ways to get motivated, but there are also some helpful ways to avoid procrastination.

4Establish a Purpose

It is difficult to pick a route if you haven’t yet determined a destination. Many people are not creative when thinking about their “destination.” More often than not, if your sole reason for doing something is simply to finish it, you will succeed, but miserably. Remember those midnight sessions writing drafts of your dissertation, hours before it was due? Yes, the drafts were completed, but under great stress. Wanting to finish a task isn’t enough to stave off procrastination. Purpose matters. Be creative with your goals. Try to establish a broader purpose that you are passionate about and fit the task at hand into your plan for progressing toward that goal.

5Don’t Take On Too Much

This tip is also something that can help with feeling overwhelmed. Often, if you have taken on a huge task and have not allotted enough time to complete it in smaller bite-size chunks, the lack of progress can result in boredom. A huge task can also induce a sense of inferiority that leads to lack of motivation. To prevent stagnation, boredom, and sureness-sucking lack of motivation, work in small chunks over a longer period of time. The sense of accomplishment that will come from this habit will kill the dullness and incompetence you may have felt otherwise.

6Break Up Unpleasant Tasks With Pleasant Ones

This may be seem obvious because it is so simple; however, many people are gluttons for punishment and continually create situations where they immerse themselves in unpleasant circumstances without taking ownership for their ability to improve their situation. If you are sick of doing something (inevitably, at some point or another, we all will be), take a productive break and do something refreshing. A short diversion is worth more than the time it costs. Rewards for achievements foster productivity. Incorporate these activities into your written lists during your organization process.

7Create an Ideal Environment

Distractions arise when your environment is imperfect for your work. If distractions are a real issue for you and organizing your tasks does not relieve the impulse to procrastinate, it is vital that you take a look around and find out what is blocking your productivity. Distractions can range from background noise to a stiff chair, from a cluttered desk to Facebook. Do what you need to do in order to remove or avoid these elements. Many of us are distracted by the Internet. (“I’ll watch just one more cat video.” Yeah, right.) Develop the discipline to work in a space without Internet connectivity or build idle Internet browsing into your schedule (see tip three).

8Stop Procrastinating and Just Start

Like jumping into a cold lake, the anticipation and initial dive into a project are the most difficult and unpleasant. Once you start, you acclimate and the process becomes tolerable, sometimes even enjoyable. Once you get over the first “hump,” accomplishment, inspiration and confidence have room to motivate your work.

These suggestions are aimed at addressing some of the primary sources of anxiety and discomfort that lead to dilatory habits. There are various tips and tricks for overcoming procrastination, which can vary greatly according to a person’s individual needs. While all of these tips may not fit your particular situation, starting at step one—determining the root of your procrastination—will give you all the direction you need for finding the ideal solution for you.

How do you avoid bad procrastination? Which of these strategies works well for you?

5 LGBT Authors Who Have Made an Impact

It’s no secret that some of the finest pieces of literature ever written were authored by members of the LGBT community. From the poetry of Walt Whitman to the landmark plays of Tony Kushner, it’s impossible to overstate the impact LGBT authors have had in American literature. In honor of Pride Month, here are five of the most important and influential LGBT writers of all time.

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde, a prolific Irish author whose poems, essays, and plays remain relevant more than 100 years after his death, wrote just one novel, “The Portrait of Dorian Gray.” The novel provoked a public outcry over what was perceived as a stunning lack of morality. Wilde, perhaps Britain’s leading proponent of the Aesthetic Movement, defended his novel in its preface, stating, “ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.” Later, he wrote, “Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art.”

Wilde was arrested on charges of public indecency for his open homosexuality and served two years in prison. He died at 46, penniless and in exile in France.

Tennessee Williams

Born Thomas Lanier Williams in 1911, Tennessee Williams is considered one of America’s best playwrights of the 20th century. His iconic “Streetcar Named Desire” earned Williams both a Pulitzer Prize and a Drama Critics Award. Other important successes include “The Glass Menagerie,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” and “Orpheus Descending,” which was made into a movie (“The Fugitive Kind”) starring Marlon Brando.

Williams was openly gay, even suffering a hate attack in Key West in 1979. The author lapsed into a period of alcoholism and drug use and was found dead in 1983 at the age of 71.

Virginia Woolf

Woolf’s most famous work, “Mrs. Dalloway,” earned the bisexual author a prominent role in contemporary American literature; in 2005, Time magazine placed it in the top 100 English-language novels of the past century. Woolf suffered sexual abuse early in her life at the hands of half-brothers; her battle with mental illness and depression throughout her life influenced her work. “Mrs. Dalloway,” written in mesmerizing prose, raises emerging social issues, such as feminism and homosexuality.

Woolf ultimately succumbed to her depression and committed suicide at the age of 59 by filling her pockets with stones and walking into the River Ouse.

Alice Walker

A committed social activist, teacher, and lecturer, Alice Walker’s prolific writing career spans more than four decades. Her works encompass novels, short stories, children’s books, poems, and essays; she is most famous for the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed “The Color Purple,” which earned Walker a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. Many of Walker’s works promote themes of the black feminist movement and explore issues related to race and gender identity.

Other highly influential works include “The Temple of My Familiar” and “Possessing the Secret of Joy.”

Chuck Palahniuk

This author’s pointed, minimalistic writing style has earned both praise and criticism and his works often explore controversial themes such as morality, sexuality, and religion. His most famous work is “Fight Club,” a novel that was made into a movie starring Brad Pitt; his widely acclaimed novel “Choke” was his first book to make the New York Times best seller list.

Palahniuk’s writing is influenced by giants such as Albert Camus, Michel Foucault, Thom Spanbauer, and Bret Easton Ellis. He is also a freelance journalist and essayist.

While not all LGBT authors write about sexuality and gender, the classic works mentioned above reflect the uniquely valuable LGBT perspective. Do you have a favorite LGBT author or work that deals with LGBT issues?

 

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June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. Celebrate human rights, tolerance, and equality with us throughout the month! #PrideMonth

Which Slice of Pie Are You?

5 Word-Related Car Games for Your Next Road Trip

Stiff legs. Sore behind. “Are we there yet, Mom?”

It doesn’t matter whether you’re going to Aspen, New Orleans, or Disney World. Long car rides bore the best of us. One of the fastest ways to bust boredom is to keep your mind active. Pack these nifty word-related car games in your overnight bag the next time you hit the road.

Character Sketches

Choose another car and take a good look at its passengers. Each person makes up a backstory about the passengers in the other vehicle and shares it with the others.

If you’re stumped, start by answering these questions about the folks in the other car:

1. Who are they? 2. Where are they going? 3. What are their hopes and fears? 4. What are their flaws and strengths?

Fiction writers use character sketches to spur their creativity. These thumbnails often morph into the fascinating characters we meet it books. You can do it, too – on wheels.

License Plate Decoding Game

What if every license plate harbored a secret meaning within its letters and numbers? That’s the premise behind the License Plate Decoding Game. The game works especially well when you’re caught in traffic because you have plenty of time to peruse and “decode” the license plates around you.

For example:

“PTA 247” becomes “Peanut butter tastes awesome to 47-year-olds.”

“YHB 711” becomes “Your hair looks bad seven days a week, eleven hours a day.”

License Plate School

If you’re traveling with little ones, consider using license plates to reinforce geography and phonics lessons learned at school. Edmunds.com suggests that children “collect” plates from the different states or try to find all the letters of the alphabet – first forwards, then backwards.

Related Words Game

The Related Words Game requires each player to brainstorm a list of words that relate to a specific starting word. The subsequent list must bring the topic back full circle. Whoever creates the shortest list wins.

For example, Player One might create a list like this:

• noodles • delicious food • cake • birthday cake • presents • wrapping paper • ribbons • strings • noodles

Player Two might create a list like this:

• noodles • yellow • egg yolks • chicken • chicken noodle soup • noodles

Because Player Two created the shorter list, he/she wins. You can play as many rounds of the Related Words Game as you like, but if you wish to limit the game, choose a random word like PIG. Each time someone loses a round, they take one letter of the word. For example, Player One earned a “P” for this round. Whoever spells the word “PIG” first loses the game.

Round Robin Story Game

Teachers have used round robin reading strategies in the classroom for decades. In this game, car riders use the round-robin style to create a groupthink story. Each rider contributes one word at a time. The entire story lasts four or five sentences. If possible, choose a scribe to write or record the words as they are generated.

If a player thinks a sentence sounds complete, any passenger can insert punctuation by shouting “Period!” or “Exclamation point!”

Here’s an example of an opening sentence created by a four-person car load:

Person 1: Once Person 2: upon Person 3: a Person 4: time Person 1: I Person 2: ate Person 3: twenty-six Person 4: frogs Person 1: and Person 2: turned Person 3: into Person: 4: a Person 1: wombat. (PERIOD)

No matter how silly the story gets, each word must make grammatical sense in the context of the story.

Vacations are essential for happiness and well-being, but getting to your vacation spot can be tedious. How will you break up the monotony during your next long car ride?

Top #SummerReads for 2013

Summer has simmered down and school is back in session. What better way to keep the summer spirit alive a little bit longer than by encouraging you to pick up some of the top #summerreads from the Grammarly community?

In early September, we asked our Facebook, Google+, and Twitter communities which books they would most recommend from their summer reading lists. We simultaneously ran a survey to get more information about summer reading. Of more than 450 survey respondents across all channels, we found that:

The majority of people identified themselves as female.

• 81.7% Female
• 16% Male
• 2.3% Preference not given

So, with the leaves turning and cool weather on the way, why not settle in with a hot cup of tea and start a new book? Below you’ll find favorites from our community.

Who’s heading to the library? What book are you going to read first?