Physical distancing has been rough, but it has definitely left me with more free time. I’ve been in my house for about a month now, and have only left said house once in the past three weeks. While I am fortunate enough to still be working (a luxury many do not have right now) and I have a stable enough internet connection to go to my Zoom classes, I have plenty of extra free time now that my commute time has dwindled down to exactly 0 hours per week and most of my extracurriculars have been cancelled.
As someone who has two majors, three minors, two jobs, and is(/was) in multiple clubs and on-campus organizations, my mantra for the past few years has been “If I only had more time…” I once championed the idea of having more hours in the day because maybe then I would be able to get more stuff done without burning out so completely. Maybe a three day weekend every weekend would help me both relax and be more productive. So why is it, with so many more hours free, that this has proven to be false? Am I just lazy? Well, not quite.
I’ve discovered that I am more likely to get things done when I have a super packed schedule, because then I don’t have the time to put things off; I have to either get them done at that moment or not at all. My anxiety only seems to kick in at the very last minute. So when there is no last minute, how am I supposed to get things done? That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
Right now, I am trying to get back into a routine that mimics that sense of needing to get things done without being overwhelming. This is done by actually keeping a schedule and blocking off times in which I only do work. While this has certainly helped, I’ve discovered that I’m not being any more productive than I have been in every typical semester. Yet, that statement is only true if I understand the word “productive” in a more traditional sense. See, you can be productive without getting any work done.
For me, a productive morning is one in which I make myself a healthy breakfast. If I actually go for the fruit and protein rather than warming up a processed bagel in the mornings, I consider that to be productive. Am I getting work done for school or my internship? No! I am, however, doing something good for my body and my health, both mentally and physically. Sometimes being productive is just making a good breakfast. Sometimes it’s remembering to floss at night. What this quarantine has taught me is that productivity is whatever you choose to define it as, and I choose to define it as doing something that is good for my mental and/or physical health.
If you’re looking to be productive during quarantine, understand that productivity doesn’t necessarily equal working hard on schoolwork. Taking the time to do things that you know are good for you is the best thing we can do for ourselves in this strange moment in time.
Here are some things I’ve done in the name of productivity in the past few weeks. I hope they inspire you to think about how you’ve been productive without even realizing it.
- Made a healthy(ish) breakfast
- Put on real pants
- Picked up a book
- Facetimed a friend
- Watered my plants
- Flossed (important, but easy to forget)
- Cleaned my room
- Reorganized my makeup
- Took a walk outside
- Played with my dog
- Baked cookies (this tiktok recipe is super quick and easy)
- Drank a whole glass of water
- Picked up an old hobby
- Did some semblance of a skincare routine
- Made a phone call
- Practiced an instrument
- Recommended a book/show to a friend
- Signed a petition
- Put a bit of money into a savings account
- Drew a bit
- Stretched
- Participated in an online dance class
- Learned something new
I hope you all are staying happy, healthy, and safe. Remember to help out others, and be kind to yourself.