Productivity in Times of Coronavirus
If you are one of those lucky people who still are able to do their job from home in the times of coronavirus or are simply trying to find new ways of being productive indoors, Avidtalks has done a little study by asking a few of its followers how they are able to get through their day without slacking too much. How are they able to be as productive as they would be at the office while not getting drifted away by the many distractions of one’s home?
1-Bedroom Manners
Lisa M sent us one of the most appealing arguments about distraction. She says that what was most difficult for her was not to get into bed in the middle of the day for a long nap or to binge on movies while she still had work to do. We then asked Lisa how she was able to avoid this. She answered with the following: “Well it was important to keep the door to the bedroom closed during day light hours.” Others have given us advice such as making sure one’s bed in made and sheets are tucked under the mattress first thing in the morning. Once you are able to see a nicely made room, you are not tempted to crawl back into the bed. So here it is, make your bedroom into a beautiful “museum like environment” during the day and explore the rest of your house.
2-An Organized Day
Our second favorite answer came from Patrick1212, one of our more active AvidTalks readers. He said that one should treat one’s day like any kind of “organizing apparatus”. Meaning, it is beneficial to consider the day for its reliably accurate and constant hour system as one’s main structure of organization. So simple and so effective! Get organized. Dedicate this amount of set hours for this task and this set amount for the other. Of course by the end of it, once the free time kicks in, one can appreciate it more since you’ve accomplished all of your daily priorities.
3-Intentions!
One of the most driving forces when left to one’s own demises is intentionality. Lisa M also mentions that when she set an intention for her day, no matter how large or small, she saw that she could get further with whatever project she was working on. Furthermore, if you are on a project that needs to get done, make sure all your actions surrounding this accomplishment also have an intent. Meaning, if you have to leave your office, make sure you have a reason for it. One has to add that if you leave your office for a break, if you decide to pace around your apartment for no reason what so ever, make sure you give yourself a day dreaming time frame. Usually a 20 minute recreation period is enough to keep you still motivated and enough to complete an entire “day dream story line”.
4-The Sun
Since there are no set hours at work for the most of us in this time, it might be a good occasion for you to learn to function with the natural cycles of the day. It is actually one of the easiest things for one to adapt to the rhythms of the sun and moon if one gives his or herself the chance to. Since there isn’t, for the most part, an official 9 to 5 for a lot of us, there is “nature’s 9 to 5”. What if you woke up with the sun and went to sleep when it set? What if you could just try that for a week and see how it affects your circadian rhythm and your general mood? Of course that is not available to all of us but just keeping this notion in mind, staying connected to mother earth, at least in spirit, in terms of its cycles and seasons, can bring much comfort to our natural spirits.
5- Kids and Lockdown
This came from our Reader Catherine P. Elly. The idea for this actually comes from the previous note. Catherine wanted to try following the natural cycles of the day. Having her children follow their own cycles and rhythms and adopting a more organic way of life with them. She emphasized the fact that it was not easy but she found some amazing tricks that helped. She initiated a cavemen theme that week. Meaning they all got into cavemen costumes and created all kinds of props as well. And decided to really live it out. She said that the week was absolutely chaotic and the fact that she initiated this meant that she had to let her children act out in ways she would not have allowed otherwise. But she said that it was completely worth it and, in the end, a lot of fun, because it led to their weekly dress up parties. Each week, they would pick a theme and the entire family would create their own costumes according to the theme. Even though it was chaotic in ways she feels like, these driven activities really allowed the entire family to orient their frustration into a creative outlet and led to a lot of amazing photoshoots.
6- Go Around the Block
If you are feeling stuck at any given moment, the pressure of the present climate is getting to you, you are feeling like you need to connect with others, have no fear. There are a few solutions. The most important thing is to appreciate the simple things in order to get to a more positive place. I would suggest going for a short walk around the block if that is available to you and taking in as much as possible: the trees, the masked people, the busy windows, the sky, the air, the clouds, the colors. All is there to make you feel better in that moment. All is there just for you. If you do not feel like simply talking on the phone, then window hollering and discussions across the street are completely encouraged at this time. All will understand. All will engage.