While the crisis created by COVID-19 has revealed a lot of weaknesses in our social systems and institutions, it’s also an opportunity for growth. And the same thing can be said about our productivity habits.
You might already be experiencing the difficulties of working from home. Maybe you have to homeschool your kids amid school closings. Perhaps your pets are distracting you from accomplishing tasks. Chances are, you’re worried about possibly contracting the virus.
Those challenges are, unfortunately, par for the course. You probably have a plan for each of them, such as online tutoring and social distancing.
To truly protect your productivity, you have to go a step further: You must expect the unexpected. These are some of the productivity drains you might be having trouble pinning down:
1. Losing Track of Time
Do you ever pause to remind yourself what day it is? Can you feel the weeks bleeding together?
In a crisis situation, it’s easy to lose track of time. If you’re not going to the office, Mondays may no longer feel like the beginning of the workweek. The days may seem to fly by, and weekends might start to lose their significance.
This disorienting experience drains productivity because the concept of time is essential to our ability to work in an orderly manner. You can’t efficiently tackle your tasks if you have no idea how long they’re taking you.
It’s important to adapt your schedule to the situation. Although it’s a good idea to maintain some of your same rhythms from before the crisis, like getting dressed and grooming, you must also account for new needs. Key ones include:
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Commute time
If you aren’t headed to work, try taking a walk or meditating during that time. Slowing down can help you feel more prepared for the day.
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Exercise time
With gyms closed, you’re probably working out at home. Use it to break up times that seem to slip away from you, such as your workday.
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Bedtime
When you’re experiencing stress, you may need more sleep. Listen to your body.
It’s also a good idea to use cues to help you track your time:
- Keep a physical calendar in your workspace where you can mark the days as they go by.
- If wearing a watch gives you a psychological sense of time management, use that to your advantage.
Set timers when you worry that you’ll take too much time on a task. When it goes off, move on.
2. Managing Food Distractions
Yes, food can definitely be a distraction in times of crisis. You might be tempted to stress eat: There’s something about being home all the time that makes you more snacky than usual.
At the office, food is usually less of a distraction because there are more limits on what, when, and where you can eat. If not explicit, these limits are at least implied: You know crunching chips distracts your deskmate, for example, so you wait until lunch time.
At home, you have more freedom as well as more choices. And if you choose the wrong foods — as people often do when they’re stressed — your health will deteriorate and you’ll feel lethargic.
Limit your snack options at home. Keep healthy ones on hand, and avoid buying things that are high in sugar or fat. You’ll feel better and work more efficiently.
3. Getting Cabin Fever
You’ve probably heard of term cabin fever but have never experienced it at the level you are now. This feeling of being isolated from the world can make you feel restless, irritable, depressed, and exhausted. Not only does this make you less productive, but it also makes you unpleasant in ways that can affect your interactions during a virtual meeting.
When working from home, it can be difficult to realize where these negative feelings come from. It’s important to remind yourself that the outside world is still accessible.
Combat cabin fever by reminding yourself of the broader world. Ways to do it while obeying social distancing guidelines include:
- Going for a walk
- Calling a friend
- Doing yoga outdoors
- Taking a drive
- Doing yard work
4. Doing the Chores
When you’re stuck at home, you may become acutely aware of the conditions of your living space. It might feel like everything is disorganized all the time, including right after you picked up. This has the potential to make you anxious.
You may react by becoming hyper-focused on chores, or you might be tempted to give up entirely. Be proactive and get things done, but don’t let chores swallow all your time. Remind yourself what actually matters: your relationships and your wellbeing,
When you think through the unexpected things that can diminish your productivity, these things become expected. Expecting challenges is the only way to combat them. And when the next unexpected thing comes your way, remember: You’re smart and strong enough to work your way through it.
