How are you doing? I'm heading into my fourth week of social distancing over here and I'm feeling a lot more comfortable than I initially was. I'm taking everything day by day, as I'm sure you are too. Over the last few weeks, I've developed a little quarantine routine that works for me. Not every day do I feel motivated, but having a general plan for the day helps me feel a little more structured and productive. Today I want to dive into how I'm spending my days, managing online school, and spending my time semi-productively.
8 AM // MORNING ROUTINE
Most days I wake up between 7-8 AM. The first thing I do is have warm lemon water or make coffee with almond milk, it just depends on what I am in the mood for!
After I make a little morning beverage I get back in my bed to read my daily stoic book, and then check in on blog stuff. Last week when Elizabeth was here at school with me, we would go on a walk in the morning, which was a great way to get in some extra movement. I loved that we did that-- it feels really nice to move and get fresh air before starting the day. I'm going to try to do that every morning this week as well!
Once I've walked (usually home around 8:30/9) I will make breakfast, and then I brush my teeth, do a little skincare, etc, and then get back in my bed to listen to music and read for a bit. I love starting my day with coffee and relaxing vibes in my bed because it's just a nice way to ease into the day... it's also a productive, self-care way to procrastinate school work for a few extra hours.
Therefore, 9:30-12:30 usually consists of reading my daily stoic book, blogs, setting a timer for 30-45 minutes and reading my current book (this one right now!), and then listening to a playlist, posting some Instagram stories, and maybe writing my next blog post until lunch.
After I make a little morning beverage I get back in my bed to read my daily stoic book, and then check in on blog stuff. Last week when Elizabeth was here at school with me, we would go on a walk in the morning, which was a great way to get in some extra movement. I loved that we did that-- it feels really nice to move and get fresh air before starting the day. I'm going to try to do that every morning this week as well!
Once I've walked (usually home around 8:30/9) I will make breakfast, and then I brush my teeth, do a little skincare, etc, and then get back in my bed to listen to music and read for a bit. I love starting my day with coffee and relaxing vibes in my bed because it's just a nice way to ease into the day... it's also a productive, self-care way to procrastinate school work for a few extra hours.
Therefore, 9:30-12:30 usually consists of reading my daily stoic book, blogs, setting a timer for 30-45 minutes and reading my current book (this one right now!), and then listening to a playlist, posting some Instagram stories, and maybe writing my next blog post until lunch.
12:30 PM // LUNCH + WORK TIME
A few hours later I usually find myself getting hungry, so I'll make lunch. After I eat something, it's time to finally get some real work done. The early afternoon is when I really have to force myself to do homework, because the deadlines are looming over my head, and I can't avoid it forever!
My productivity hacks:
Get comfortable // I have a lot of requirements to get myself in the headspace to work. I need to be warm enough, which sounds weird, but it's always cold in my house, and I can't focus when my hands, feet, or the rest of my body, are cold. I personally feel productive and motivated working from the comfort of my bed, but I know that's pretty rare and a lot of people need the structure of a desk and "work environment" in order to be productive. You do you! Everyone's learning and working styles are different, so it's important to find what works for you and be gentle on yourself.
Make a list // Like I mentioned above, online school can get really overwhelming. It's easy to miss an email or notification, and then forget about an assignment or quiz. I like to start off a work sesh by listing out everything that has to get done, so I know what I'm really working with. Most of the time, the list isn't as bad as you thought!
Set a timer // This is the biggest thing. I pick out a task from my list, set a timer for 30 minutes, and tell myself if I do the work for those 30 minutes, when it's over, I can do something fun! This usually means checking my phone for 15 minutes before doing another task. Sometimes, after 30 minutes, I'm in the zone with homework and able to keep going, which is awesome, because then I can knock it all out faster.
The first week or two of online school for me had me in a constant state of "WTF IS GOING ON?" Initially, it felt like all of my friends and I were in the same boat with thinking that somehow online school is so much harder. I guess when you don't actually have to show up for class, you have to make it up in other ways... more assignments, deadlines, and random things to account for. It was very overwhelming at first, but it's been getting better as I've gotten used to it. If you're in online school right now, too, do you agree?
My productivity hacks:
Get comfortable // I have a lot of requirements to get myself in the headspace to work. I need to be warm enough, which sounds weird, but it's always cold in my house, and I can't focus when my hands, feet, or the rest of my body, are cold. I personally feel productive and motivated working from the comfort of my bed, but I know that's pretty rare and a lot of people need the structure of a desk and "work environment" in order to be productive. You do you! Everyone's learning and working styles are different, so it's important to find what works for you and be gentle on yourself.
Make a list // Like I mentioned above, online school can get really overwhelming. It's easy to miss an email or notification, and then forget about an assignment or quiz. I like to start off a work sesh by listing out everything that has to get done, so I know what I'm really working with. Most of the time, the list isn't as bad as you thought!
Set a timer // This is the biggest thing. I pick out a task from my list, set a timer for 30 minutes, and tell myself if I do the work for those 30 minutes, when it's over, I can do something fun! This usually means checking my phone for 15 minutes before doing another task. Sometimes, after 30 minutes, I'm in the zone with homework and able to keep going, which is awesome, because then I can knock it all out faster.
3 PM // MOVEMENT!
The afternoon hours always involve a snack, and then by 3 PM I'm usually feeling lazy as f*ck, and craving some movement. These are my favorite ways to workout at home!
5 PM // MORE WERK
After I snack, move around, and shower, I usually have a few things I want to complete before my afternoon is over. This might mean finishing a blog post, a homework assignment, or anything else that needs to get done before I can move on with my night.
7 PM // DINNER
I usually make a cocktail and have dinner around 7 PM. After dinner, I'll watch a show or a movie, read my book, listen to music, and or just sit on my phone and be lazy. I always knew that I love spending time in my room alone, but this quarantine has really emphasized that for me... I love being alone in my room. Listening to my music and laying in my bed is so, so nice.
10 PM // BEDTIME
I find myself exhausted by the end of every day, so I'm almost always in bed by 9 or 10. I don't do much, but I feel like I'm just a little bit on edge all day with uncertainty, and that can be very draining.
So... it's not much, but this is my routine that makes my days fly by. I rarely find myself bored, because I'm either blogging to the point of extreme procrastination, reading a great book, or heading on another walk when I feel like moving. I also find comfort in relaxing and scrolling through Instagram sometimes, which is completely okay!
I find myself exhausted by the end of every day, so I'm almost always in bed by 9 or 10. I don't do much, but I feel like I'm just a little bit on edge all day with uncertainty, and that can be very draining.
So... it's not much, but this is my routine that makes my days fly by. I rarely find myself bored, because I'm either blogging to the point of extreme procrastination, reading a great book, or heading on another walk when I feel like moving. I also find comfort in relaxing and scrolling through Instagram sometimes, which is completely okay!
I think it's hard to feel like you're not doing enough when people are constantly posting about some creative thing they're doing at home. Just remind yourself that the best thing you can do is simply stay at home, so that in and of itself is more than enough! You don't need to do an at-home workout if you don't feel like it or cook an extravagant meal if you don't feel like it... everyone has productive days and unproductive ones. We are all in this together, and it'll be okay! Stay home and do your best. If your best means Netflix and chilling, that's 100% okay.
What does your quarantine routine look like?
xoxo
I loved this post! So real and organic, its nice to see someone else who does school work after lunch too. I literally can not do it first thing in the morning. Also your lunch looked so bomb!!
ReplyDeletewww.russiaboles.wordpress.com
ugh yes!! thank you!! i am sooo not ready for it in the morning.. hahah
Deletexo,
fran