How To Stay Creative And Productive During The Pandemic

Show:

May 8, 2021 Career

When Coronavirus first emerged in our society, none of us could have imagined quite how much it would change and impact our lives. We have gone into lockdowns, worked from home, and had to distance from friends and family. So it comes as no surprise that a lot of us are struggling to be productive and stay positive throughout this unprecedented time.

Here are 6 ways to stay creative and productive during the pandemic.

1. Go For A Walk In The Morning

This may seem like something very trivial, however, going for a walk first thing in the morning is essential for your mental and physical wellbeing. With a lot of making the shift to working remotely, we no longer have a commute to work. Having a commute in the past gave us time to wake up and mentally prepare ourselves for the working day. However, now there is no commute, some people are rolling out of bed and straight onto their laptops colleague. While it can be tempting to get that extra bit of sleep, this can impair your productivity as your brain will feel sluggish and take longer than usual to wake up. By getting up even 20 minutes earlier you can embark on a daily morning walk that will serve as your fake commute. You’ll then be fresh and ready to take on the day.

2. Collaborate And Create With Others

While working from home certainly has its benefits, it has also presented difficulties for how businesses can work together. Collaborating with your colleague face to face was a common method used for brainstorming ideas, tackling problems, and creating plans of action. However, working remotely does not allow for this with ease. Thankfully, Lucid Spark Offers a Solution for Collaboration and Creativity with At-Home Work as they have created a visual brainstorming tool that uses virtual whiteboards. Collaborating became a concern as 1 in 4 (23%) said that virtual meetings were not sufficient because they lacked a shared visual collaboration space. This is where the importance of the whiteboard comes in as it allows people to visually communicate, which encourages productivity and creativity.

So if your company is struggling with effective collaboration, then a visual brainstorming tool is exactly what you need to get out of that funk.

3. Take Regular Breaks

Research has shown that some individuals who work from home experience guilt and feel as though they should be online and available at all times since they are in the comfort of their own homes. This is unhealthy thinking and it needs to be addressed. If you were in the office you would still take breaks, whether that’s to go for a walk, to get a coffee, to pop the toilet, and so on. So it is no different when you are at home, and taking breaks is necessary to help you stay focused and productive throughout the day. There’s no point in being present on your laptop all day if you are not mentally present. So, ensure that you set time aside in your day to have broken away from the screen, and ideally to have some time outside in the fresh air. Then when you return to your screen you will feel more motivated to get things done.

4. Create A Routine

For some people, the pandemic completely through off their day-to-day routines and this change can impact how you work. One way to keep your productivity levels up is to create a daily routine and do your best to stick to it. So try to start work at the same time each day, and where possible try to finish at the same time each day.

Knowing what tasks you are going to be tackling and when will help you complete them in a time-efficient and orderly manner. Part of your daily routine should account for downtime and sleeping. Ideally, you should go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day too. A consistent sleep schedule is vital for your energy levels which goes hand in hand with how productive you are feeling.

5. Exercise

Sometimes when we see the word exercise we think oh there is no time for that, or that sounds like too much work to maintain. Well, exercise comes in many forms, and even going for a 30-minute walk can benefit your cardiovascular health as well as your cognitive health. Exercise has been linked to increased productivity and creativity as it reduces the presence of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. With less stress, you are happier and more able to focus on what needs to get done. Also, stimulates the production of endorphins which are known to be mood elevators. So it doesn’t have to be excessive amounts of exercise each day, just make sure that you allocate even twenty minutes to make sure you get moving. It doesn’t have to be the gym or anything extreme, consider going for a bike ride or a brisk walk.

6. Read For Fun

Reading is one of those things that people want to do but never quite get round to doing it. The books gather dust on the shelves and become part of the furniture. Instead of aimlessly scrolling through the internet, swap your phone for a book. Research has shown time and time again the beneficial effects that reading has on our creativity levels and our imagination. To feel the effects of these benefits you do not have to spend hours on end reading, just be mindful of when you have five or ten minutes here and there and use that as an opportunity to read for fun. If this still doesn’t feel achievable you could opt to listen to an audiobook instead. You could listen while going for a walk while cooking, or even just before heading to bed.

It’s important to remember that the world is a strange place right now and there are lots of obstacles we need to overcome. So if you are ever struggling with productivity or creativity, then know that you are not alone. Things will get better soon, but in the meantime try out these 6 tips to help you get through it.