It is now day 1,023 of being in quarantine due to the Covid-19 virus. The first couple of weeks productive was my middle name. I cleaned the house, went grocery shopping, answered thousands of emails and even managed to get in a few at-home workouts. Staying productive in quarantine can be fruitful. However, it can also feel like a burden. By the time we got to weeks 3 and 4, I’ve completely fallen off. I found myself waking up every day and just wanting to lay on the couch and binge-watch movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime. I, for one, cannot wait for non-essential shops to reopen. This all feels like one big social experiment to see how long we can last without the things we used to take for granted. Of course, when they do reopen we’ll all have to wear our face masks and socially distance, and shops will be displaying vaccination mask signs to remind us all to get vaccinated and keep covering our faces, but just getting out of the house to go somewhere other than the supermarket would be a joy. It’s the little things that matter at the moment.
After sitting on the couch for a couple of days I began to feel guilty. Especially when I kept seeing all these Instagram posts saying how productive you should be during this time. One post even said you should be starting another business at this time. I can understand their logic, this is the time for people to flourish and show off their talents, however, with so many people starting online businesses and trying to fit into the market they bypass incredibly important steps like cybersecurity and knowing how to prevent ransomware so they aren’t shut down. A new business is exciting but it’s not worth it if you are not going to take the right steps and be on top of it 24/7, especially at the start. I’m just not up for that right now.
Well, that’s fine and all but I’ve learned over the past few weeks that it’s okay if you just want to relax and not do anything. It’s okay if you find joy in binge watching your favorite televisions shows or movies. Don’t beat yourself up if you haven’t been the productive person everyone is demanding you to be. Oddly enough, I’ve taken comfort in relaxing while watching some bluehost tutorials – it’s interesting to learn about who I host my website with, and how I can make quick changes to speed up the website overall.
It’s times like this when we just need to be still. Enjoy not doing anything. Sometimes when I don’t put the pressure on myself to be the queen of productivity, my mind and body feels rejuvenated. That’s when my creative juices begin to flow. So when I decide to get off the couch and turn the television off, I’m more energized because I allowed my body and mind to rest.
How I’m Staying Sane & Productive in Quarantine
Now that I feel rested, I’ve been thinking of ways to help maintain my sanity as well as staying productive in quarantine. while at home with my family. I wanted to do things that were fun and also educational. So, here’s a few things that I’ve been doing and plan to do.
1. Schedule Virtual Hangouts With Your Friends
Last week, I reached out to some of my friends and scheduled a virtual hangout with them. Since the evening is a time when people wind down, I made a lunch meet up. Everyone got on Zoom and we shared what we were eating for lunch and discussed what we’ve been watching on television, what’s going on at our homes, and reminisced on our college days.
I can’t tell you guys how much fun it was to just kiki with my girls and catch up. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to make this a once a week thing while in quarantine.
2. Take A Skillshare Course
Learn to sketch, knit, make the perfect cocktail, take amazing photos, or become a creative writer with online courses from Skillshare. This is an amazing platform for learning a new skill or perfecting the skills you already have. Since I’m a blogger I’ve watched videos on how to improve my creative business, edit photos, improve my social media presence, and how to improve SEO. This week, I’m taking a class on how to create merch. Some tips on improving business that I saw included the implementation of software like LeaseAccelerator to help with the financial side of things such as accounting and specifically lease accounting, which might be useful if you’re looking to expand your business in real estate.
With Skillshare you can find a slew of classes that are fun and interesting. You will have to pay a small monthly fee to access the classes. However, it’s well worth it.
3. Purge & Shop Your Closet
For me purging my closet is a way of being productive. The task becomes fun for me because I also shop my closet after the purge. Often times, I find clothes I never worn with tags still on them. I get excited all over again about the clothes and begin creating outfits.
Case and point, I was about to shop online for some spring shirtdresses and totally forgot about this neon green dress I bought back in February. I got excited and left it out to wear again when we are allowed to go back outside.
This also helps with overspending. Once I see all the clothing I have, it curbs my desire to buy new pieces.
4. Watching Youtube Fitness Videos
Everyone is freaking out about gaining weight while we are in quarantine. I was in the beginning but stopped worrying because the quarantine snacks have been soooo good. What I did realize was how frustrated I was becoming because of how restless I was feeling. Sometimes I would get bored just sitting on the couch and watching television or browsing the net. To help combat my restlesness, I decided to watch fitness videos on Youtube.
I would do 15 or 30 minute videos and found that taking time out to move my body was helping with mood. Doing consistent movement made me feel refreshed and energized. Which made me want to be more productive. It’s the reason I’m even writing this article now. One of my absolute favorite fitness channels on the tube is Gymra. They have fitness videos ranging from Yoga and beginner friendly workouts to high impact exercises.
5. Write In My Gratitude Journal
Since I was a teen, writing down my thoughts and feelings has always been therapeutic for me. I like to write in my gratitude journal in the morning. When I wake up, I open the curtains and the windows, light a candle, and write what I’m thankful for in my journal. In addition, I write down how I was feeling the day before.
This helps me to sort through my feelings and change my mood for the better. I’m at a point where I look forward to having that me time.
How have you been staying sane and productive in quarantine?
It has honestly depended on the day, but for the most part, blogging has kept me sane. It’s given me a fair bit of structure for the day. What I have appreciated about this time is that I’ve also been able to create a more structured morning routine (like I’ve always wanted) where I do a bit of blog work, then workout, then get ready for the day. Now, I’m at the point where I also want to do some virtual tours and other fun virtual things that I’ve been hearing about being recommended for quarantine.