8 Tips to Remain Productive During Coronavirus

Even though you are a member of WA does not mean that you’re used to working from home. Many of you still have 9-5 jobs until this WA gig can pay all the bills. Because of this virus, you might be working your 9-5 remotely.

Now you’re home all day and that TV and/or couch looks pretty tempting. Oh, the refrigerator is calling. Maybe I should do a load of laundry. I can call a friend and we’ll just talk a minute. SO many distractions and no boss around the corner holding you to the task at hand. Procrastination at its finest. How do I know all this………….I’ll give you one guess. LOL

I saw an article from Prevention the other day. It was written to assist employees working remotely during the Coronavirus Pandemic. However, I hope it will help those working WA full time as well. So, to share some of their tips: (list theirs, commentary mine):

• 1- Establish Workday Hours

WA is so flexible that sometimes we blur the lines between work and personal time. Make sure you set aside a block of time to WORK whether it’s for your 9-5 or WA.

• 2- Get Into the Right Mindset

Do whatever it is that energizes you in the morning. It could be workout, it could be coffee (you don’t want to know me before caffeine). Perhaps it is devotional time. Whatever it takes to make you feel like you can take on whatever the day brings.

• 3- Get Out of Your PJs

They may be comfortable and I admit I’ve been guilty of staying in mine all day. However, changing sends a signal to your brain that it is time to work. I do feel different when I’m not in PJs. Besides, I heard that we should try our clothes on periodically during this time to make sure we still fit in them.

We won’t discuss the WalMart people who shop in them. I have no words …..

• 4- Designate a Specific Work Area

You want to find a place where you won’t be distracted and that’s different for everyone. I can work on my kitchen table even though I have office space. Some people CAN work at the beach but I’m totally distracted. We’re all different so find a place where you can focus on the task at hand.

• 5- Track Your Time

Notice how your time is spent. Are you spending a LOT of time answering emails or getting sidetracked on social media? Do you spend a lot of time on the phone? Maybe some of your tasks can be streamlined to save time/effort.

• 6- Prioritize Your to-do List

Make a list of things you want to accomplish for the day and prioritize it. Some things are less important and can wait. Don’t just do all the easy things. Sometimes it helps to get the hard stuff done first. At the end of the day, you want to feel like you’ve accomplished something.

• 7- Set a Timer

Determine what your personal attention span is before you start getting blurry eyed and lose focus. Set your timer for that chunk of time and get up from the computer and take a small break. It’s good for your eyes to look into the distance for a while anyway. Maybe even take a short walk to get refreshed. Get some Vit D outside which is good for your immune system. OK, get a snack too. Sorry, couldn't resist this.

• 8- Practice “Monotasking”

Try focusing and finishing one task at a time instead of trying to do multiple things at once. Get one task done well vs three tasks done poorly.

There are advantages to being home all day. Let’s take advantage of them while still being productive. I hope you find a nugget in here that will help you.

Be careful out there and be safe. This too shall pass and we'll all be wiser and stronger!!!!!

~Debbi