5 Tips On Staying Productive in Self-Isolation

Greetings Readers!

So we are now in a situation where we are all working from home or not currently working if our jobs don’t allow us to work from home. Its hard for many of us and one of the things many of us will probably be struggling with is the task of remaining productive.

I know how tempting it can be when you’re at home for days on end. The allure to stay in bed, watch Netflix and live in our pyjamas is constant. But, we should all try and utilise this time at home without having to spend time commuting to and from work as a time to embark on new projects and complete tasks.

This is a time to fuel creativity, learn new skills and discover new things about ourselves. I truly believe that we all have the opportunity to find ourselves during this time and uncover facets to our personality we didn’t even know we possessed.

But the key to allowing this period of self-isolation to be fruitful is to remain productive. As a disabled person with a lot of experience working from home I’d like to think I’ve got a grip on this subject over the years.

So today I have 5 key tips to enable you to stay productive during self-isolation.

Keep to a routine

It’s important during this time to have some kind of structure in your day. I know it’s tempting to lay in bed until 11am now that we haven’t got any overbearing reason to get up early. But, try and stick to a morning routine, set an alarm, get yourself ready, have some kind of daily ritual that gives your day structure.

During this time it can feel like one day is merging with another, but by having a routine and setting yourself a schedule each day it helps to combat boredom and low-mood.

Things I Do To Keep a Routine

1. Setting an alarm to wake up to at the same time each day.
2. Spending half an hour in the garden, playing with my guide dog.
3. Doing regular chores.
4. Checking in with people on social media.
5. Writing and brainstorming.
6. Taking shower and doing a skincare routine.
7. Allocating times for particular tasks.

Write lists

I cannot stress how cathartic lists can actually be, especially right now. Writing lists gives you a chance to really sit and think of things you can do to pass the time. Invest in a weekly planner or a bullet journal or make a list folder using your phone.

Divide lists up into categories such as chores, creative, work and home-improvements.

Then write daily lists with at least 4 things you can do for that day. The tasks can be anything from any category, no matter how big or small. Just try and give yourself some daily tasks to complete, it will give you a sense of purpose when you have ticked them all off your list.

Give yourself time to think

One of the best things you can do right now is to really spend time thinking about things, allow your brain time to be bored. It sounds crazy but I recently interviewed freelancer Samantha Renke for my podcast. She spoke about how the only way you can truly be creative is if you allow yourself time to sit in your own thoughts. What she said really resonated with me, because it’s. If you constantly bombard your brain with a barrage of information and stimulation from social media, Television and the internet you can never really find your own unique ideas.

So, give yourself time to think. Switch off all forms of distraction like your phone, TV and laptop. Sit somewhere quiet and if you must have sound, play soundscape music. Have some writing materials with you and when inspiration strikes, just write.

Questions to ask yourself…

1. What inspires me?
2. What makes me happy?
3. Who do I admire and why?
4. What are the things I’d like to change?
5. Are there any things that I’ve always wanted to do?

Set at least one goal every day

The one thing I cannot stress enough is to give yourself at least one productive goal every day, but make this goal something for you.

Being a blogger this goal is incredibly important to me.

Set yourself a goal that will act as a step towards what you want to do. this one goal rule makes being productive a lot more attainable. It also allows you to not be too hard on yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself, be realistic and keep your goals attainable with the time and resources you have.

Pace yourself

Slow and steady wins the race.

Aesop’s Fables

Most importantly, pace yourself. Give yourself time to relax and actually enjoy this time spent at home. Don’t feel bad about yourself if you choose to watch a series on Netflix.

We all need to remind ourselves, self-isolation isn’t going to be over in a matter of days or even weeks. So we all need to pace ourselves and almost ration our productive tasks. Otherwise we will reach a point where we are bored and fresh out of ideas for things to do. Set a steady pace, give yourself time and set a healthy balance in your work life at home.

Has my blog post inspired you to be productive?

What are you doing to keep yourself motivated during self-isolation?

Thanks for stopping by my blog today, be sure to subscribe for future posts and I will see you again soon!

Stay home, stay safe and stay positive!