We are all aware that is an absolutely crazy time for all of us. I want to start by thanking all of the heroes serving us on the front lines. Thanks for all that you do. Our lives all have changed in many ways in different ways. We find ourselves with different schedules and situations. We are working more, less, or not at all. Even if our work schedules are unchanged, other parts of our lives are. Even to the rare few out there with unchanged circumstances, still the overall tone of society has changed. With all of this said, our productivity likely went haywire as well. Our ability to adapt to change is key, and will be expanded in a future post. This post will expand on major traps that slow down your productivity in this new environment.
Social Media. Social Media is a great tool for many things. You are most likely reading this post because of social media. However, it should be noted that social media can be a trap for your productivity. Take note that not only do you spend time to scroll on social media, but it is also often a distraction so it takes time to get refocused. In addition, there are a lot of things that will make you upset on social media such as judgmental, opinionated, hateful, etc. posts on there. I would suggest limited you time on social media, start somewhere. I am working to only check my feed 4 times a day and no for longer than 5 minutes each time. That may seem like a lot for you so feel free to lower your time even further if that’s the case. Also, please take note that you can snooze particular people for a period of time if they post things that aggravate you. You can take further measures if you wish as well, but that is up to you.
News. It is reasonable to pay more attention to the news now than during a normal time. However, overload of information an can be too much. There are also a lot of things on the news that is just simply speculation and is not dependable information. You decide what how much you need, but it is wise to only consume so much to gets the basic information that you need.
Video calls and chats. Video call fatigue is a thing. With so many things taking place online now, it is possible to get overwhelmed with these events and calls, just like you could with in person events beforehand. You should take the same measures to evaluate which calls or chats are most important to attend and make sure you don’t get to the point that you are worn out and drained by them.
TV, streaming, and other online activities. This is not to mention how much easier it is to get caught up in binge-watching TV shows, overdoing online shopping, or spending way too much time on the Internet. With more time at home, it is easy to get caught up in all of these type of time sucking activities. Remember that while we are at home more an uptick in these activities are fine, but if you feel like you are overdoing it, you probably are.
As we are in a very different time, we are all figuring out works the best for us. It may be very difficult to keep a schedule, so cut yourself some slack. It’s OK to be a little less productive with everything going haywire. Make sure to get your rest and do things that you enjoy. Take care of yourself and stay well. Thanks for reading and see you next week.