Quarantine: stay Productive and Stay Sane

Caroline
Apr 19, 2020
6 min read

Intro:

While we aren’t sure how long quarantine is going to last, we do know there is going to be an end and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, for these next few weeks or days, I wanted to provide you a few tips to stay productive and a few activities to help you stay sane. I know it feels like we have been isolated foreverrrrrrr, so allow these tips to lighten up your routine and keep your noggin in one piece!

Stay productive:

Struggling with online school or working from home? So is the entire world… and that isn’t even an exaggeration this time! Here is what has helped me stay on top of my work and stay motivated, even though the work I am doing is not for a grade (it is required though… so tell me how that works, please *laughing crying face emoji*).

-Put the phone away: Most likely, you wouldn’t be on your phone during in-person classes or meetings, so don’t let it be a distraction now. Give yourself designated break times to be on your phone, but don’t let it put you behind or prolong the work because I know you would rather just get it done.

-Create a loose schedule. Whether you are better off doing 3-4 days of intense work a week or to spread the work out between 7 days, do what is best for you and stick to it.

-Take it seriously. If you can treat it like real school or work, I promise you won’t want to slack off or earn lower grades. I am motivated by competition, so the way I take school seriously is to push myself to do my best.

-Where do you go to study while in school or to complete a work presentation? Recreate the space at home. I love coffee shops, so I will light a candle, play a coffee shop playlist from Apple music, and drink some homemade coffee. You’d be surprised how much it works.

-Just get it done! This is easier said than done, but getting the work done will feel good and you will be so glad when it is over. Plus, putting it off will just lead to a lot of making up down the road, which is just not fun.

-Change up the location where you work in your house. Sometimes we just need a change of scenery. If I am feeling unmotivated, I will go work in the basement on the couch instead of at the desk in my room. And if it is nice outside, I find a way to work out there.

-Prepare a yummy snack or drink to have while you work. I love having something healthy in my workspace to help keep my energy up and to make me happy.

-Enjoy the freedom that online school and work provides and use it to your advantage. If you are a night owl (although I do recommend going to bed earlier), work at night. If you like taking lots of break in between tasks, do it. Online school (and possibly work) are very flexible, so now is the time to tailor it to you!

-Remember that you can do this. I know it isn’t ideal or the easiest thing to stay motivated, but it is a blessing you get an education or that you have a job, so keep your perspective positive.

Other general productivity tips:

-Reward yourself for working hard or after you complete a task. You earned it!

-Create a list or use a planner to keep track of what you need to do and what you have completed. The satisfaction of crossing things off when they are completed is unbeatable.

-Keep the end goal in mind. If people on a fitness journey can use their end goal as motivation AND it is one of the most successful tactics, then I think it can help you accomplish what you need to get done.

Stay Sane:

I am sure you can come up with a list of things to do for fun or to be productive on your own, so my goal is to provide some creative and random things for you to do. And if you haven’t come up with a list of things to do (hobbies, tasks, shows to watch, books to read) for yourself then you SHOULD: no time is better than now to do everything!

-Make your favorite restaurant drinks or foods at home. I have been creating homemade iced coffee and tomorrow I am trying homemade thai iced tea (my FAV). Doing this will save you the trip of going out of your house, and you may end up liking it a lot. Then, you can save money after quarantine by making it homemade!

-When was the last time you flossed? Gross… right? You heard me… GO FLOSS. Your teeth will thank you for it, and you will get addicted.

-I know we all love going to the spa, but that is not an option right now, so create one at home! Do all the kinds of self care tasks (pluck your eyebrows, do a facemask, paint your nails, put on lotion, shave, dye your hair, cut your nails) and make a day or night out of it.

-Do some online learning. If there is something you have always wanted to know about or something you have always wanted to learn how to do, look it up and get to learning! That is what the internet is there for. A great site for online learning is https://www.classcentral.com/ Several Ivy League institutions have published lectures and resources there for free.

-Research political campaigns and candidates for upcoming elections. Being an educated voter is extremely important, and now you have the time to make sure your voice and vote really count.

-Clean up and organize photos, both printed pictures or digital ones. I have loved going through Dropbox each night because I get to go all the way back to memories from 2010 and delete unnecessary photos to create storage for new memories in the future.

-Make someone a gift, write someone a note or thank you card, or find a way to serve the community. We could all use a bit of encouragement during this time, so I think if you did something kind for someone, it will make both of your days. Here are some ideas on how you can serve the community during this time, but feel free to look up how to serve for your community specifically: https://www.nationalservice.gov/serve

-Find a new way to get active. Now is the perfect time to try some new and fun workouts to refresh your fitness routine! I have loved using my Feetup trainer as an interesting way to do some strength training.

-Dream big! Start that blog, write that book, make that song, do THAT thing you have always dreamed of doing.

-Have a phone detox. Right now it is especially easy to have our phones glued to our palms, but I promise your mind and body will thank you for taking a step away from it.

-Refresh your social media. Detox out inactive or unhealthy accounts for you and add some new refreshing and positive accounts. Also, feel free to revamp your social media presence by giving your bio, profile pic, and feed a face lift.

-Make a gratitude list. It will help you focus on what’s good, and it will serve as a helpful resource for hard times.

-Create an eating plan or household cleaning schedule. Healthier habits can start now!

Outro:

There are a multitude of things you can be doing right now, and many ways to get done what you need to get done; you just have to see it and believe it for yourself. Also, don’t forget to keep your lens in check--quarantine is medically necessary because it saves lives, and we are all incredibly blessed with roofs over our heads, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, a loving God, phones, security, and so much more during this time.

I hope this post was at least a little enlightening for your quarantine time, and I also hope that all of you are staying safe, healthy, and at home as much as possible. We can and will get through this together!