How To Plan Your Day (and Stay Sane), COVID-19 Style

COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere fast and the reality is we may have to get used to this for a while. So what can we do to help our situation?

Well, for many of us the biggest struggle isn’t failing to get things done, often the problem is poor motivation, distractions and time management. And it can happen to anyone when they start to work from home or spend more time straying from their regular routine.

So here it is the 3 easiest ways to be more effective when spending more time at home. Have a schedule, track your habits and use “to do” lists.

1. Create a Schedule

Plan your day/week in advance. You run the day, not the other way around. Some meetings may pop up at a moment’s notice, or life might just throw you a few curly ones. But having a solid schedule will ensure you can quickly get back on track, no matter what life throws at you.

Here is and example of my schedule:

• 6:30 am: Wake up
• 6:15 – 6:45 am: shower, morning rituals
• 7:00 – 7:30am: Coffee (very important) & breakfast
• 7:30 am: Start Work
• 7:45 – 9:00 am: Complete any tasks left on to-do list from yesterday, work on unreturned emails, the quick easy to do tasks
• 9:30 am: Second breakfast (Yes it’s as good as it sounds)
• 12:00 – 12:45 pm: – Get outside (walk/light exercise in the park)
• 12:45 -1:00pm: Lunch
• 1:00 – 2:30 pm: Work, meetings, creative time, etc
• 2:30pm – 2:45pm: Afternoon meal
• 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm: Finish off any tasks I had set out for the day
• 3:45 pm – 4:00: Create my to-do list for tomorrow, any tasks left to complete
• 4:00 – 5:30pm: Exercise / Training
• 5:30 – 6:00 pm: Stretching and mindfulness (absolutely no work after this point)
• 7:00 – 7:30: Dinner with my beautiful Fiancé (eat, chat, catch up. No TV)
• 8:00 – 8:30: Relax Reading/TV
• 9:00pm – Sleep

You get the idea. Create and block ahead of time, plan them out. Ensure the most important things are “non-negotiable”, meaning that only a family emergency will take you away from what you have planned.

Download your free day planner here: Digital version |Printable Version

2. Track your habits

Keeping yourself accountable can be one of the hardest things to do in these situations. We feel like we have no control , what’s the point?

Well…tracking your nutrition, water intake, exercise, mindfulness are all things within our control. So in times like these keeping ourselves on track and acceptable becomes more important than ever, not only for our physical health but more importantly for our mental health.

Download your free healthy habits accountability tracker here: Digital version | Printable Version

3. Create a “To Do” List

Having a “To Do List” can have a huge impact on your mind and anxiety levels. Think of them not just as a list, but a brain dump, so you can clear your mind, and not have to think about what you need to do tomorrow. 15 mins before the end of your work day, make a list of what you need “to do”. Some days it’s a couple of things, others it’s 10.

Here’s a tip, each day have no more than 3 things that MUST get done! If those things get done, and the others don’t, it’s a successful day. Not only does this make you feel a sense of accomplishment, it also ensures you maintain focus and don’t get distracted. Then if you have time move onto the remaining tasks for the following day. Each day, repeat this exercise.

There are plenty of apps that might do this but often I find if I pick up my phone I get distracted, so i use a pen and paper.

Download your free to-do list here: Digital version | Printable Version

Let’s take back control, give this a try and let me know which one works best for you!

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Inspiration provided by Chris Cooper at Catalystgym.com.