Staying productive during a lockdown

A guide for managing time effectively while practising social distancing due to the prevailing situation.

Wondering how to help the world curb the prevailing pandemic situation? Staying indoors is the best thing to do so. This can help you not contract the virus and it diminishes the risk of you becoming a host to spread the virus to the people around you. However, staying indoors for a prolonged period is not an easy task; here are few tips to spend your time of self-isolation productively and effectively.

Make a to-do list

This is a task that is indeed as simple as it sounds. But the trick here is you should do it the right way. Wake up a bit early and jot down the tasks that you have in mind on a paper, the important thing here is you should not overcrowd the list with all of the tasks that you have in mind. You should consider the time it will take and list only the doable tasks.

Put the list up at a place where you could see

You will have to stick it in a place that you would see it frequently. You can even make two or more copies of your list and place it in multiple places in your house. You could also set reminders on your phone or put it on the home screen of your laptop.

Take breaks

Taking breaks at the right time and right intervals are key to staying productive. You can take advantage of apps to manage breaks and even follow techniques such as Pomodoro. But keep in mind that breaks cannot be too long and the things that you do during your downtime should relax your mind; it should not stress or distract you. Eg: going through your social media feeds, or playing video games should be avoided

Simple exercises during breaks

Breathing exercises, meditation, taking a short walk within the premises or even doing light exercises such as a torso twist, smaller sets of jumping jacks or doing push-ups can improve your blood flow. If you are stationed at any of the renowned luxury hotels in Sri Lanka the likes of Chena Huts, you can even consider taking a dip in the pool which will make you feel energized and refreshed.

Things to avoid

• Avoid distractions

Keep your phone aside, switch off the television, play some light music, have a clean work desk and if you are living with your family politely tell them not to disturb you… all of this could help you focus and get your work done fast.

• Avoid working from your bed

Working form your bed is not a good idea as it will induce sleep in your mind subconsciously and working on the bed for a prolonged time will leave your with back and neck aches as it is hard to maintain good posture while working on a bed.

• Unhealthy eating habits

Do not have too many snacks, energy drinks, and other sugary beverages while working – this will make you feel more tired and in the long term, it will cause weight gain and other health problems. Instead, be sure to stay hydrated – drink enough water while you are working.