How I stay productive during COVID-19 lockdown

Being on lockdown doesn’t have to be boring or depressing, you can do a lot of things in this 1 month than just sitting on a couch and looking at the memes.

Hi Guys, I am a working professional staying in Bangalore and now it has been more than 1 month since I started working from home because of this lockdown. I thought of sharing a few things I do every day to keep myself productive, motivated and most importantly, happy during this lockdown phase that’s going on throughout the world.

Wake up & sleep early

Keep up with your routine, I usually get up early around 5:00 am and try to sleep and get in bed by 10:00 pm because sleep is essential for optimal brain function. This is most important for being active. The day I get up late and start working, I feel I have less time to finish work but when I get up early, do my everyday routine before I sit down for work, I feel I am more focused, more energetic and active during the day.

Also one of the benefits of going to bed early and wake up early, your body will be more in tune with the earth’s circadian rhythms, which offers more restorative sleep.

Workout

I try to work out every day, except days when it rain. It increases your heart rate and gets your circulation going, you’ll feel more awake and more motivated to continue your good work. Usually, I get up by 5:00 am, drink a glass of warm water (with lemon and honey) and start working out (mostly HIIT using cult.fit app. It’s free). I try to work out on the terrace and not inside the home just to get some fresh air. I put my smartwatch on all the time. This keeps me motivated and updated about how much calories I have burnt and how much more to go. Set a goal or target. I use an Apple watch that keeps reminding me about my goal.

Eat good

Eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies to stay active. Avoid eating junk and heavy food. Avoid eating a lot of fatty food that makes you drowsy. Drink a lot of water. Every day I have more than 3L of water. Keep a bottle with you so you don’t have to get up every time. I am trying intermediate fasting these days (3rd week going on). It’s good. As I am not going out and not burning calories so trying to cut down on my intake to stay healthy and active. I live in Bangalore and I am using BigBasket to get fresh food delivery (avoiding going out). They have limited slots now because of lockdown but it works.

This is time to start or experiment with some new eating habits. Try being vegan or try switching to a whole plant-based diet. Being at home means less distraction, no one to force you to take a bite or try something.

Avoid taking carbohydrates as that gives you lazy feeling after a heavy meal also known as food coma. The scientific explanation for this phenomenon is the insulin spike that occurs after a significant amount of carbohydrate intake. Insulin is secreted in response to carbs and gets your body ready for digestion related activities.

Get a working space

I hate working from a couch or bed. I feel lazy when I am on my bed that’s why I have made a working space for myself on my dining table (as I don’t have a study table) where I have made space for all the things that I use every day (pens, pencils, white sheets, my laptop charger, water bottle, and diary). I like getting ready and sitting for work.

Try the Pomodoro technique. The idea is that you work for 25 minutes, break and walk around for 5 minutes then restart the Pomodoro, alternating between work and play. You can learn more about it here.

Set up weekly learning goals

Other than work, I started learning React.js. I set up weekly goals and try to complete them. My final goal is to learn at least something new every week. If you don’t want to learn something new then try to do something that you love, your hobbies, painting or sketching or cooking, etc. If you have a startup idea, start building on it. Spend some time thinking about it, document it. Start working on it, hire people from freelance websites to help you build it.

Skip dinner

I am following intermittent fasting, as I don't go out now I feel I should limit the amount of calories I used to intake so I started this. I am following 8 hrs/day eating and 16 hrs/day fasting so consuming only breakfast and lunch. I observed this has also affected my health positively. You can learn more about it here.

Don’t keep watching news

Don’t just get glued to your TV or Laptop and keep staring at the news, that’s not going to change anything. Accept what is happening around you and spend time in other recreational activities, spend time with family, cook or clean your house. I take a walk on my terrace or do yoga. There are a lot of online apps that you can follow for exercise and yoga. As I mentioned above, I use cult.fit app for workouts and yoga. It’s free.

Keep time for social media

Keep some time for social media. Don't strain your eyes always. Keep 1 or 2 hours when you will use social media and the rest of the time try to be away. Inside, try to relax, lie down put some soothing music and close your eyes or take a walk or make tea and sit in your balcony.

Try this challenge. It's fun :). Read complete article on Forbes, “Try The 30-Day Digital Detox Challenge,” writer Nancy Colier prescribes relearning such habits as not using any device while socializing (day 2), or stop putting your device in your pocket when not in use (day 3), and turn your bathroom into a tech-free zone (day 13).

Each day, you add one new habit to your repertoire till you’re practicing all 30 habits simultaneously. It’s appealing in its simplicity, and thus totally do-able.

Talk to friends and family

Sit with your family, talk to your friends, call them. Ask them how they are doing, do video calls. Talk to your parents, ask them about their past, how things used to happen when they were young. Play board games or whatever you have learned during the day, tell them about it. Share your knowledge ask them about their opinion.

Cheat day

I’m a firm believer that a little treat can help you stick to your plan :) but remember little. We are not a robot, so we all deserve a cheat day.

I do this over the weekend when I watch some movies or series (watching Money Heist nowadays) or documentaries on Netflix (they have a good collection) and eat some junk and sleep late. Usually, I do it on Saturdays so I can get back to my routine from Monday onwards.

That’s all. I hope this will help you all to stay productive and happy as well. Stay home Stay safe. Take care.