How To Stay Motivated During COVID-19 Part II

It’s been about a year since the U.S. went into ‘lockdown’ and our normal everyday lives changed. Some of us are still home a lot more than usual because we’re working from home or trying to stay safe by social distancing and staying in our space. Whatever the reason may be, it can take a toll on our mental and physical health. Human interaction is something we crave and during this pandemic, it has made getting together more difficult than ever. Something as simple as going into the office is now something of the past. I used to spend my weekdays in Chicago and now I find myself rarely leaving my house as I work from home Monday-Friday.

Back in May, I wrote a blog post about staying motivated during COVID-19 (you can read that here). I had no idea almost a year later we would be in the same boat (although things are finally looking up 🤞🏼)! I think we are all anxious to get back to some kind of normal. Especially with summer around the corner! Even though things aren’t back to how we know it, it’s still important to stay positive during this rough time. Everyone is handling this pandemic differently, but staying motivated and keeping busy can help you get through it.

Here are some additional ideas following my previous post:

• Use daily activity cards — This can be a great way to keep you motivated, but also learn some new things about yourself. There are multiple exercise/activity cards out there that can help with self-improvement, happiness, affirmation, or self-care just to name a few categories. I have listed some recommendations below I have used myself.

–30 Days of Intentions

–Mind Cards

–Unplug! Digital Detox Card Deck

–Discover Yourself

• Workout at home — Before COVID-19 came around, I was commuting to the office in the city and walking miles each day. Even just going out for lunch or taking a break outside, I was active by walking everywhere. Now I’m at home and sitting down most of the day not going anywhere. Even though this is beneficial for my sleep schedule and more convenient for me to just walk over to my “home office” in the next room, I’m lacking my everyday physical activity (as minimal as it was). I found it helpful to do workouts at home by using this app called “Home Workout.” They have so many different options on training plans no matter what active level you are at. It also keeps track of your daily workouts and you can set reminders if you are one to forget!
• Take a day trip or just get outside — Being stuck inside the house too long can put you in a funk and have you not feeling like yourself. With the weather starting to get nicer and the days becoming longer, getting outside can put you in a better mood. Something as simple as working outside in your backyard soaking up the sun or planning a day trip to hit up some local hiking trails can have you feeling more positive and happy. It’s overwhelming to be inside all day. Especially if you’re working from home. We need sunlight in our lives!
• Organize your home — Now that I’m home 24/7, I found myself organizing the house more than usual. When I was at work, I didn’t have time to obsess and observe every single thing, but now I have nothing but time! It’s surprising how much a clean and organized house can put you in a great mood. (When I was in college, sometimes I would come home and clean the entire apartment. Something about a clean place makes me feel so good and accomplished!) It also plays an important role in feeling motivated. They say if you look good, you feel good. Well if your house is organized and clean, that should also make you feel good and motivated. It might also inspire you to redecorate or update somethings.
• Get into a routine — Coronavirus disrupted our normal routines and we all had to adapt to this new lifestyle. It’s important to still make an everyday plan so that you have some sort of daily schedule you are used to. Knowing what to expect can help us prepare for our day, but it can also help us plan ahead and get the most out of the day. We all had a routine before COVID-19, so finding what works best for us now can help keep us in the groove of things and tackle each day positively. It’s also beneficial to keep some things the same. For example, I still shower and get ready for my day before I sign onto work each morning. This helps keep me motivated throughout the day compared to just rolling out of bed and starting my day. Having a routine really does help motivate you.
• Catch up with friends and/or family — Thank god for technology! There are so many apps and devices we can use to video chat our friends and family. The days of basic phone conversations and 3-Way Calling is over. It’s really nice we can catch up with our loved ones via video calls instead of having to meet face to face. Especially during the pandemic and having to social distance, but catching up with a friend or family member can leave you feeling better. Sometimes we just need that extra support from talking to someone to get us feeling encouraged and motivated again. It’s important to remember we’re all in this together as a whole and things will get better. We just need to all do our part.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Remember we will get through this and one day we will all look back on this crazy time!

Xox

La Flare