Ways to Stay Productive in Lockdown
It is estimated that half of the global population is currently living in some sort of lockdown, or under social distancing measures. Here in the UK we are about to enter week 4 of lockdown, where we are restricted to only essential working, going out for one form of exercise per day and to the shops for essential items only.
As the government keep saying, these are unprecedented times we are living through and nobody knows how to deal with them. I think for most of us, we are taking each day as it comes and some days are better than others. For me, staying as normal as possible is my coping mechanism - I hate being out of control so creating some form of routine is key to me staying sane and having more good days than bad.
No one method of coping will suit the next person - my entire family are coping in different ways and what works for me won’t work for another. But equally, it might be just the right method for someone like me too. Obviously my scenario is subject to my lifestyle, the type of house I live in and the area I live in but hopefully there’s one pointer or two you might find useful for the next few weeks….
Keep social hours: This is the one I have fallen foul of the most in the last week and I feel like a literal slug for doing so. At the beginning of the lockdown I was working from home until my job finished and I felt so much more productive in that week, working my normal office hours. It’s easy as every day blurs into the next to fall into less than normal routines but if you can stick to waking at the same time everyday and going to bed at a decent hour, it’ll keep you in routine which will generate more normal patterns of productivity. I have also been sticking to my normal lunch hour and trying to be at my desk when I’d normally start my office job - which Radio 1 and the sunshine are making all the more easy.
Make your space suit you: Whatever your living situation, you are going to be spending a LOT of time in your space and it makes sense to have it suit you and this situation a bit more. Whether you’re living in a flat share, on your own in your apartment, with a partner in a huge house or with your family, there is a lot you can do to your own personal space to make it suit spending time in. I am trying to keep our house as clean and tidy as possible because I find clutter and mess a distraction to working, which in turn makes me procrastinate and not productive at all. If you are spending loads of time in your room, maybe you could rearrange the furniture to give you a bigger floor space in the middle to exercise, or clear all the usual clutter off your desk so you’re able to work in a distraction free space.
Plan your week out: If you bullet journal, don’t put it down for the next few months as your usual routine has gone out of the window. Undoubtedly one of the most mind saving things for me is planning out my weeks, which in these circumstances can be really taxing. If you can plan out your weeks it will add structure and normality. I am plotting my Monday to Friday out with any plans set in stone like birthdays I need to remember, a run every other day, which days I need to get groceries or any zoom calls or skype sessions in the diary. Weekends I am trying to keep free for normal weekend activities like cleaning the house, not setting alarms and lazing about.
Give yourself tasks or achievements: I have made a list of things I’d like to get done in lockdown, from listing all the leftover bits from the wedding ready to sell, paint the porch, weed the garden and submit my tax return. From that list, and from things that need to be done like posting birthday cards and cleaning the house, I am trying to give myself one task or goal to achieve that day and am allocating them to my weekly plan. That way I have a focus for each day and I am keeping busy, and not spending all my days wallowing in self pity and making myself anxious.
Get dressed: A HUGE one for me. I plan my outfits for my office job on a Sunday, ready for the week ahead and I have taken to doing the same at home too which might sound mad but keeps me sane. I am ‘planning’ my outfits based on desk days and home days and leaving the house for grocery days and obviously the weather affects it too. When I want a day at my desk blogging, I’ll pop on a dress or something leopard print to make me feel more like I’m working and when it’s a day of painting or doing household jobs I’ll chuck on a checked shirt and a pair of leggings. I feel so much more mentally ready for the day if I have got dressed properly, washed my hair and slapped on my face and put a pair of earrings in. It’s not all formal of course, I stick to a pair of slippers instead of a pair of heels for sure.
Take a break: It’s all well and good trying to keep normality as much as possible but the reality is - it’s not, and therefore I think we can afford to treat ourselves to a break every now and then. It’s something I’ve slipped off slightly but when I was working from home I was taking a break for a brew and a lil snack about 4pm and a scroll of social media in the sun and it was lush.
Get outdoors or do exercise: I know I am lucky to live in rural south wales where I can walk out of my front door and not see a soul for an hour or two and it has been a life saver. We conveniently timed lockdown with taking running back up so every other day give or take we’re working our way through the Couch to 5K app again and the other days we are trying to go for a walk to the postbox (or the local pokestop!!) and just getting out in the fresh air is a game changer. Depending on your circumstances, you might not be able to go out for a run in a park or in amongst nature so try and do what you can. Maybe just go for a walk to the end of the street and back to get some fresh air in your lungs, open all your windows wide and do a workout at home. Do some yoga to clear your head, join in with Joe Wicks’ workout in the mornings or whatever makes you feel good.
Eat well: For as many people saying they’re going to come out of this obese, I see as many saying they’re not eating as much as they thought they would and up until last week where I seem to have fallen off the bandwagon of ALL my rituals, I would have put myself in the latter category. By all means treat yourself to whatever the fook you want, these are weird times and not the time to deny yourself but for as many days as you live off crisps and chocolate, have another day where you get your veggies in and make something wholesome and get your three meals a day.
Avoid the news or social media: This is obviously both a choice and a luxury but I dramatically decreased my social media and news in take a fortnight ago after an anxious evening where I was ill and it’s definitely helped. Instagram still makes me happy so I stick all my focus on there but I deleted the Facebook app and only check my account once a day and I deleted Twitter for the time being too and that has been a massive help. I am now checking in with the news just once a day before bed via the BBC news app and I don’t open articles I don’t like the sound of and then I follow it up with a scroll of insta, a chapter of my book or a quick calming game on my phone.
Treat yourself kindly: These ARE weird times and we are ALL struggling in one way or another. Treat yourself kindly, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, take a morning off in bed to sulk if you want to, write off a day or a week if it’s what you need. Be kind to yourself, don’t take bad to yourself and don’t berate yourself for how you feel. In the wise words of Zac Efron and co, we’re all in this together.