I know many people are struggling at home in quarantine feeling overwhelmed when they are not getting things done as they want and need to, just because they don’t get enough time for themselves!
Over the years I've been going through all the challenges that many have to face quickly right now so I know it's not easy at all when you have to spend a lot of time at home, take care of your kids, household and work while being with your loved ones in the same space, who are also trying to do the same.
I am an online entrepreneur and I've worked from home for the last 6 years. After I left corporate and started working for myself I needed to learn to lead myself in a whole new way.
It took a good amount of effort until I found the self-discipline, habits of high productivity and the planning tools that give me clarity and balance daily — without forgetting self-care, my daily routines and personal needs.
When I became a mother a little over a year ago, my time became incredibly limited and I was at home all the time. This crisis and locked down experience reminds me a lot about last spring.
I then needed to learn to plan things out even more carefully and work more efficiently. It was actually really good for me as I didn’t have time to procrastinate anymore or overthink things too much. I had to teach my inner high-achieving perfectionist to calm down and trust less doing and more focus would be more!
So I consciously aligned my habits and the ways I worked again, my productivity actually peaked and I got so much more things done in a short time.
It made me wonder what on earth did I do with all that time before I had a child.
Again, after my husband, Joonas quit his day job a couple of months ago we had to learn how to be together all the time.
It took a little practice for us but we were able to find the ways to agree on things in a new way, take care of the household and Stella as a team, and learn how to express ourselves and our needs and feelings better (big one!). This requires constant, daily discussions.
So now, to be honest, my daily life hasn't changed that much during the complete locked down.
We are all forced to adjust to these sudden, shocking changes. There's no office to go, social interactions and daily transitions are not happening naturally. It can feel there's no place to escape and get a breather.
This, plus all the health concerns and the fear of the unknown future can cause a lot of stress and add up insecurities and anxiety - so please be very compassionate and gentle with yourself, you are doing the best you can.
I collected the best productivity hacks, tips, and habits that I have found to be mental, emotional and financial (we all have to make our income) lifesavers when you spend 24/7 with your family and work from home.
How to get things done and feel calm and productive when working from home:
Be present and feel good in the moments: Inhale “receive” & exhale “release" mantra every time you feel tension or fear pops up.
Meditate daily - 5 minutes does miracles.
Agree the house rules and make a weekly schedule with your spouse. This should include:
Work meetings and taking care of the house hold, groceries & meals. Now we need to prioritize a lot and be flexible.
If you both work, agree when the other one is taking care of the kids and the other one can focus on work better.
Make sure everyone gets some alone time daily.
Take a shower daily and dress up to get ready for work — this makes a big difference on how you feel.
Talk about your feelings with your loved ones. Sharing helps to release blocks and vulnerability connects people intimately. Listen to what your loved ones say to you! Just being heard and seen is most often enough helpful.
Plan your days: Including the breaks, mealtimes, exercise and decide when you stop working. Follow your daily plan.
Cook healthy, yummy food. Enjoy and appreciate every bite.
Move your body somehow (have a morning dance party or take online classes) - even a couple of minutes of movement is helpful and helps you let go of the excess energy.
Communicate your friends and family daily; thank goodness for the technology it fulfills our social needs <3
Consume news and social reasonably. It easily adds up more stress and anxiety.
Enjoy and appreciate the time you get to spend together.
Remind of yourself daily that this too shall pass!
It is not possible to act normally as we did before in this situation - we have to align and adjust a lot.
To see the positives, this crisis can be a possibility to get closer and more connected with your spouse. You may get some ideas with your career or business and actually this can be quite creative time, like transformations often are. Even it’s difficult and painful.
Now it's not time to push yourself forward but allow yourself to go through this experience and feel your feelings along the way.
With these tips and habit changes, you will help yourself feel good, which is the most important thing now.
To help you actualize all this you can download my the Daily Life Planner page CLICK here.
It gives you structure and simple guidance on how to create a morning routine and plan out your days while staying productive and knowing you will get everything done.
Take really good care of yourself, rest and focus on going through this day by day.
Much love, Jenni
Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash - thank you so much!