Four Strategies to Achieve More While Living Through COVID-19

We are spending a tremendous amount of time shoulder to shoulder with our partners and kids while juggling working from home and taking charge of our children’s education. On top of these new stresses, we’re expected to continue being accountable to our employers, available to our clients and good team players to our colleagues.

Let’s not forget the basic household necessities like doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping (with its own set of perils) and we are presented with the perfect storm.

Our immune system is our greatest ally in the fight against COVID-19, but in times of stress, we are putting enormous strain on it. If you’re struggling in these especially difficult times, let me walk you through four strategies to cope with whatever life throws at you.

1. Plan your day the night before: make your “to do” list for the next day before you go to bed and devise an action plan. Missing a target, no matter how small, leaves room for despair, which can bring down your mood and crush productivity. Instead of leaving things to chance, plan for the next day. It only takes five minutes to strategize and the benefits of doing so are immense. In fact, waking up already knowing what the day ahead has in store fuels our efficiency.
2. Prioritize your “to-do” list: once you know what you want to accomplish, you need to state when you’ll accomplish it and how long you plan to spend on each task so you don’t find yourself short of time at the end of the day with a long list of objectives still ahead. In my case, I start with the most manageable tasks that I can accomplish quickly. Completing them quickly heightens my enthusiasm and the short-term reward keeps me on track.
3. Prayers or meditation to promote mindfulness: the more challenged we are, the more grounded we need to be. Meditation, prayer or both can work together, synergistically helping us find peace, harmony, focus and strength in these times. If one or the other does not fit with you, stick with the discipline you feel more comfortable with and immerse yourself in it. Numerous studies show that disciplined meditation or prayer boosts calmness, lowers stress and contributes to a happier life.
4. Create time for yourself: when we are busy tending to work matters and our families, we end up disregarding our own needs, which is why you must find time to do the things you love. Start with fifteen minutes, no more! Read, do yoga, practise a new language or play a musical instrument. We must not neglect our own wellbeing. During this time, we may even learn something.

Plan, act, celebrate and replay. We need to be disciplined and committed to our routines because the best results come from dedication and repetition. Let’s not be afraid to take action and let’s not refrain from celebrating our achievements with our families and teams. Once you’ve learned to manage this virtuous loop, move on to your next goal and replay the concept.