8 stress-free ways to stay productive during quarantine
8 stress-free ways to stay productive during quarantine
It's been a little over a month now since the world was thrown into global disarray with the solidifying presence of the covid 19 pandemic. It's brought with it many things- panic, worry, fear and a host of other emotions. It's also brought with it a new level of free time that many of us aren't used to.
The majority of us are self- isolating and self-quarantining and even if you're working from home, with the elimination of social activities, there's way more time on our hands than we are used to. I think many of us are somewhat starting to get used to this seemingly new normal. Still very uncertain as to where this is leading, but we are keeping hopeful nonetheless.
Last week, I discussed how you could reconnect with yourself during this time of quiet uncertainty. If you missed that post, then I'd love for you to go back and check it out. It's a pretty good read. This week I'm delving into the world of productivity and discussing ways we can keep ourselves occupied and productive during this time. Don't worry I'm not telling you that you have to come out with a side hustle, online business or anything like that. These are just 8 simple and easy stress-free ways to stay productive during this pandemic.
1 Spring clean/ Declutter
If you're anything like me, then over a matter of weeks, months or even years you've probably built up a decent amount of clutter and unused items lying around your home. From clothes you no longer wear or some you've never worn, expired food items, products and medication, paper receipts, business cards and a host of other knickknacks and junk we have stored up throughout out the house.
Apart from the most devout Konmari followers, minimalists, neat freaks and those with Monk- like behavior, I think it's safe to say that most of us have something somewhere that's truly just taking up space. It has no purpose. We have absolutely no use for it. It's just been there gathering dust. And more often than not, it's not just one thing but many things we've collected over the years that we just haven't gotten around to getting rid of.
Some of you have probably forgotten the day of the week by now and what month we’re in. You haven't been outside in weeks and probably haven't seen the flowers blooming. So I just wanted to use this opportunity to remind you that it's now springtime and spring cleaning is time honoured tradition around the world. And now that you have such an abundance of time, what better time to do a major home clean up?!
Finally empty that junk drawers. Get rid of those keys that no longer have locks in your home. Go through those boxes of stored stuff and get rid of unwanted and unused stuff. Check the expiration date on food and empty that refrigerator and pantry of spoiled and expired food. Get rid of the clothes you havent worn in like 5 years. Clean out that bathroom cabinet. Clean up your garden or yard and get rid of weeds and dead plants. Whatever clutter lies in and around the house, it's finally time to get rid of it.
This might seem like an overwhelming task but you don't even have to do it all in one go (unless you want to), you can divide the major task into specific areas to tackle each day and carve out the time to work on that space. You can go at it alone or you can ask for some help to make the workload lighter. And trust me when you finally do get rid of all your unnecessary stuff, you'll realize how freeing it feels to rid yourself of clutter.
2 Clean up your digital space
How many times have we seen screenshots of people with thousands of unread emails in their inboxes? Hands up if you're guilty of having a tonne of unread emails, (especially from subscriptions you're no longer interested in) and a cluttered desktop that would make an organization freak have an aneurysm. Sounds a bit like you? Maybe you're scarily worse than I could ever imagine. *shudders
When it comes to digital clutter, the majority of us are guilty of it in some form. Myself included. So one thing we can work on during this pandemic is sorting through and clearing the clutter. Before the purge, the first thing you need to do is to secure and back up you're most important digital files, pictures, emails, etc. Now is not the time to be freaking out because you've lost something important in your delete happy, trigger fingers moment. Once that's done, then it's time to shred the unnecessary.
Unsubscribe from those newsletters and subscriptions you're no longer using and aren't even reading. Go through and delete those emails that don't add any value to your current life. Delete those duplicate files and pictures you have stored on your computer. Organize those file folders for easy access of information. It's finally time you take full control of your digital life.
3 Sort out your finances
I know that this is a very uncertain time for many of us as it relates to money. So many persons have lost their jobs and sources of income since the covid outbreak. So I'm not expecting that you'll necessarily have an overabundance of cash flow at the moment.
However, I do think it's a good time to assess your current financial state. What are your current debts and liabilities,if any? What are your current bills? What are your financial goals? Do you have any savings and investments? Do you have any financial dependents? Do you have a budget or do you even know how to budget your finances? What is your overall financial situation?
It's time you get real with yourself and where you are financially. Many of us have been fortunate where they may be a freeze on our debts right now but this crisis won't last forever and you need to start planning for the future. And you won't know where to begin and what you need if you don't first lay it all out there. No matter how bad it is, the first step is knowing. Once you've assessed where you are, you can use the opportunity to learn more about finances. The internet has so blessed us with a vast amount of resources - personal finance sites, books, YouTube videos. You name it and it's probably available and many times for free. Use the free time to learn more about finances from those who have oftentimes been exactly where you are.
Think of this time as an opportunity to reset your finances. Assess where you are currently and make a plan for your future. It's time to take back control over your money wellbeing.
4 Cook something
So maybe you have a reputation for being such a bad cook that you burn water. Or, maybe you're a pretty decent cook but haven't had the time to put your culinary skills to use. Or, perhaps you’re interested in trying your hand at a new dish or two. Whatever your skill or interest level is, I personally think now is a great time to learn how to prepare a few simple meals.
Now it doesn't have to iron chef, food network type meals. It can be as simple as quick 15 minutes dishes that are absolutely delicious. You could even try exploring new meal options like a more plant-based diet. Especially if you're trying to stay fit and healthy during this quarantine period, cooking healthy and delicious meals is a great option to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
And who knows maybe when you're done cooking up a storm, you'll even learn to make your own specialty signature dishes to wow and impress even the biggest of food critic.
Bon Appetit!
5 Level up your skincare
I don't know about anyone else but I've been dying to find the perfect skincare routine ever since I was a preteen and acne decided to rear its ugly head all over my face. Like acne really used to lick me for six back in the day. It was a dark time my love. I really thank God for small mercies in life.
I'll be the first to admit that my skin is definitely not perfect. It's certainly better than teenage Nella's skin, bless her poor hormonal heart, but I still haven't arrived at the ultimate level of skin greatness that I want to achieve.
If you're like me and are on the quest to achieve gorgeous skin, then I think we're about to win in this quarantine season because now is the perfect time to cultivate you're skincare routine.
Look it this way. You're inside all the time so less exposure to environmental pollutants. You can control your diet, keep hydrated and really create and cement an actual skincare routine. You can research skincare trends and find out if its really fact or fiction. You can learn more àbout products and even try a few new products based on your research. You can really win the skincare game in 2020 I tell you. Your glow game can become level 1000 by the end of this.
If by the time this quarantine is over you don't hear at least three compliments on your skin and several enquiries on what you use on your skin, I think you have wasted this golden opportunity to level up your skincare.
6 Learn something
We’ve all said this at least once or twice before, ‘ if only I had more time to do this that and the other'. Or, I'd love to learn that but I just don't have the time to do it. Well will you looky here, you suddenly have more time on your hands so what's your excuse now?
Is there something that you've been dying to learn about it how to do? Have you been procrastinating on taking that online course? Are you interested in learning a foreign language? Learning how to code? Picking up a new skill or two?
The digital age has created the wonderful opportunity to learn online. Whether it be through taking online classes, learning new skills like crocheting, photography or video editing, or how to fix something on your own or practicing a new language; learning something new is only one click away.
I absolutely love to learn. I am forever grateful for the opportunity I was given to even receive a formal education and as a result establish a career. To me it's truly a blessing. So being able to continue to learn something new right now is a cherished opportunity that I'm happy I have because the mind is such a terrible thing to waste.
7 Pick up a hobby
Listen to me closely…. Not everything you do has to be a side hustle. Let me repeat it for team rise and grind in the back Not Everything You Do Has To Be A Side Hustle!!!
Now don’t get me wrong, shit is getting expensive af. And I fully support having multiple streams of income, using your talents and all that jazz. But I've found nowadays everyone has become so focused on the grind that people no longer just do things just for the fun of it. It seems like once you do something, if you're not making a dime off of it, then it's a waste of time and I honestly don't agree with that.
When we were younger, we had a vast array of interests. Some of us collected the silliest things like marbles or maybe we went around looking at and learning about flowers. It was purposeless fun just done for the pure merriment of it. It fueled our creativity. It was relaxing. It was freeing. It's the type of thing that truly felt like you were connected to your most authentic self. And I think it's time we tried revisiting that. Having a hobby truly seems to be a forgotten art form.
Is there a hobby you've been dying to do? Something you want to try. Maybe it's crocheting, painting, dancing, gardening, whatever. It doesn't even have to be a new hobby. It could be something you enjoyed doing as a child that you no longer had the time for. Or, maybe it's something that you've been interested in but haven't gotten around to doing it. No matter what it is, finding a hobby to just relax and have fun with can be the true level of productive relaxation that you need.
8 Create some routines
In my last blog post I already told you all that I'm working on fixing my sleep schedule and yeah it's still a work in progress. But if I'm to be honest, it's not the only routine in my life that needs to be fixed or created.
I know I know the idea of having a routine is boring at but truth be told we all have some sort of routine whether we are consciously aware of it or not. It's why we generally drive the same route to work even when we don't think about it. Or, we get coffee, tea, or a snack at around the same time every day. We generally all have some kind of routine whether we acknowledge it or not. Because if we perform actions frequently enough eventual our subconscious will decide it's a part of our daily lives and boom a new habit and routine forms without us even noticing it.
Personally, I think it's time that I truly worked on creating some routines in my life and finally get a handle on the time I'm spending. Reclaiming my time! Reclaiming my time!
I mean we've heard it all before about how important it is to have routines in our lives. We've heard how this successful person and that successful person has a morning routine that sets the tone of success for their entire day. And it's absolutely true, it probably does. But what I don't subscribe to is that all routines have to be like whatever entrepreneur or celebrity is being shown off as the poster person for success. Our routines won't be the same because our needs aren't necessarily the same. The perfect routine is one that is customized to the person who uses it. It's about setting the foundation for your day based on your personal goals and needs. Whether you just want a few moments of quiet and silence to be with yourself. Or, you want to get the heart pumping with some exercise. You may choose to work on your side hustle, write some emails, create content, or just have some breakfast. The perfect morning routine is one that is cultivated to serve you and bring some order to your day
And even beyond a morning routine, I also want to cultivate a nightime routine, skincare routine, self-care routine. And other other habit and routine I find truly adds value to my life. They say it takes on average 21 days to form a new habit, if you start now I'm sure you'll form some new positive habits and routines in no time.
There's no doubt about it that the world has been turned upside down with the emergence of the novel corona virus. More and more of us are at home and we may be feeling stuck as to how we can spend our time. I love movies and TV series as much as the next person but sometimes what you need is a little productivity to help with your day. Hopefully these 8 tips have given you some ideas on ways to stay productive during the quarantine. If you have any more productive tips, ideas or comments, leave them in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you all.