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Whilst we are in lockdown, it is very easy to lose control of all things “life”.

It is normal to feel as if you are just “existing” right now. However, filling your head with doubt and negativity is not okay. I know that is is easier said than done, but, you are still in control of how you use your 24 hours.

Some of you are probably rolling your eyes at me right now because you have probably heard this before but I just want to share some tips that I apply to my life which has genuinely helped my mental health, productivity and motivation. Yes, I do have my down days, where I don’t stick to my routine or I spend way too much time on social media, that is also okay and normal.

Let’s just get into it!

10 WAYS TO INCREASE MOTIVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY IN LOCKDOWN:

1. HAVE A ROUTINE

Routine, routine, routine… I’m sure you’ve all heard this work flying around time and time again throughout the years. When you were younger, your parents probably made sure you had a bedtime and in school, you were all given timetables that you had to follow week by week. Having some sort of routine is drilled into us from a very young age. However, when we hit adulthood, having a routine seems to become less common.

I really believe that routine is the foundation of self-development. Having a routine which you can build for you, is not only an act of self-discipline but also self-care. Creating your own routine shifts your motivation and productivity over time and when your routine becomes a habit you will notice how strange your days feel when you don’t do it.

Having a routine doesn’t have to be limited to the morning or night, you can create a routine for any time of the day that will slot nicely into your schedule.

2. MUTE OR REMOVE ANY NEGATIVITY

A quote that I heard from one of my favourite podcasts, The Skinny Confidential is that “you are the 5 peoples content you absorb on social media ” and I couldn’t agree more.

Think about it.

When you spend a lot of time with your friends, you start to pick up on their mannerisms, big or small. It could be the way they pronounce certain words or the way they react to different situations.

It is very similar when it comes to the people you follow and see on socials.

I am now very wary with who I interact with on social media because as soon as I see someone or something I don’t like or agree with, my mood shifts. Which is why I have muted, unfollowed and blocked many people. These 3 acts may seem dramatic but at the end of the day, you should do anything and everything that makes you feel happy and content.

3. MOVE EVERYDAY

Moving every day, whether it is going for a walk or stretching will help you reset your mind. During lockdown, it is so easy to stay dormant, trust me I’ve been there. There was a month where I would move from my bed to the fridge, to my desk and repeat, but within a couple of weeks, my mental health started to decline.

You don’t need to work out every day if you aren’t feeling it, walking and getting some fresh air is more than enough. Also, you can make this time more enjoyable by putting on a podcast or your favourite music playlist on and just vibing. After you will be filled with endorphins and you’d be surprised how much your motivation increases.

Some videos you can start off with:

• 30 MINUTE FAT BURNING HIIT- SYDNEY CUMMINGS
• FULL BODY STRETCH FOR FLEXIBILITY
• 10 MINUTE AB FOR BEGINNERS
• 5 MINUTE DAILY STRETCH

4. START A HOBBY

Having a hobby that you can do anytime to detach from life is always essential, whether we are in a lockdown or not. Emma Chamberlain talks all about hobbies in a podcast episode, I love how she explains it, so I highly suggest you listen to the episode if you have time.

Maybe you don’t have a hobby, that is all good. All you need to do is pick an activity that you enjoy, a task that takes you away from your screen as well as not using too much brain power. Fundamentally, it just needs to make you happy. Simple.

A hobby that I do (not as often as I should) is calligraphy. I taught myself a couple of years ago and I am not good by all means but it something that I enjoy doing when I want time to pass by.

5. LIMIT YOUR SCREEN TIME

In times of boredom, it is so easy to consistently pick up your phone, iPad, laptop, any device really. Personally, I find that constantly checking my phone out of boredom decreases my motivation and productivity throughout the day.

Apple makes it so easy to set screen time so that you are more aware of how much content you are actually absorbing. After setting up time limits for all of the apps, my average screen time per week decreased as I didn’t want to unnecessarily eat into the limited time I had on social media.

6. LIMIT TIME WATCHING THE NEWS

The news can be so mentally draining and quite detrimental to your health, if you are constantly absorbing it. Ultimately, if you are always reading and watching the news, especially during the times we are in right now, your mental health may deteriorate which would lead to your motivation and productive levels also decreasing.

In the next week, try and decrease how much of the news you absorb. I prefer to turn off the news notifications and set time once or twice a week where I can quickly catch up on anything I may have missed.

7. HAVE A SELFCARE ROUTINE

One of the words I set for 2021 is “self-care”. Towards the end of last year, I really learnt how important self-care is to one’s mental health.

You are the only permanent person in your life, so why not look after yourself!

So, I suggest having a few activities to help you reset and feel brand new again, don’t limit self-care to once a week, do it anytime you want!

Tasks that you can add to your self-care routine:

• Light a candle
• Put on a face mask
• Moisture with oils
• Watch a movie
• Treat yourself
• Read

Self-care doesn’t stop at pampering yourself, self care can also be being discipline and setting CLEAR boundaries.

8. SET YOUR DAILY INTENTIONS

Daily intentions aren’t necessarily goals, rather a technique which will give your day a direction.

Letting the day run away from you is extremely easy and many people make this mistake. Yes, lockdown is very hard at times but I really do believe that creating daily intentions will keep your in a positive mindset and focused.

Daily intentions you can start today:

• Today I will do…
• Today I will appreciate…
• I will let go of…
• I am grateful for…

9. KEEP YOUR SURROUNDINGS CLEAN

Now, this is very self explanatory and I’m sure you already know the benefits of keeping your environment clean, so I won’t bore you with that.

All I’m going to say is, do it. You know that a tidy room= a tidy mind, so what is stopping you?

Again, no one is perfect. There will be days where your room is not the cleanest, that is okay, just don’t make it a habit.

Habits to help keep your room tidy:

• Put your clothes away as soon as you take them off
• Tidy up your room before you go to bed
• Pick a spot in your room to clean up every couple days

10. SET GOALS, NOT MATTER THE SIZE

Now, I thought I would save this until last because setting goals in a pandemic may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Setting goals can be so vital if I want to move forward and feel some sort progression in my life.

“Goals” is a word that is constantly thrown around, but I want the word “goals” to be what YOU want it to be. Your goal could be to learn how to cook a new dish or learn how to do winged eyeliner properly. Frankly, if your “goal” helps you see progress in any little way and makes you feel happy, I say go for it!

And that’s it!

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN:

• BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GOOGLE CALENDAR + HPW IT CHANGED MY LIFE
• THE PERFECT WEEKLY RESET- 16 SUNDAY HABITS FOR A PRODUCTIVE SUNDAY
• 18 PODCASTS YOU DON’T WANT TO SLEEP ON IN 2021
• HOW TO HAVE A DIGITAL DETOX BEFORE THE NEW YEAR