6 Tips for Building Your Quarantine Routine
In the era of COVID-19, many find themselves grasping for a sense of normalcy and structure in this new work-from-home world.
Workday routines disappeared. The lines between work and home life blur. Already busy public relations practitioners who excelled at managing clients and campaigns find themselves fighting against the wave of overwhelm.
Why routines matter
Humans thrive off of routines.
Routines help us stay motivated and productive. Even though limited socializing is a noted routine of genius, today’s #stayhome lifestyle is definitely pushing that to the limit. Many of us are struggling to overcome the work-from-home obstacles to build a new daily structure.
Turns out routine - though the words makes it sound boring - are vital to happiness.
A recent study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found:
Living a life characterized by routines was found to be associated with higher meaning in life. Life is not only made meaningful through extraordinary experiences but also in its daily living. — Heintzelman & King, 2019, p. 697
Enter former public relations practitioner and now fulltime time management expert, Anna Dearmon Kornick (@annadkornick). Aside from her coaching, Anna created a podcast called “It’s About Time.” She shares everyday time hacks for “busy people with real lives.”
Here are Anna’s 6 tips for building your quarantine routine.
Find your motivation
Anna’s recommendation for finding motivation is to reconnect to your purpose or your “why.” What is the reason behind what you’re doing? What is the big picture?
Anna suggests defining your core values and writing them down. Her pro tip is to take a look at them when you’re feeling low.
>> Having trouble coming up with the right words for your core values? Anna’s workbook with 125+ core value words can get you started.
Pencil in personal development time
Anna believes that time management is heart management and self management. Everyone’s definition of personal development is different, but it’s important to fill up your cup before giving your energy to others. Plan this into your morning routine. Even five minutes can do more than you realize.
Create a start up and shut down routine
Without a commute, we need a clear transition for jumping in and out of work.
A start up routine could be as simple as:
- Make a cup of coffee
- Light a candle
- Open laptop
- Make a to-do list
- Choose a priority for the day
A big no-no from Anna: Do not work from bed. You can train your brain to go into work mode by designating a separate space for work only.
>> Want more routines? Check out Anna’s workbook on about creating routines that stick.
Set specific start, end and break times
With disappearing boundaries, it’s easy to let work and home life bleed into one another. Anna’s best fix: create routines to bookend your day.
Set up designated hours for work and leisure. Sticking to this helps form boundaries between work and play.
Find your focus hours
Everyone has certain hours of the day when they’re most energized. Finding your peak hours and adjusting your routine to fit them are critical.
Anna recommends taking a break around 2:55 p.m. to reenergize. Psychology Today agrees, and says breaks help you physically and mentally.
>> Tech tip: use your calendar to schedule breaks or apps that track how long you’ve been working at your computer to make sure you don’t push too hard.
If you’re struggling to prioritize, do the most important thing
It is easy to feel overwhelmed, during times of uncertainty. Anna’s suggestion is to give yourself grace. Do the most important thing and let the rest go. Make a “must do” list and do the most urgent task first.
If you want to learn more about Anna and her transformative coaching, go to https://annadkornick.com/.
