I have been home since the week of March 16th. It's coming up to the one month mark of being under the Stay Home, Stay Safe order in Michigan. Our potential release is scheduled for May 1st, but who knows if that will truly be the end. At first, the requirement to stay home for me was like a breath of air. It was a chance to not be on the go. A chance to not over schedule my week.
I will say that most of you might have felt the same at first as well. The feeling like we had been given permission to take some time and recharge and re-energize ourselves. Sleeping in late, lounging around all day in comfy clothes, no need to put on makeup or even shower some days. The first week was kind of fun. It was almost reminiscent of the first week of summer break when I was a kid. And then, the reality started to set in. Days were blending together, simple chores like doing the dishes or the laundry seemed to get more difficult even though I had all the time in the world.
I started wondering to myself, what is happening with me? Why can't I seem to get up and get going? I'm used to checklists, being productive, and getting sh$t done! I organize for a living and I realized at that moment that I could not have felt more unorganized.
So I took a stand and decided I needed some ways to stay motivated. Listed below are 4 of my best suggestions to help you get back on track.
"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."
-George Lorimar
1. INCORPORATE NORMAL ROUTINES INTO THE DAY!
This looks different for each of us. For me, it was getting up early (not 5 am or anything!), practicing daily gratitude, having breakfast, getting showered and dressed. After just 2 days of doing this, I already felt more productive and energized.
2. MAKE PLANS TO "SEE" YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!
Myself, I am an introvert so I enjoy spending time at home or by myself. I know for my extrovert friends, being isolated has been unbelievably challenging. Schedule a virtual hang out. I've been on so many virtual platforms lately: Zoom, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and I'm about to try HouseParty. I've taken more time to connect with friends and family over the last 3 weeks than I ever have before. It has been fun to connect with everyone. With family spread all over the country, this quarantine has made me wonder why we don't hang out virtually more often! This has been a great example of the many positive outcomes of this quarantine, which leads me to #3!
3. LOOK FOR THE POSITIVE!
When a situation gets me down, I try and take a moment and find the good. Easier said than done, right? You may feel like seeing the negative is easier than finding the positive. No matter how difficult a situation there is always a positive to come from it. Ask yourself, "What can I learn from this instead of why me?"
4. SET GOALS!
Try and have a few goals each day even if they are small. Cooking dinner, folding laundry, reading a book can all be considered goals. Give yourself something to reach for each day. If you are ready to move on to bigger goals try cleaning out your master closet, decluttering the garage, or organizing your pantry. *PRO TIP* Bigger goals can be broken down into smaller tasks to complete each day so you don't feel overwhelmed.