Trying to get back on the track in this lock down!
By: Devika Khanna
Tags: Covid 19, Lockdown, Productivity, Goal Setting, Procrastination

Sitting at home, trying to work and then ending up doing nothing (or in most cases end up binge watching something), I guess this is how we are spending our days.

With COVID-19 lock down in place for the next few weeks (hoping that it doesn’t get extended), the majority of us are confined within the four walls of our home. This lock down was unexpected and most of us weren’t prepared for this blow. Being restricted and not being allowed to move out of the house is very frustrating. This situation has a lot of uncertainty due to which most of us are experiencing stress and anxiety.

This is definitely me (and most of the people) on some days of the lockdown

A lot of us are spending our days and nights on social media or Netflix. Honestly speaking, even I have completed two series in three days! Most of us have got household chores to do and work from the office to complete but we are not able to do so. Our schedules and routines have gone down the drain! People are losing focus and are not able to concentrate on their work.

Being productive and delivering results in such a situation is very difficult. Multiple factors are preventing us to work. There is an atmosphere of panic which drains us emotionally. Some of us feel “demotivated.” Things happening at home prevent us from focusing on our work. Some of us are procrastinating and pushing our deadlines while some of us are stuck in the vicious web of overthinking and catastrophizing. And of course, the devil in the house, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Netflix. I am legit binge-watching movies on Netflix.

Let’s focus on procrastination. Procrastination could be because of a variety of reasons. Maybe the work is boring or maybe the work isn’t challenging enough or maybe there are no clear instructions. we might have low levels of energy and an inability to focus on tasks. Some of us have a fear of failing or being excessively perfect with the task. Some of these factors can be dealt with ease by discussing them with your co-worker or manager. For example, in my case, I was supposed to send emails to people but kept postponing it (because I tend to be perfect all the time). I spoke to my manager about it and voila! We came up with an innovative solution to the problem. Introspection and discussion can help you deal with procrastination. Also, stop catastrophizing! Stop making a big deal out of the task.

Coming to television or social media or our favourite Netflix. We can divide our time between work and entertainment. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But all play won’t lead you anywhere either! All of us have 24 hours in the day; mindfully divide your time between work and leisure. You can work for six hours in a day and binge for, say, three hours in a day and spend rest of the time, eating, sleeping or chilling with your homies!

My routine, my sleep cycle, my eating patterns are still in a mess but I am trying to work on it every day. I was sleeping at 4 am and getting up a few hours later with a headache. I was having my breakfast at 1 pm and you can imagine how I would be spending the rest of my day. And then one day it hit me! I started setting a routine. I planned my day by setting a To-Do list, splitting time between work, family, friends and entertainment. Trust me, setting a routine and planning your day helps. You can start by writing a to-do list and dividing your time between work and other things! You can find to-do lists templates online. Make sure you strike things off that list at the end of the day!

Another very important factor when it comes to productivity is Goal Setting! I keep hearing people say, “Set SMART goals”, “set short term-long term goals” so on and so forth. It’s the new FAD! I use the SMART goal template too. Now what I do is identify a goal and introspect on the goals. For example, if I am doing a course or Coursera, I ask myself, why am I doing the course, how it will help me personally and professionally. So, completing the course is my long term goal. I will split into multiple short term goals (for example, completing a module or completing an assignment) and will assess the time required for each short term goal. Be specific when you set a short term goal. Make sure you achieve the goal in a given time. Being realistic in goal setting is very important. Completing a 100-page book in 1 hour is not a realistic goal (for most of us) or reviewing 100 applications in 1 hour is not a realistic goal. Set a goal that you know you will be able to accomplish with an already existing skillset, tools and knowledge within the given time set. Another important thing is that you should be able to keep track of your progress.

As Paulo Coelho (the person who wrote The Alchemist) says,

When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.

I feel we have wasted enough time doing nothing. I think it’s time we pull our strings and get back in the game!

P.S. I would like to hear how you are spending time in this lock down!

Check out www.thecyanproject.org for more!