How to Remain Productive While Staying at Home

How have you been holding up during this time of quarantine? For many of us as students, the first few days and even weeks were met with mixed feelings which did include positive emotions. The thought of having to stay home most of the time, and getting an extended break away from school (physically) and other responsibilities felt nice, and could not possibly be so bad right? While at first the time spent indoors might have felt relaxing, for many it soon became full of anxiety, unsureness, and developed into cabin fever. 

Have you been having a hard time finding ways to keep busy? Have you been feeling pessimistic? Most of us have but allow me to share just how to make the most out of the given circumstance.

Schoolwork

With classes being back in session, it can definitely be challenging to get back into a routine that allows us to be productive students after being away from school for a while, and even more with the current pandemic. Even with the unexpected turn of events, more than ever it is important to remain motivated and develop a routine that is both healthy and productive. The current situation has the ability to really disrupt one’s motivation, which can be very detrimental to current juniors and seniors who do not have the ability to perform poorly this quarter, or risk falling behind in school.  Think about it this way, with spring quarter being fully remote, this allows for students to work mostly on their own time. Most business classes are asynchronous with one or two meetings that involve discussions one or twice a week which creates more time for students to work or pick up additional hobbies. If you are fond of the remote learning experience or looking to get ahead within your major, consider registering for summer quarter as classes will be online. If you are interested, registration is now open and you may visit the Summer Session’s web page for more information. Make a conscious effort to remain optimistic as given the circumstances, we can still be productive! And who knows, this could be the quarter you get straight A’s! View this as a time to excel while being able to work at your pace, from the comfort of your very own home.

Some tips on how to get back into the groove of school include:

1. Creating a schedule or routine that you will follow during the week to ensure you are completing your schoolwork on time.
2. Have an appropriate designated work space such as a desk in order to be able to produce work much more effectively
3. While it may seem like a no brainer, showering and changing out of your pajamas will allow you to get rid of that mid-day slump, leaving you feeling more ready to work!

Working Out

Have you set a fitness goal for yourself that you have yet to accomplish? With the extra time all of us have at home, there is no better time than now to begin your fitness journey. Not only does working out serve as a pastime, but it is a healthy way of doing so that can lead us to the results we are looking for, and can be used to relive stress. Let’s face it, sitting on the couch all day can leave us feeling restless after a while so why not get a good sweat in from the comfort of your home during these times. Exercising from home only requires a small amount of space, and some exercises can be done without any formal equipment, while others can be done with very minimal equipment used such as free weights, resistance bands, and such. Students can find many great resources that display the different types of exercises that can be done from home and can find routines online through the WWU Rec. Center website. View this time of quarantine as an opportunity to improve your health by developing and working towards your fitness goals. We all do not need to come out of quarantine unhealthier than we were before when we have the ability to exercise from home, even if it is just for a short amount of time a day! Next time you are looking for a fun and productive way to stay busy, consider checking out these resources, or develop your own workout regimen!

Read a Book

An excellent activity that will have you feeling accomplished, and is a good source of entertainment is to pick up a new book. Reading a good book not only allows us to forget about our issues, but allows us to get sucked into a great story whether it is a fiction or non-fiction book. If you have been wanting to read that book for some time now is the time to do so! The beauty of reading is that it allows our mind to escape and become fully engaged in the story. Along with that, it is a wonderful activity that can be done from home in order to minimize our contact with others. If you are interested in a new book, Audible offers a free 30 day trial with one audio book free of charge! Next time you are sitting at home bored thinking about how much you hate being indoors, allow yourself to find a compelling book as this is the perfect opportunity to read that book you have always wanted to!

Take on a New Project

Whether you are into creating art, crafts, or whatever interest you may have, use this time to take on a new personal project you may have been wanting to start but lacked the time to do so. Starting a new art or crafts project, learning how to knit, learning how to use software such as Adobe suite, or even taking a new course online in order to learn new skills as well as certifications is an excellent use of time. Some personal projects that are great to tackle during this time as a marketer are to take a course on smart sheet or Google Analytics, and obtain a certification. These are two great skills and certifications to have as it allows marketers to broaden their knowledge, and increase their capability, thus becoming much more appealing candidates to employers.  It is crucial to view this time as an opportunity to do things we may have not had time for otherwise. Even though the current circumstances have provided a multitude of hardships for many, we must be able to make the most out of the situation. We have the choice of living through this pandemic in distress, and only looking at the negatives, while lightening up the situation can allow us to be more at peace while remaining productive.