Online classes and working from home feels
By Jane Diokpo, Contributor
During this unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic, we have all been advised to stay remote and indoors as much as we can. So now, many of us have perhaps found ourselves working from home or taking our various school courses online more often. However, you are only human; there are days when it gets extremely difficult just to get out of bed, stay motivated, or be on track in general. Working remotely can easily lead to unproductiveness due to spending so many hours of the day indoors during this COVID-19 period. And our unproductive days are bound to get even harder to combat because of the first winter we are about to experience amidst this pandemic. When the snow hits, most of us will be completely forced to stay indoors and abandon the few things we have left to keep us motivated such as outdoor jogging, walking our pets, socially distanced meals, or even admiring nature.
But with a little creativity, you can beat the social distancing burnout days; making sure you stay absolutely inspired, take care of yourself, and stay connected with loved ones will keep you productive! Here’s a list of things to do to combat unproductiveness and stay motivated while doing remote work or online school this winter:
Rise
and shine!
Stick with a strict morning routine. Get up at a specific time (e.g., 8 am),
brush your teeth, shower, and get dressed for the day. This may sound obvious
to you, but it has become increasingly easy to lounge around in your pajamas
watching Netflix from morning to noon. Avoid this by setting your alarm clock
(resist hitting the snooze button) and writing down three specific things you
want to do that day.
Do
one morning ritual you love
It’s one thing to get up and get dressed, but it’s another to maintain your
positive and driven mood. Start each day doing one thing you love to put you in
a happy mood for the next 24 hours. Perhaps yoga, singing, playing an
instrument, reading, or eating extra-buttery waffles each morning sets a light
tone on the rest of your day?
Visualize
your projects
With all this extra time on your hands, now is the moment to take on a project.
Not only will it kill boredom, but it will also keep you busy. Write out a
literal list of projects or things you need to get done; could be to clean your
garage, to finish the paperwork for your boss before the weekend, to create and
finish your first graphic novel, or it could be to learn the banjo… just get
going! You can do it.
Have (virtual) meetups with friends
Most of you already do this, but this one might not be so obvious for others. Many workers or students find while staying at home, they work well into the weekend, neglecting their social lives. It’s important to remind yourself to set up a video call with friends at least once a week.
Do a time audit
As you end every day, for two minutes, take some time to reflect on how you spent the day. This helps you identify any unproductive habits you have and take on better ones.
