Pre-pandemic, you had your dreaded to-do list items. Sometimes you didn’t get them done, but most of the time, you buckled down and made them happen.
But now? During this never-ending pandemic, even the easy stuff is hard to cross off your list! The dreaded items from before have multiplied all over your life.
The good news (if you can call it that) is that you’re not alone. And you’re not lazy. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with you! We’re all struggling with productivity during this pandemic, and there are real reasons why.
Collectively, we’re feeling a whole lot of additional stress as the Covid-19 pandemic drags on. We’re worried about public health and safety, rising tensions, and the state of the economy. On individual levels, this stress is impacting us all in unique ways that are difficult to balance. Lack of focus and decreased motivation are natural side-effects that hit our productivity levels.
Not only that, our social lives are dramatically different than they once were. No longer can we gather with the people we love in the ways we love. This feels lonely and even demoralizing — which can lead us to feel less pumped up to tackle our to-do lists.
When mental health suffers, productivity goes down. It’s not your fault, but there are things you can do to help yourself feel better — and raise your pandemic productivity levels.
Make Self-Care a Priority for Ideal Pandemic Productivity
You know the saying: You can’t pour from an empty cup. And you can’t improve your productivity if you don’t make time to recharge.
You deserve a heckuva lot of self-love and self-care. Do the things you need to do that make you feel alive, passionate, and taken care of.
Need a nap? Take a 20-minute mid-day snooze instead of powering through.
Feeling lethargic and slow? Feed yourself nutritious food, go for a walk or jog, or drink water.
Feeling lonely and sad? Call a friend, find a therapist, or do a good deed for someone.
You know what you need to stay alert, cared for, and happy. Do those things.
Give Yourself a Commute
When the shutdowns began, you may have been overjoyed to lose your commute as you faced working from home. But that joy has turned to apathy and lack of productivity. It’s a whole lot harder to be productive at home.
And one of the reasons might be that you don’t have a commute anymore.
Whether you realized it or not, on your pre-pandemic commutes, you were mentally preparing yourself for your workday. And when you were done with work, you left a physical space, thereby separating your home life from your work life.
Now that everything is mushed together, it’s difficult to mentally prepare yourself for work — and to transition back to home.
The solution? Give yourself a commute. Work in a co-working space to not only bring back a commute, but to put yourself in a productive environment.
No co-working option right now? Give yourself a commute by getting dressed, going for a walk or drive around the block, and entering your home with a work mindset.
Exercise for Better Pandemic Productivity
Yep, we went there. You know you need to exercise for your health, but it’s also critical for productivity!
Exercise boosts your energy and helps you avoid feeling fatigued. What could be better for productivity than to feel energized?
Not only that, exercise reduces stress. We know that part of our pandemic productivity decline is due to increased stress. Since exercise is a natural stress reducer, it will also boost your productivity.
Find a Buddy
Accountability can take you places, and in this case, being accountable to someone can take you to higher levels of pandemic productivity.
Find someone who is also struggling with pandemic productivity. This shouldn’t be hard. We’d venture a guess that nearly everyone on your friends list fits this criteria.
Set up accountability rules. You could check in with each other each morning once you’re at work. Share your to-do lists or your top priority for the day. Check in again midday to keep each other on task, and again at the end of the day to report your progress.
Use a Timer
When you’re alone on your computer all day, internet distraction will come calling. Keep it at bay by setting a timer for each task.
If you need to write a report, determine how long it should take. Then set a timer and get to work. You’ll be surprised by how much more you can get done when you’re holding yourself accountable to time.
Think Less About Your Tasks
One thing that is sure to tire you out is making decisions all day long. When a new email comes into your inbox, you need to make a decision about it — from whether or not to open it, to what do with the information once you do. If you have 20 tasks to do in a day, stopping to think about each one will cause you to slow down, stop, and make multiple decisions.
Make this process easier on yourself by thinking less about your tasks.
No, we’re not saying you should do half-hearted work. Just make your day more routine.
For example, set three times in the day for reading and responding to emails. That way, you don’t have to make a decision every single time your email count goes up.
Additionally, take a look at your day and see what part of your schedule you can set and forget. For example, maybe every day you make sales calls, research leads, and follow up on current customers. You could make sales calls from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, research leads from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and do your follow-up from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
With a set-and-forget schedule, you don’t have to think about what to do from one moment to the next.
Remember: This year has felt like a decade, but you can keep putting one foot in front of the other. You’re learning new things and improving every day.
Coworking Connection in Murrieta and Temecula is open! We’re carefully following Covid-19 safety protocols, and are here for you to enjoy the benefits of working outside your home. Give us a call at 1-800-762-1391. Our affordable options will expand your current possibilities and capabilities, giving you the room, creativity, and connection you need to boost your morale and recharge during Covid-19.