How to Be Productive during the COVID-19 Pandemic
These are uncertain times - believe me, I get it. I am an entrepreneur/event professional in the service industry, & my husband is a hotelier. While we most certainly are not on the front lines of this pandemic, (& we are forever thankful to those that are!) our family has taken a hit in more ways than one. We have had to make some shifts in our daily lives & how we operate both professionally & personally, which I’m sure you have too.
You may have kiddos at home with you instead of at school for the foreseeable future. You may be sharing co-working space at home with your spouse. You may have been laid off or put on furlough until this disaster passes. ALL of these things I’M SURE have taken a toll on you mentally & physically.
And if you’re like me at all, all of this uncertainly has gambled with your productivity. I’m trying to get my own work done while giving my toddler something constructive to do, while my husband is home, having been furloughed for just a few days a week (praise the Lord.).
So - I wanted to share some of my top tips for staying productive during this crisis. Believe me - it’s possible!
FIND YOUR FOCUS TIME
I’m most productive in the mornings. That’s just the way I’m wired. Find the time that you’re most productive & do your necessary tasks during that window. Give your kiddos an activity or e-learning assignment to do during that time that they can do on their own. That way you can focus on your work or house work that needs to be completed.
KEEP COMMUNICATION LINES OPEN
If you find your spouse or partner is now working from home with you, keep those lines of communication open & ready for shifts. Sit down at the start of each week, or heck, at the start of each day, & compare notes on who has calls when & who can take charge with the kids when. This will keep you both running at the same pace all week long.
TIME FOR THAT FAMILY CALENDAR
We have a dry-erase calendar that we (mainly I..) fill out at the start of each month. It’s looking pretty bare these days sadly. If you don’t have something like this in place already, I suggest you create a shared Google calendar or at least sit down & talk through what everyone has going on for work, school work, house work, etc.
TIMEBLOCKING
If you’ve ever read anything I’ve written you know that I LOVE me some time blocking. You can find more about that practice from my free guide HERE, but essentially block out specific chunks of time on your calendar each day with specific tasks listed. This will keep your to-do list on track & grinding.
CARVE OUT TIME FOR REST
Bet you didn’t see this one coming, did ya?! Rest - we need it. We need it to recharge our bodies & our brains. So if you’re on a “normal” work & school week schedule in your home, make the weekends sacred. Unplug even more & refill your cup with your family. Take a break from school work or work work & just be in the moment. That will give you some sense of normalcy in this crazy world that we’re living in!
Now is not the time for sticking your head in the ground. There have been times where I’ve wanted to do that; when working on something new or different seemed to hard or not worth pursuing. But instead I want to use this time to give you resources that have helped me to stay sane & can do the same for you. I want to see you live joyfully & happily even during crisis. We have so much to be thankful for & so many things to work hard for. Don’t waste this precious gift of time we’ve been given!