Productivity Tips for Life Under Quarantine
By: Julia Prendergast
We’ve came up with a few tips on keeping productive during life at home, plus some creative home office inspiration.
Set Up an Office Space:
Setting up a designated office space and even confining your work to that area can help with concentration – and therefore, productivity! If you live with others, it can give you a (hopefully) stress-free zone plus keep your work from intruding in their lives.
If you’re creative enough, you can turn any space into your own office:
Keep a Routine:
Wake up at your usual time, make a cup of coffee, and take a shower to start the day! Keeping as much of your typical daily routine in your life as possible will help you feel a little bit more productive. Making the trip to your designated ‘office’ can replace going to work. Looking on the bright side – at least ‘grabbing’ that coffee on the way won’t make you late!
After a day’s work that you’re proud of, it’s important to take a break so you can start fresh the next day. Leaving your notebook at your desk or shutting down that program can help you to re-charge and relax.
Get Outside as Much as Possible:
While venturing out into public isn’t the smartest idea, open up the windows and let some fresh air in! If you have a backyard or even a balcony, spend some time reading or sitting out in the sun (if that Canadian weather co-operates). It’s proven that spending time outdoors increases our productivity, improving concentration, creativity, and even short-term memory.
It’s definitely possible to incorporate some nature into your quarantine routine:
https://twitter.com/joshmateo/status/1238530071725367296?s=20
Pick Up a New Hobby:
Or at least try! If reading hasn’t always been your thing, try picking up a book or even work on your green thumb with some gardening. Drawing, painting, or just creating and consuming art reduces the stress hormone cortisol (and releases those feel-good endorphins)! You can find tutorials online for almost anything:
Last but not least… Socialize!
It’s important to lead as full of a social life as possible while we’re stuck indoors. Forget texting – FaceTime, call, even write a letter to your friends or family! It’s nice to put pen to paper every once in a while these days. Getting in touch with the ones you love can help you see the brighter side to everything.
And remember, we’re always here for you if you need a reminder!