While we can’t control the forces that disrupted our lives, we can take steps to maintain our mental resilience and help ourselves be productive. Here are six ways to stay engaged even when we’re just not feeling it:
Take it one day at a time
Don’t focus on the whole month or even the whole week. Take each day on its own. Ask yourself, “What do I absolutely need to accomplish today?” Define your daily goals. And when you’re planning what your day is going to look like, remember to think about when you’re at your best. Another tip: If worries and anxieties are distracting you, set aside time in your day to worry. The knowledge that you’ll have time to deal with your worries — even by simply acknowledging them — means you won’t have them with you 24 hours a day.
Create new routines
If you haven’t established them already, it’s important to create rituals to break up your day, since many of us no longer have external ones, like commuting, lunching with co-workers, or picking up children from school.
Maintain boundaries
Creating a separate place that’s just for work helps put us in a work frame of mind. And, just as important, it helps us leave work behind when we leave our work area. If your living situation doesn’t allow for a dedicated workspace, even the act of closing your laptop at the end of your workday — and especially at night before you go to bed — and then rebooting in the morning to start work, helps maintain a boundary between work and the rest of your home life. Also, remember to set boundaries within technology. So often the technology we need to work is also the source of distractions that make it feel impossible to work — in the form of relentless beeps and dings and vibrations demanding our attention. So turn off all the alerts for things you don’t need to be alerted to. And while you’re at it, close those tabs.
Be intentional about self-care
When we’re sleep deprived, everything seems worse. We’re not just less able to focus, we’re also much more reactive emotionally. These are stressful times — a strange mix of monotony and momentous changes at the same time. We’re all carrying around a lot of big, heavy baggage. And that emotional load feels a lot heavier when we don’t give ourselves time to sleep and recharge. Getting outside during the day is another great way to recharge. Getting some natural light and a bit of nature is essential to our well-being.
Harness the power of others
When you’re feeling low, recognize that you’re not the only one who feels this way. Checking in with friends or colleagues can help you stay motivated. Whether it’s regularly scheduled virtual meetups or just a group text, find your squad and make time to connect.
Give yourself some grace
Allow yourself a little perspective — we are not able to sit at our desks/workstations for eight hours a day and be completely focused. Our days should be broken up in ways that give us time away from our desks/workstations.
Let me know what you do to focus.