The New Meaning of “Productivity” (Adapting to Quarantine)

Unproductive, unmotivated, frustrated and very bored!

Yes, we hear and say these words now more than ever! It makes sense, though!

As we are in this current situation, we are all adapting to a new “normal”. Not all of us know how to work from home, cook many times a week, be self-disciplined and keep a focused mindset while being at home or in a “not work friendly” environment.

🔸The meaning of the word productivity is changing accordingly.

We can’t expect ourselves to perform the same way we did and accomplish the same amount of tasks a day as we used to do. Not to mean being lazy and procrastinate on important projects, ignore emails from your clients… but it is important to recognize that this change applies to every aspect of your daily habits.

“I woke up and got ready!”. This sentence sounds familiar yet oddly unfitting in the new lifestyle. Getting ready was part of your life and you would do it without thinking. Yet, it did impact your mood, and gave you this sense of control and excitement for the day; in a way you are telling your brain “it’s time for work!”. I personally only realized this after 2 weeks of quarantine. Eventually, I decided to start getting dressed even though I am not leaving my room. It actually made it to my list of morning habits, because it’s now a task that I need to do, for a new purpose, in an unusual environment.

With this period of quarantine, your to-do list will take a different structure. You might find yourself adding new tasks that you will have to accomplish. What once seemed like a random activity that you do every once in a while, can now become a priority. And even though you complete your list by the end of the day/ week, you might feel like you were not as productive as you usually are, or even not productive at all even though you were active and actually doing things. This can put pressure on us, makes us feel unmotivated, sad, anxious.

🔸The key here is to recognize that productivity will have a temporary change in meaning, where priorities shift and daily tasks differ from what you normally do.

You will not always feel excited to wake up and start working from your kitchen counter, your bed, or the balcony. You might miss the feeling of getting ready and meeting new people… and that is okay, because we all do, regardless of what you work, study…

If anything, cheer yourself up when you do that laundry, make yourself (and/ or your family) lunch, dedicate the morning for that project you are working on. I know when I answer my emails, read a little bit and journal, I feel like I am still moving forward even though it feels rough and challenging. I catch myself comparing what my days looked like before this pandemic with the present moments; I instantly feel like a weight is put on my shoulder, anxious, nostalgic. Consequently, I lose my focus and excitement for the day and end up doing nothing.

I tell myself this is the time I will need to focus on the small steps I take to achieve the task and not the task itself. So should you: It is all about keeping the ball rolling and moving one step at a time. This is the time you need to be less hard on yourself and take each day at a time.

These were my thoughts of the day. Let me know what you think.

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