Wow,
If you had told me a month ago we would all be living in what feels similar to a pre-apocalyptic society I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Cafes closed, supermarkets stripped bare, borders closed, no groups aloud, and the majority of people self-isolating makes for a very estranged sense of society.
My full-time workplace is closed, and we are all working from home. My side hustles have always been remote, so not a huge change there. But my writing… well, that’s about the same too.
So this is what I am attempting to do in order to keep sane while at home.
ONE
Set my alarm. This is a big one, a lot of people working from home will have already figured out, no office = you don’t have to get ready in the morning. Your office is the couch or the kitchen table. So that’s just given you an extra hour. So, I have set my alarm to make sure I don’t get into the habit of sleeping in. That’s a slippery slope, especially when things return to normal.
TWO
I’ve kept my morning routine. I get up, I take the dog for a walk and get a coffee (my cafe is still open for take away). I come home, eat breakfast, watch the news - or as I call it now, the damage report. The only thing that changes is the commute time to work. Takes about 10 seconds from the couch to my desk.
THREE
Business as usual. Before the lockdown, I spent about 2 hours writing per day. I have tried very hard to keep this up. I also dedicate 4-6 hours to work time. This spreads across my personal creative agency and my ‘day job’. I respond to people as if everything is still happening, I don’t assume things have all stopped (unless clients have emailed me saying they can't continue at this time). I meet deadlines, I send out quotes and chase clients for briefs. Everything keeps running.
Now, if you are unfortunately someone who can’t continue with business as usual, remember, this too shall pass. Find something you can do at home that will set you up well for when people are back in business. I can’t stress enough that the people sitting at home right now, waiting, with nothing to keep them occupied are the pones in trouble.
Look for free online courses, something you can use to upskill. Work on that business idea you always had. Write that book you always wanted to. Keep your mind active.
FOUR
Socialise. Two of my friends and I have managed to agree to have online games night this Friday. Whisky and Halo, and that will be our social event for the week… and to be honest it may carry on to other nights as well.
But we are making an effort to check in on each other and communicate. The internet is our new playground.
FIVE
Be active. My gym shut down, but, I have all I need at home to continue at a minimum a maintenance routine. I get out on the balcony and spend 40 to 50 minutes working out. I make sure this is part of my routine because if I didn’t, I would end up sitting at the computer the whole day. Apart from when I walk the dog. And that is not healthy.
So make sure you are still doing something active.
As for my writing, I am taking this as an opportunity to do more with it. I aim to have my second novel completed and ready for editing by the start of April. Then I have another 3 I will start writing. The best thing I have right now is time, so I’m going to use it. I won’t come out of the tail end of this lockdown wishing I had done more.
Consider this, how many times have you thought, “I wish I had time to do xxxx.”
Because now, you do have that time.
As for when all this will be over… who knows, but hang in there everyone. Look after yourself, your friends and your family.