HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE DURING LOCKDOWN

Has this lockdown made you lose focus and be a tad bit lazier? If yes, then you landed on the right blog post today because we feel you totally!

This home-quarantine situation has been a little overwhelming for most of us since it has got us stuck at home all day.

With lesser regulations and deadlines, and too many distractions, being productive may seem a little difficult at the moment. But heyy, we got your back- doesn’t matter if you are working, studying or doing both!

Here are a few things (ofc tried and tested; how do you think we completed this blog then?) that can help you become more productive and tick those chores off during this lockdown period.

1. WAKE UP ON TIME:

Now who’s guilty of sleeping late these days with no worries of getting up on time? But why not, since 2 a.m. is the new 11 p.m. this season! However, the key to feel productive is to have a clear sleep cycle.

Our elders were pretty right when they said- “early to bed and early to rise makes a human healthy and wise”.

We all need at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep for our body and mind to be healthy. Hence, you gotta have a clear sleep routine.

For us, 8 am is the perfect time to wake up- neither too early, nor too late. So get up no matter how cozy your sleep is. Just get up! It does get easier every day.

If you find it difficult to do yourself, you can ask your friend to join you in this so that you can encourage each other. If not, then who is better than your Mom when it comes to waking you up? Count on her!

2. PREP UP YOUR MIND:

After you have brushed and cleaned up, it’s time to hydrate your body with a glass of water (best if warm). For a fresh mind, open your windows and let some fresh air and sunlight come in. Next, do some light stretching just to prep your body for the day. You don’t have to do a full workout if you don’t like it. Just 5-10 minutes of mild stretching will do.

If you like to have your morning coffee/tea/smoothie then now is the perfect time.

As you enjoy your drink, plan your day ahead. Write the tasks you need to get done (remember not to push yourself too much in the beginning). It could be your office work, your academic lessons or even household chores. Set meaningful goals and remember to pick your top 3 priorities amongst them. This will help you get into the work mindset if you haven’t already.

3. SET UP YOUR WORK SPACE:

It is extremely important to have a dedicated work space. Clean up your work space and have all the things that you’ll need at hand. Remember not to have too many things together since that would make it too clumsy and distracting. Verandahs may look like a perfect spot to read or work but it could bring a lot of distractions along. So remember to choose your dedicated workspace wisely.

4. GET DRESSED

We know it does seem pretty weird to dress up at home but trust us on this! Moving away from your boxers and PJs to formal clothes will help you enter into your working mindset. Wear whatever you would have worn to your college/work and notice your work mood getting turned on like never before.

5. SET DEADLINES:

There may not be any deadlines for the lessons you need to complete studying or the work you need to get done during the day so it’s important to set one for yourself.

Perhaps you may have deadlines for your assignments but that isn’t enough if you want to get more done.

A real productive day is one where you manage all your chores wisely. For a student, this could be studying online notes, revising an old chapter, practicing a co-curricular activity or hobby and helping out with the household chores at the same time; For a working adult, your day might include meeting office deadlines, practicing a skill, doing household chores, etc.

It’s a loss if you only use your day to complete your official or academic chores, because being productive is a lot more than that! Remember to use your time developing your mental health and knowledge.

Reward yourself with an extra episode of Netflix if you are able to get things done on time.

6. CONSUMING POSITIVE CONTENT

The more positive content we  expose yourself to, the more positive we feel. This improves our overall mental state and makes us wanna get up and get shit done. So read a few pages from the books you’ve hoarded but never really read, listen to podcasts or YouTube videos that inspire you, follow all instagram pages that put up positive content everyday. You are sure to feel motivated after consuming such positive content each day.

7. APPRECIATE YOURSELF

You deserve some appreciation for getting all that work done. Might be just one task, or might be only two but what matters is that you did make efforts and got at least some of your work done. As you keep completing your tasks, remember to strike off or tick the completed tasks that you wrote in the morning. This will act as a positive reinforcement and make you feel motivated to work for the next day.

Is there any point that you think we’re missing? We would love to hear from you. These are difficult times and it would be great if we can to motivate each other all the time!