Being Actually Productive in a Global Pandemic
By Anny Kim
While I should be a lively and adventurous college student, I often find myself not setting a foot outside my house for days in a row. The COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted and is impacting every individual in some way. The pandemic has driven people into a corner in their rooms, with no social interaction.
During a 6-month-period of dealing with lack of social interaction, one of my main concerns was this: staying motivated and “productive” in a world that is constantly demanding attention and productivity with the “extra time” that we get from staying home. Being in a room alone for hours and hours (or even days), we are subjected to feel demotivated and discouraged. And that is okay. Here are some tips in being actually productive in a global pandemic, when the world is demanding more than you can handle.
- Be active
Staying home doesn’t mean you should decrease your physical activity. Start moving around in your house, whether it’s dancing or doing home workouts. Go on a walk or a jog. The first thing I did back in April, when I couldn’t stand another hour of laying in bed, was getting a yoga mat. Moving around and being active for even 30 minutes a day will dramatically improve your physical health, as well as mental health.
- Set up a schedule
Being at home all the time can blur your sense of time and date. When you wake up past noon and stay in bed for a couple of hours, before you realize it, the sun is down. I started utilizing calendar apps, such as Google Calendar, to keep track of my day in quarantine. Having a visible and accessible schedule for your day helps get those tasks in action.
- Set specific and viable goals
Whether it’s waking up before noon or walking your dog before the sun goes down, set small and specific goals to get you going throughout the day. I first started with easy and basic tasks that I would have done so effortlessly in my “normal” days. Wake up at 9am, make myself breakfast, drink a cup of coffee, and attend lectures in time. Accomplishing goals, whether small or big, will motivate you to do the next and stay on top of your schedule.
- Spend time with yourself
This is the most important yet the most frequently overlooked. Busy, modern people of the business world often don’t have time to talk to themselves. Read, journal, make vlogs, or even step outside for a few minutes with a cup of tea. Do relaxing activities that you truly enjoy. Spend intentional time with yourself, not just mindlessly scrolling through your Instagram feed
