Calling all students! Does this lockdown routine sound familiar: going to sleep at 3am, waking up at 2pm, not knowing what day of the week it is and watching Netflix until your eyes bleed? Yep. Sounds like what the first few days of quarantine were like for me. It wasn’t until I was aimlessly walking around the house at 4am that I realized I needed to implement some routine into my days. Not only does it help get things done, it also keeps away those sneaky thoughts of depression and anxiety that linger in your mind when you’re not paying attention. The need for structure helps a lot when fighting mental health issues and this is why I have decided to document and share easy practical things that anybody can do to help stay productive during lockdown.
My favourite way to start the day is to lie in bed and relax. Yes. Rest when your body feels like it. Get up when your body tells you to. However, try not fall into the trap of scrolling through your phone for hours in bed. It fills your mind with other people’s thoughts and lives and it can leave you feeling unmotivated for you day ahead. Once you’ve climbed out of bed, give yourself 15 minutes to sit and have your coffee or tea without any distractions. During this time I suggest you sit with a notebook and write out your daily blueprint. A short list of things you would like to accomplish in the 12 hours that lay ahead of you.
The blueprint is a beautiful thing. Especially for people like myself, who are very goal orientated. In the blueprint I make sure that I have 2 easy things, 2 slightly challenging things and 1 thing that I might have been putting off for a while. My daily blue print generally looks like this:
- Make my bed
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I have this one on every blueprint I make. Even on really rough days when I don’t feel like doing anything – I make a point to make my bed. It is easy, quick, and starts my day in a way that helps me feel accomplished.
- Drink one litre of water
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Another easy one! This can be any small habit that you’re trying to incorporate into your daily routine. Drinking water is simple, can be done at any time and it’s good for me.
- 20 minutes of my daily stretch/ workout
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I made my own little 20 minutes workout that has stretches and small amounts of push-ups and sit-ups in between. You can find my little workout here. This is something I consider as medium difficulty. I don’t always want to do a workout and that’s cool. I don’t put pressure on myself to do it, but if it’s been a few days I will generally pump up some 2000’s jams and it gets me going!
- Do 30 – 60 minutes of varsity work
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If you’re an undergrad like myself, you’ll find that there isn’t enough work to keep you busy for 3 weeks. I suggest that you put 30-60 minutes aside in the morning to either work on an assignment that was postponed, do some readings, or watch some Youtube videos about your courses. Keep learning even though motivation can get low on these long breaks. Small achievements over long periods of time yield incredible results!
- That 1 thing you’ve been putting off
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Yeah. I know. There’s a reason you’ve been putting it off. Maybe it’s too much to do all in 1 day, but I suggest putting aside 30 minutes towards ‘that thing’ that has been on your mind for a few weeks. Maybe it’s a big varsity project, reorganizing your room, or even sewing those old pair of jeans that you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to fix for a few months.
Every few days, add an extra point to your blueprint. I call this one the inspiration point. This could be anything relating to your future goals. This can include looking at your dream house on Pinterest, looking up some internships you’d be interested in or future jobs that you want to aim towards. I do this every few days to stay fresh and motivated to keep working hard towards my dreams – even in the middle of a lockdown.
This is a simple example of how I structure my days to help ease off the anxiety of sitting and doing nothing. Once your blueprint is done, I suggest you make 3 little hearts at the bottom of your page and write 3 things you are grateful for. This helps guide your mindset to be one of gratitude for the day ahead.
This being said – it is important to note that sometimes there can be toxicity attached to productivity. There will be days when you just want to lie in bed and scroll through Instagram or sleep or watch TV. So, take your time to rest and unwind. But, don’t get lost in there – and remember to take care of yourself in times like these. Find what works for you and thrive.
Until next time. Your girl, Nat.