Angela Ash — May 19, 2020 The quarantine we have all been witnessing for a while now has taught us a thing or two about time management. Not only have we learned that we have no idea what to do with the extra time we’ve been granted except to procrastinate, but we have also learned an invaluable lesson about living a life. Actually living it – not spending the entire day working and taking a break so that we can resume working.
Another thing we learned is – communication never goes out of fashion. No matter how difficult the times, people will always find a way to socialize, one way or another.
The best thing about these crazy times is – we have learned a thing or two about being more efficient at work.
Let’s sum up all the great lessons we have learned and what we should keep in the future.
Communication Drives Success and Boosts Well-Being
This may sound like something a psychologist would say, but let’s face it – online meetings have become state-of-the-art. Both business meetings and online socialization has evolved a good deal, as ever in accordance with the actual participants’ desires.
Although many people have only now learned about Zoom and similar apps, people who used it occasionally before the quarantine have found new uses to maximize its benefits.
Birthday parties, monthly meet-ups and similar gatherings have all migrated to the virtual space, and the results are stunning. More and more people are reporting they’re enjoying the experience, which is a great lesson for the future.
For example, think about the times you were too tired to attend a social gathering. Now that you know you can do it from the comfort of your home, you don’t have to miss a single event ever again.
Business meetings have, perhaps, evolved the most. Online meetings are convenient in that there is virtually no limit to the number of participants, so there’s no need to worry over the meeting room that’s too small and other physical obstacles.
In practice, this means that new practices may well be established in the future to incorporate more massive business meetings. I.e., brainstorming ideas applying the agile methodology is a great way to use online meeting apps.
Regular Breaks Make All the Difference
When working from home, there is more time for leisure activities, which is, ironically, usually wasted by many simply because people tend to confuse freedom with procrastination.
If you are keeping a daily schedule like so many people currently are, you already know that you can maximize the time spent on literally everything you love while still managing to do a daily workout routine and enjoy a home-cooked meal or two.
Unless it has already become a habit, you can keep drafting daily schedules when things go back to normal. In this way, you will be able to enjoy the same activities in between work and still boost your productivity simply by prioritizing the tasks.
There Is Always Room for Exercise and Leisure
Even if your day appears too crowded with work-related tasks, stick to your breaks. These should incorporate time for eating, working out and for leisure activities (whichever you enjoy).
After the quarantine has passed, you will actually have more time. How come?
For one thing, you won’t be cleaning your house three times a day (or more in case of some people). For another, you will have learned how to prioritize your time and take regular breaks for meaningful activities, instead of browsing social media pages and checking and re-checking incoming emails just to kill some time.
Keep designated time slots for activities: reading, exercising, watching TV, cooking a meal, etc.
If You Don’t Know What to Do With Leisure Time, Learn a New Skill
Even if it seems like you have plenty of time, there is no such thing as too much time. Life is short and getting shorter as we age, so if you think you have some spare time to procrastinate, think again.
Relaxing is fine, even if it means lying down and staring at a spot on the wall, as long as it helps you unwind. Procrastination never does. At first, it may appear that you have the freedom to do whatever you like, but once you go back to reality, you will realize you’re not satisfied. Use spare time for meaningful activities.
If you don’t know what to do with your time, think about the skills you want to learn. Not only the job-related skills need to count, mind you. If you always wanted to learn salsa, enroll in dancing classes. If you always wanted to learn to prepare salsa, enroll in cooking lessons. Whatever makes you happy, really.
Don’t Slack Off
The best way to both remain productive and enjoy leisure time to the fullest is to keep exercising daily. Even if you are pressed for time, you can do a 15-minute workout at home. In case you’re missing out on the online offer, it’s high time you started browsing free online workout routines.
The choices encompass everything from yoga to cardio to weight lifting, ranked by difficulty level and time spent exercising. Try out something new – who knows, maybe you will find a new favorite routine?
Instead of a Conclusion
Obviously, we all have more time now than we are used to, and many people are coping with the change. The trick is to see the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. The setting may have changed, but the job hasn’t. Kids are getting annoying, but when do you normally have so much time to spend with your loved ones? Families can discover new activities they enjoy doing and thus deepen their bonds.
When all this is over for good, you will enjoy the first dinner out more than you ever have before. Why not make it a habit? An evening out with the family on a set day every week? Lastly, why not host an online party or get together with your colleagues to brainstorm the next important task? You can enjoy a glass of your favorite drink and wear leisure clothes.
As you can see, the benefits are numerous and many takeaways are worth incorporating into your future routines. Pick the finest, learn to enjoy your new-found free time, and live your life to the fullest every day.
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