It’s understandable if you’re having trouble staying productive right now. Some of us struggle with this when working from home because there’s no set routine and during a pandemic, it’s easy for us to get distracted and involved in other things. It’s quite tempting to scroll through social media for endless hours or keep switching on the news to see the latest. Most of us do this. After all, it’s hard to focus when there’s so much going on in the world right now. You might be wondering if there’s any point in focusing on your work right now and you might choose to simply spend your days not following any routine. That’s fine if that’s what you decide. The last thing we should be doing during times like these is putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves to do more than what we feel we can do. 

However, if you do work from home and you are having trouble concentrating, then these tips may just help you.

Reward yourself

One of the most effective ways to prioritise work while still being kind to yourself is to give yourself a reward after getting some of your work completed. You don’t need to work an entire day to get a reward. Tell yourself, ‘I’ll just spend 20 more minutes working and then I’ll take a break.’ It gives you time to rest, reflect, and recharge. Staring at a screen can make you really tired and can cause headaches after a long period of time, so it’s important to be taking breaks, even if it’s just going out for a short walk. We need to be extra kind to ourselves at the moment, so rewarding yourself with watching an episode of your favourite show or playing a game or reading a book might be just what you need. Listen to what you need as it’s hard to function without giving your mind and body the care that it needs. 

Listening to music

This completely depends on your personal preference but many people find that listening to music, whether it’s quiet in the background or through earphones, helps to keep them motivated. Complete silence can make us feel lonelier and gives the impression that time is going slower. It might be a simple method but putting on music can lift your spirits and make it easier to concentrate on your work. And don’t we all need to listen to some good music right now? 

Spend some time on your hobbies

It might sound counterproductive to suggest that you spend time on your hobbies rather than working, but it’s actually a really good way of keeping a clear mind. When we are doing things that we enjoy doing, whether it’s drawing or taking pictures or reading, it often takes us to our happy place. You’ll probably find that you feel calmer, happier, and more determined. It’s easier to focus on work when you have a clear mind, rather than one that is stressed and burnt out. 

Do some yoga poses or gentle exercises

Instead of doing one long workout session, it might work better for you to get up every hour, just for 5 minutes, to do some light exercise. It helps to maintain productivity because when you are sitting down in the same position for hours it can lead to cramps in your arms and legs. You might feel the itch to get up and move about but decide not to because you want to finish work as quickly as possible. Don’t do that. Instead, you should get up, do some light exercise, get a drink or a snack, and then go back to work. It will still be there when you get back; you don’t need to rush it. Be easy on yourself during this pandemic. You don’t need to be working harder than ever, you just need to simply get through each day. 

Written by,

Coralle Skye