Thanks to a global pandemic that’s unprecedented in most of our lifetimes, we’re being told to stay in our homes to a greater degree than ever before. Aside from a single daily exercise period where we’re allowed to get out and about, we’re stuck indoors. This is undoubtedly an inconvenience, but it’s also an opportunity to reflect and reassess our priorities in life, and the way we approach every day.
This pandemic won’t last forever. Whether it’s a matter of weeks, or a matter of months, we’ll eventually remerge. Some semblance of normality will begin to reassert itself. When that time comes, we’ll want to be able to say that we made the most of the opportunity.
So what should we be doing at home? Let’s take a look.
Set Goals
If you’ve got long-term goals, then now is the time to put them into writing and make a plan for achieving them. You might want to finish a novel you’ve been planning, or to learn to cook, or to reach a health and fitness target. Whatever the goal is, decide when you’d like to achieve it by, come up with a few milestones to hit along the way, and start working.
Get up Early
Now that you don’t have any social commitments in the evening, you can easily get up and get going as early as you like.
Turn off Social Media
One thing that’s certain to be a source of constant anxiety is the news cycle and social media. Most of us don’t need to keep an eye on the daily death toll from Covid-19 – and doing so might easily eat up more of your time than is healthy. Get an app that will block that stuff!
Plan Every Day
One technique that’s sure to help you to remain productive is the composition of a daily itinerary. This might vary a little from day to day, but the core building blocks of routine should remain in place.
Cut Back
If you find yourself financially affected by the virus and the reaction to it, then you might decide that now is a prudent time to generate some liquidity. If you’re wondering “who will value my car?”, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are online dealers who will do exactly this.
Take Exercise Seriously
Being housebound can exact a serious toll on your mental and physical health. You’re allowed to head out for one period of exercise every day (provided you maintain a prudent distance from those around you). Take advantage of it. Fortunately, there are a range of online programs that’ll help you to do exactly this, with Couch to 5k being among the best.
Meditate
Similarly, you’ll need to keep your mind in good shape – especially if you find that anxiety is creeping up on you. There’s a good practice that’ll help you to avoid this problem, and that’s so-called mindfulness meditation. Through it, you’ll learn to shift your focus onto the things you consider important, and away from those you don’t.
