We’re living in a time where it is crucial to stay home and practice self-isolation. There are pros and cons, I no longer have to feel guilty about how frequently I order UberEats but it is also getting harder to separate work from downtime. 

It’s so easy to slack when you’re in trackies all day. On the flip side, for all you over-achievers out there, it can also be difficult to know when to end your day. 

So I’ve come up with a few tips on how to adjust to the situation and be more productive at home:

Step 1: Routine, Routine, Routine

I’m sure we’ve all seen the memes floating around on social media suggesting that the semester feels very optional. 

One way to combat this feeling is to take time to set a schedule of tasks you’d like to accomplish in a day and buddy-up with someone else doing the same to hold each other accountable. Set up a routine that works for you. Observe when you’re at your most productive and set aside those hours for checking off tasks on your to-do list. Zoom is also great for those that need a bit of presence and peer pressure in order to be productive and focus on tasks.

Step 2: Health first, productivity follows

I know this is so cliché, but taking care of your physical and mental health is great for productivity and in general! Aside from exercising, I’ve been practising mindfulness and meditating much more since social distancing started. I usually do it right before I start my work for the day as it has become a part of my routine and just allows me to be more focused. There are so many websites and YouTube videos as well as apps such as: Headspace, Smiling Mind & Calm.

Step 3: Eliminate distractions  

I find myself getting distracted every time notifications appeared, which can ruin your state of mind and make you less productive.

It’s helpful to turn off your notifications during the block of time set aside for work. I also recommend these looking into these applications: Forest and Self-control. Forest lets you plant a tree when you want to stay focused but if you leave the app, the free will wither, I use this to avoid using my phone while working. Self-control is an application on my laptop and it allows you to blacklist websites that would distract you and blocks you from visiting those sites for a set amount of time. A huge win for me as I compulsively check Facebook and YouTube. 

Happy studying. All the best, Joyce x

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