Maintaining Work/Study Focus During COVID-19 Lockdown

COVID-19 threw us all, unprepared, into a lifestyle that warrants different kinds of adjustments. Some of these adjustments, simple as they might seem, are not what we are used to and have proven more daunting than we could imagine. For example, who knew keeping one’s hands away from one’s face could be so difficult? Amongst the effects of the virus, two major ones stand out; the shutdown of schools and offices to mitigate the spread of the virus. 

Few schools in Nigeria have managed to go digital in the meantime, providing learning resources, tutorship, and homework over the internet to students who can afford access to the internet. However, other schools that cater to the middle and lower classes in Nigeria cannot afford this adjustment and as a result, students have been abandoned to their own means, workers have not been left out as some corporate workers have to adjust to the remote workspace.

Working and studying from home do not come without their own challenges. Prominent among such challenges are: 

• Having to manage your own schedule and time between work/study activities and house chores or activities
• Working with very little or no supervision, and avoiding distractions.

Home is the most comfortable place one can be and as such might not be the most efficient or conducive space for working/studying. However, as we must now work and study from home, we have to find ways to balance comfort and efficiency.

So how do we stay focused while in our most comfortable space?

• Create a schedule: At the top of this list is creating a schedule. A schedule is most important even now because work and home activities are now at an intersection and only a comprehensive schedule can help you navigate through successfully to ensure that you are productive. Don’t forget to include breaks in your schedule.
• Create a work/study space: Next is creating a work/study space within your home. It is important to note that the bed is probably the worst place to work/study. Apart from the most obvious fact that the posture you assume while working on the bed is not great for your back, there is also the temptation to sleep. A more effective approach would be to set up a chair and a desk where you can work. This would ensure you are organized and save you the discomfort from being in a bad posture for hours. Ensure you also have all the tools necessary for your work/study within reach.
• Dress decently: While it is tempting to dress in your comfortable clothes like pajamas, if you have to be on a work video call, it is imperative that you dress appropriately.
• Learn to disconnect: Avoiding distraction is one of the toughest things to do this period as there are a ton of interesting things to do and posts to engage with on social media. Besides, a lot of people have free time and are trying to catch up with their friends and loved ones this period. While the lockdown is a great opportunity to reconnect over phone calls and video chats, it is important to limit such interactions to leisure time or later at night when you must have finished your work or study for the day.
• Always finish whatever you start: Approach each activity one at a time and ensure to finish one before jumping off onto another. This way, you do not have unfinished projects lying about.
• Do not procrastinate: Procrastination is the enemy! Even in conducive spaces, procrastination causes reduced productivity, and much less is achieved. Procrastination is harder to resist when working/studying from home so as much as possible, try to do what is planned when it is planned for.

With constant dedicated application of these few habits above, working and studying at home should be easier and more convenient to navigate. 

Remember, the virus only moves if we move so keep yourself and other people safe by staying indoors.

pictures source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/work-from-home