Sick of being posted up in your bed for hours at a time? Get out of those jammies and back to productivity with these tips & tricks.
It’s a crazy, frustrating, and historic time in the world right now—here are some things I’ve been doing to help me stay sane. I hope it helps!
Advice:
1. Change out of your pajamas. I know it’s tempting, but you’ll be much more productive and grateful to put comfy clothes back on at the end of the day!
2. Make up your bed and work at a desk, different surface, or different room. Again, this will increase your productivity and let you enjoy your bed at the end of the day much more!
3. Plan your day: it’s super helpful to make a to-do list and write out everything you hope to accomplish for the day.
4. Write down & keep track of what you’ve accomplished each day so you can see how productive you were – which brings me to my next point.
5. Journal: every day in the morning and at night I’ve been journaling my feelings. Social distancing has not been easy and when I’m starting to go crazy, it helps to get everything I’m feeling out on paper.
6. Actually DO stuff – attend your Zoom classes or do your work from home. It’ll help you retain some sanity and give your life a structure.
7. Use a timer to keep your focus and take screen time breaks.
8. Take breaks from your work to keep focus.
9. Try to go outside and see the sun if possible—get that vitamin D and remember that the world still exists!
10. Reward yourself at night with a movie or some ice cream – you got through the day!
11. Stand up while you’re working at home – it’ll make you feel more tired at the end of the day and it’s far better than sitting for hours at a time, which has been proven to cause chronic diseases later in life!
12. Eliminate social media. Since I’ve been stuck at home, I’ve been way more bored, using Instagram an ungodly amount. I’ve found myself comparing my life to others, thinking I’m not working out enough, cooking enough, whatever it may be. I’ve resorted to downloading and checking the app once a day every other week—it’s so refreshing and reminds you that there’s more out there than what you see on a four-inch screen.
Things to Do:
1. Get in touch with your creative side! I ordered a coloring book for meditation and anxiety-releasement, and honestly, I forgot how addicting coloring is. No wonder that’s all we do as children.
2. Similarly, make a vision board. In the age of Pinterest, it’s so fun to put together colors and textures and align them with our goals. Pull out that cardboard box you keep forgetting to recycle and some old magazines and get to work!
3. Make a list of short term & long-term goals. This time is so unprecedented that we might never have another lengthy period of purely staying at home and doing nothing—rethink your life and make some goals to accomplish now and in 5 years!
4. Learn a new language. It’s so easy to learn a new language with the app Duolingo—I’ve been relearning French from when I took it in high school, and it genuinely makes me happy. Highly recommend.
5. Binge your watch-list: start a new series or watch that classic movie you never saw (we all have one—for me, it’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—yes, I am ashamed). I’m currently watching Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes and Love Is Blind (it’s comedically bad—watch it).
6. Read: I’ve recently rediscovered my love for reading but as a college student, I honestly don’t have much time to read just for fun.
7. Listen to podcasts! I used to think podcasts were dumb (why would I wanna listen to other people talk about random stuff?), but they’re honestly kinda saving me right now. My favorite is Chicks In the Office by Barstool Sports, and I also recommend the Duolingo podcasts if you’re trying to learn a new language!
8. Home workouts: tons of companies and celebrities are doing free workout streams during this crazy time, such as Gold’s Amp and CorePower as well as celebrities Tyler Cameron (from The Bachelorette) and Naomi Campbell. And if all else fails, search for some YouTube workout videos—there’s a ton of stuff out there.
9. Stretch: whether you work out or not, keep your blood flowing and nerves calm through stretching your muscles.
10. Make playlists for any and every occasion and share them with others!
11. On the same note (no pun intended), listen to artists you’ve always wanted to but never had the chance. For me, I’ve been listening to old albums from Amy Winehouse, Weezer, and Coldplay. Also, the Weeknd just dropped an album…so…
12. Clean out your home – go through closets, desks, drawers, and make piles of stuff of which to get rid. Although I’m a Class A clean freak, you have to admit, this is satisfying.
13. Cook and bake new things you’ve always wanted to try! With limited trips to the grocery store being the only time I’ve really left the house, this should be somewhat doable and fun.
14. Facetime friends – as a college kid home for who knows how long, I’m missing both my friends from school as well as my friends here who I haven’t been able to see because ~social distancing~. But calling definitely helps!
15. Hair and face masks – hair masks are super easy to make with household ingredients such as coconut oil, honey, and olive oil. And face masks are always necessary.
16. Try new hair and makeup looks – if you’ve ever wanted to mess around with blue eyeliner or purple eyeshadow, now’s your chance!
17. Drink some tea & remain calm – tea is yummy and definitely relieves stress (I have absolutely no proof behind this). COVID-19 will eventually pass. :)
If you’re anything like me (a normal human being), you might be going absolutely insane being trapped inside all day. It’s completely okay to go crazy and get frustrated, but in times like these, we are reminded of how great our lives normally are. Each day, take a minute to be grateful with what you have and how wonderful this life is.