The times they are changing...

Things have changed a lot during the past couple of weeks. Friday nights do not mean socialising in restaurants and pubs anymore. We do not have any concept of which day it is. We also do not need to change from pyjamas to attend a meeting or a class. But, many of us are struggling to cope with the present circumstances. So, for the past couple of weeks when I couldn't go outside my house as freely as I am used to, things started getting very dull.

The first few days of self isolation felt like a dream come true. I could get up any time I want, do work at my own pace, did not even had change into formal clothes, because, who cares if I am writing my code or attending a meeting, wearing my cozy jammies, on my comfortable bed with a packet crisps right next to me. But it was not long that the dream became a nightmare. Things started to turn dull. I was sleeping late and hence getting up late. There was no absolute routine to my day, which meant my productivity declined exponentially. I also realized that my whole life was turning into a mundane experience. So I took the leash of life in my hands and made some changes. And trust me, it was hard and I am far from sticking to those changes. But one can hope, right ?

The first change that I made was to make a conscious effort to go to sleep on time and get up on time. To tell you all the truth, I am not even close to perfecting it. Some days I do stick to this schedule, and that gives me a flicker of hope that I will be able to perfect it... eventually. *fingers crossed*

The second change that I made was to shorten my to-do list for the day. Let's not kid ourselves by telling that we are perfectly happy at the end of the day without striking some things off our to-do list. And it is not the time to be hard on oneself. So instead of putting 5 tasks on my list and then panicking at the end of the day because I haven't ticked anything off, I now put three things in my to-do list for the day. It just makes the whole work seem more attainable and fun filled. Try it out if you want, and tell me the results!

Major change that I made was to make my room more cozy. I rearranged my desk to keep everything organised. I also put some fairy lights to make the room a house for me. And that made my day! Trust me, a clean desk to work on and along with a ambient atmosphere really did a trick for me to bring up my productivity. However, I am still on the road of perfecting work-life balance. And maintaining this balance is of utmost importance for the well-being of an individual. Hence, I make an effort to stop my work by 6 pm. I would say, I have done it about twice in the previous week. It's hard, but I am getting there.

Lastly, take breaks because one way or the other, you deserve it. Maybe in the spare time, you will stumble upon a new hobby or rediscover the ones that you forgot because of the crazy life we lead. And if you don't want a hobby, sleeping is always a very good option.

So overall, I don't know when our routine will go back to normalcy. But till then, take one day a time. Find out something new about your friends and family. Take up a new hobby if you want to. If you don't feel like working one day, its okay. Take a break and refocus. If you want to chat with someone, reach out to your friends and family. They are in the same boat too, you are not alone.