It's Blursday again...

-
I shared with my family last night that I feel like I am in a bit of a time loop. Even with a long weekend to delineate between workdays, I found myself less than excited about "reporting" to work at my home office this morning than usual. (For some people this is a regular occurrence, but not for me.) So, as with most things, I investigated some new strategies and refreshed myself with old ones. 

Here are some things that I am committing to doing this week that I hope will help me break up my days. 

  • Getting outside - even if it means just going for a drive because the weather is bad, I realize that I need to, at least once a day, get outside my four walls. If the weather is nice, I will take a walk down the road. 
  • Scheduling my errands - It appears now that grocery shopping is a low risk activity because people inside the store are moving and, as long as people are maintaining social distancing and wearing face coverings, your exposure to particles is lessened. Thus, I am scheduling a couple of errands each week. Grocery runs (curbside pickup or going inside), mailing a letter at the post office, filling my car up with gas, depositing a check, getting coffee from a drive thru, medical appointments - simply having an out of the house tasks to do helps me feel like I have something to accomplish outside the bubble. (Please note, I am not encouraging anyone to go anywhere if they are in a high risk category, curbside pickup is a great option.) 
  • A visual calendar - I bought myself a small desk calendar that has the day of the week on it so that I can see not only the date (because what do the dates even mean anymore), but I can see that it is Tuesday, not Blursday. 
  • Personal progress report - I have always been a list person because I find that tracking my activity is helpful in keeping me aware of what's coming. However, a major advantage is also writing down what I have actually accomplished. So, whether or not I had a task on my to-do list, I write down that I did it. This allows me to get a clearer picture of what I have done with my time. 
  • Turning off my phone for at least 3 hours a day - perhaps this is first thing in the morning, or maybe this is during a block of time while I'm cooking dinner. Regardless, because the isolation is starting to sink in, I find myself reaching for my phone when I'm seeking interaction. Whether that is to distract myself or just keep busy...I'm not totally sure. It also means that I am making myself "available" by checking my email constantly, and that is not healthy. 
Perhaps you can use one of these tips to help compartmentalize your days. I would love to know what you are doing that's working for you! 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to safely enjoy the outdoors

-
Image
It is possible (and necessary) for all of us to continue to stay healthy and active during the “Safer at Home” mandate, even outdoors. If you are wondering what you should do for your own personal health, below are some FAQs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Runner’s World Magazine . Is it safe to do workouts outside? Yes, but by yourself. Heavy breathing, sneezing, and coughing can get droplets into the air or on objects that people touch, and then people touch their faces. Run or work out in noncrowded areas, for others’ safety and for your own. Additionally, 30-60 minutes of moderate to brisk activity can boost your immune system. Why is it important for me to be active? Physical activity can provide immediate benefits. Physical activity can help to boost your mood, reduce stress, improve sleep, and sharpen your focus — benefits that can be especially important during stressful times. Can COVID-19 be spread through sweat? According to ...
Read more

Keep learning!

-
Image
The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic are unprecedented and will shape the future of our world and institutions for years to come. You can manage the present and prepare yourself for the future by continuing to develop your knowledge, skills, and abilities. One way to do that is to utilize our Educational Assistance program. If you sign up for courses within the UNC system, you can utilize up to three tuition waivers per academic year. We have updated our previous tuition waiver policy, so please review the following steps: Complete the tuition waiver application as you normally would, then email to your supervisor for review and approval. Once the waiver has been approved, your supervisor will electronically sign the waiver, then email to Blair Berry in Human Resources (berrybm@appstate.edu). If your courses are at Appalachian State, Blair will submit to Student Accounts. If the courses are at another UNC-system institution, Blair will send you the completed forms, a...
Read more

Not another virtual productivity hack

-
If you are like me, your inbox is flooded with work from home productivity resources. I get at least 5 new articles a day talking about how to stay productive while working from home. I've been asked to provide some professional development for staff on this topic, and there is workshop scheduled next week on time management and focus. It is obviously a struggle, for myself included. How do we wade through the deluge of resources and come out with something practical and usable? How do we separate out what will work for us versus what is wishful (or even harmful) advice on maintaining the same level of productivity we had before? My humble suggestion, based on my own experience, is to start with the most basic step. Maintain the same schedule every day . Not the same schedule you had when you were waking up early enough to shower, dress in business clothes, and commute in Boone traffic. Enjoy the fact that your commute is 15 seconds, relish in the flexibility this gives you. But...
Read more