In the midst of isolation, online schooling, work, and not having our regular routines every day, it may be difficult to remain in a productive state. So, I made a list of 10 things everyone should do every single day, quarantine or not, to keep enriching your soul and gaining knowledge. Just because we have nowhere to go, does not mean we do not have a purpose! I keep this list under the “Reminders” app on my phone and I can honestly say that, by holding myself accountable and keeping a checklist, I have become a much more disciplined person and much more mindful of what I invest my time in.
1. Set goals.
Every day, we should have a purpose or something important to do. Whether that be an essay, a project, a cleaning spree, or anything you have been needing to do in your own home but never had the time to. The possibilities are endless. If you have one extremely big task, it’s best to make that your goal for the day to not overwhelm yourself. If you have manageable tasks, then just make three goals for the entire day. This will allow you to make progress in your life, keep you feeling accomplished and pleased with yourself. It will also make you feel relieved and like you have fewer things to do in the future.
2. Wake up early.
Without having to wake up for work or school and physically go, zooms may seem a bit optional right now when they aren’t (haha). A huge element to keep yourself productive is to set an alarm an hour earlier than your usual wakeup time. Therefore, if you usually wake up at 10 am, set your alarm for 9 am without snoozing! As soon as you are up, without even thinking, the best thing to do is make your bed because 1. You would have already accomplished something and 2. It prevents you from getting back into bed to keep sleeping. Starting your day earlier will make you feel refreshed and less tired throughout your daily tasks.
3. Get ready!
No, we do not have anywhere to be, but who says we can’t get ready for ourselves? Doing your skincare routine and throwing on a cute outfit will allow you to feel confident. It’s extremely tempting to not take care of our skin during this time because any routine at all may seem dreadful since no one is seeing you. But, you can use this as a form of self-care and admire yourself. You know what they said: look good, feel good.
4. Count your blessings.
In a journal, it’s a beautiful experience to write down 10 daily blessings and feel gratitude. Starting your morning with a grateful heart will only bring more blessings and things to be grateful for. It makes us appreciate the things we have. It doesn’t have to be big things! It could be something simple, such as a cup of coffee. I always write: “I am grateful for ____, because _____” since that allows me to think of not just what I am thankful for, but WHY this is so important in my life.
5. Keep track of your food and water consumption.
Snacking is one of my favorite hobbies, I shall say, especially while being at home all day. It is okay to snack, but keeping balance and mindfully eating is key because you don’t want to come out of quarantine feeling sluggish and lazy! I keep track by drinking 2 liters of water every day, incorporating vegetables in every single meal, and eating 3 different fruits throughout the day. If you find yourself struggling to accomplish these, a useful trick would be to cut some fruits, such as strawberries or blueberries, and adding them into a cute water bottle, fill it up with water and it’ll give your water some taste while you are getting a good detox!
6. Clean and organize.
I am a firm believer that the space one is in has a huge effect on our mood. I cannot concentrate when I am in a messy or dirty environment. I have found, through the trial and error, that the most effective method is to set a 20-minute timer and remove all distractions (aka my phone). For those 20 minutes, I do laundry, wash dishes, etc. Anything that needs to get done around the house, use those 20 minutes and I promise you, you will make so much progress in the home.
7. Exit resting mode.
What does this mean, you may ask. We are home sitting down all day or laying down, whether it be on an actual school zoom lecture or work meeting or just simply watching Netflix. But, to keep the rhythm of our bodies going, we must exit that state and get a good sweat in. There are so many options and we have all the resources at our fingertips. YouTube is packed with home workouts, yoga sessions, you name it! And there are also different time options, from 10 minutes to even an hour. The intensity and the time are up to you but the key is to get some sort of movement each day.
8. Me-Time.
Give yourself a timed hour of doing literally whatever you want to do. This time could be used to meditate, paint, dance, make Tik Toks, or watch Netflix. I highly suggest using this time to let your mind and body do whatever it wants. Let your inner creativity escape and get out of your comfort zone. It is not every day that we get to pause and just do something enjoyable. Day to day deadlines, meetings, traffic, etc. all create noise in our system and don’t allow us the mental state or even the time to enjoy ourselves and everything this life has to offer.
9. Read.
Now, this one may be dreadful. However, I am a believer that people only dread reading because they have not found something interesting to them that they enjoy reading. Growing up, we were forced to read textbooks that oftentimes we may not have enjoyed, which created a negative connotation towards reading. But, as we grow older we develop our personal preferences and can choose for ourselves. Some people enjoy a good mystery, some enjoy self-development, others enjoy informational politics books. Whatever the case may be, set a goal of reading 10 pages every day. This will keep your mind active and if you find that one book genre you love, you will have something to look forward to when reading it.
10. Spread love.
I left this one for last because, not only in dark times but always, it is essential to spread love and kindness. Humans were made to interact with one another and if we are bringing each other down, then where would that take anyone? Compliment someone, set up a facetime or zoom date, have an at-home brunch with your family. No external materialistic thing could make us feel too much for too long, which is where our roles as coexisting humans come into play. Be there for those who need you and those who seem to not need anyone as well because, at the end of the day, we all need love. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, if you are GIVING love, you will RECEIVE that same amount of love back.
These 10 daily tasks will optimize your life in all aspects, and will also optimize others’ lives around you as well. Stay home, healthy, and happy!