When you are doing heavy task work like content marketing – writing blogs, posting on social media, managing email campaigns – there’s sometimes little room for creativity and for the mind to wander. We are a small team here at 3 Aspens Media, juggling multiple projects across multiple clients. We rely heavily on the productivity of each team member to finish tasks on time with a little added creative flair.

Here are just a few ways that we have found useful in staying on task, while giving our brains a little room to breathe:

Fight Distractions

Neuroscience shows that background music without lyrics boosts concentration and helps the mind stay more focused on the task at hand. 3 Aspens President Lindsay Konzak loves the classical music stations on Amazon Music for heavy writing and editing tasks. We also like the customized solutions offered by focus@will. It’s a paid monthly subscription and you can take a quiz to help the program tailor background music to your personality and the kind of work you do until you find something that helps you reduce distractions and maintain productivity. Another great tip: Shut down your email altogether while working on big projects and you won’t be tempted to check it every 5 minutes when you see a notification.

Reduce Stress

Feeling stressed can take a toll on the mind, which can keep you from focusing. As a busy content marketer, it can be all too easy to get overwhelmed. Reducing stress can be as simple as taking time to organize your tasks by priority before you check your email or get sucked into less important work. Try a meditation app like Insight Timer to reduce stress levels and increase concentration. Or take a brisk walk outside. A change of scenery and fresh air can help refocus the mind to the task at hand.

Embrace Boredom

When you reach the end of your ideas or need a break, it can be too easy to distract yourself with email or other mindless tasks. But the brain works in mysterious ways and sometimes allowing your mind to wander or taking a break is the best path back to productivity. Just stepping outside for a few minutes or running out for coffee is a great way to break writer’s block. Even if you aren’t actively thinking about the task, your brain is still processing the idea. If you have online distractions that keep you from sitting quietly or doing something restorative, try Block Site for Google Chrome to keep those websites off limits during your most productive hours.

Creative work like content marketing can be invigorating and challenging. Staying productive is half the battle. We’d love to hear how you stay on task and avoid distractions at the office.

Our expert creative content marketers can help you get more done in less time. Give us a call at 970-581-1752 or email us at info@3aspensmedia.com.