Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash
By: Mariela Marquez
For a lot of people, the Covid-19 pandemic is a first time crisis experience of this magnitude. The level of disruption to daily life is expansive and we find it hard to get back to our routines we are accustomed to following.
It is a scary time for many. There is so much uncertainty surrounding us and doing work, whether it be for your career or school, is not the top priority for many. How can someone stay motivated when they’re surrounded by anxiety?
It is not the easiest to do. However, there is one silver lining and that is, we are all in this together, students, alumni and clients alike. We are all experiencing the same disruption and together we can find ways to help each other succeed to the best of our ability. Hopefully by reading a few of these tips, courtesy of The Muse, you’re able to stay motivated to keep pushing forward and keep stress at a minimum.
The first tip is super simple but sure to make a huge difference. As soon as you wake up, make your bed. Something as simple as making your bed as soon as you wake up can kickstart your productive mentality. Personally when my physical environments are neat and tidy, then my mental and emotional states will feel more at peace. There is no better feeling than when you come home to a nicely made bed, the same applies to work from home. Leaving your workspace and not having to deal with a bed in disarray after a long day will be a small but satisfying victory.
The second thing you want to do is get dressed. This doesn’t mean put on a suit and tie or your best blouse and pair of slacks. Simply changing out of your pajamas is a good way to get into the proper mindset to get things done. If you have to, go as far as doing your makeup or starting off with a clean shave. The point is that you want to follow a similar routine you would when working on location.
When you begin your work, you want to set up a designated workspace. This should be somewhere preferably away from your comfort spaces like your bedroom. Don’t worry if you don’t have a desk, any free space you can sit in front of should work. You want to create a workspace that resembles your usual one as much as possible. Make sure that your space is organized. If it is a space that you use for other purposes make sure you close out your workspace at the end of the day. The key is to make a separation between your home space and your workspace.
The third thing you want to do is set a specific time frame for your work. Coordinate some work hours that you feel comfortable with. Make them a set schedule so that when you’re on the clock, you don’t feel too inclined to get distracted by other household activities. Setting a work hours time frame will help you make the separation between work life and home life. Once you’re off the clock, focus on all things that relax you and take your mind off work. Ease out of it by simply packing up all your things, closing out all tabs or just getting up, closing your computer and walking away.
While the current state of affairs isn’t the most ideal, we need to make sure that we stay on top of our lives. The best way to do this is to keep our routines to their norm as much as possible. We should also keep in mind that while we all are facing the same disruption, this is causing different levels of stress and problems to different people. Avoid spreading mass panic and sharing misinformation. Spread love, empathy and keep treating people with kindness.