Wellbeing Corner
A Day in the Life of Remote Learning
I got annoyed as a student when people would give me advice and not do those things themselves, in fact I think that still does annoy me.
Teacher (who shall remain nameless) “Lisa you need to be more organised”
Me “ummm excuse me you were ten minutes late to this class, forgot your glasses and are using one of my pens”
I have been banging on all week to all the students that I speak to about routine, routine, routine and doing something nice for yourself aka reward. So, I thought I would give you an honest little snapshot of what I have been doing to keep myself in check from my remote workplace.
Routine is based on the premise of fostering habits that match our goals and aspirations. Routine is so important at the moment because it is predictable and reliable in an environment that currently isn’t (thank you COVID19 sigh*). For me, I need my morning routine to allow me to feel in control of what is happening in my day and ready to tackle anything unexpected that might come my way.
No one ever felt energised after they have stayed in their PJ’s and
watched movies all day on Sunday. Yeah, it’s a bit of novelty every now and again, but you can't say you feel good after doing it, can you? Or when you put off having a shower for ages because it feels like ‘so much effort’ and then you have one and think “I feel so much better, I should have done that hours ago”. It’s the little things that can help keep us feeling good, these are tiny, but just because you are at home doesn’t mean you should stop doing them. If you are a neat person, tidy your room and make your bed I guarantee you will feel good and can handle whatever comes next.
When it comes to my work, I am a time blocker and list lady. My list is always a working document, it grows throughout the day and I always cross things off as I go. Sometimes I will even write some really simple tasks on there just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing them off. That sounds a little dumb, but I challenge you to try it and tell me it wasn’t oddly rewarding.
At the end of each day anything that is left on my list is carried forward to the next day. Every day I have a fresh page or list, yeah there might be something I didn’t get to from yesterday tucked in there somewhere, but it’s a fresh day with a neat new fresh list. Things are tidy and I’m in control.
My time blocking and reward system isn’t something that I had started before we switched to our remote environment, but it has become crucial in helping me maintain a certain level of effectiveness. I now estimate how long tasks will take me and ensure I dedicate that amount of uninterrupted time, I work hard for the estimated time and then I reward myself.
The reward is not necessarily linked to completing the actual task. It is acknowledgement for me following through on what I was committed to.
Rewards don’t need to be fancy, not all of us can reward ourselves with new deliveries from Mimco every couple of days, am I right Mrs Jackson? For me my rewards are, making a cup of tea, exercising with my dog,
fresh air, having a bath, watching an episode of a series, cooking myself s good lunch (you know, something better than a sandwich) and taking the time to get away from my desk to enjoy it. I have also prioritised exercise, making sure I get out there when the weather allows me. Walk, run, long short, it doesn’t matter as long as I am doing something. I never really feel like going when I leave the house, but I always feel better afterwards, push yourself just that little bit and you can reap the benefits.
Good on you if you can sit at your desk and work effectively for hours on end but not many of us can. It’s not so great if you started writing something, got an email from General Pants about their sale, added six things to your shopping cart that you can’t afford, messaged you mates “do you think this would look cute on me”, stated to email Plunky about that accounting stuff you didn’t understand yesterday, your cat walks on your keyboard and searches something weird into YouTube and before you know it you are 20 mins deep in poodle exercise videos.
Give time blocking a crack, it is forced focus and you always know when your next break is coming. Thank goodness I found time blocking or Mr Rennick may have already given me the boot!
My lucky last Iso thing I have been loving (aside from all the extra time with my pooch) is a new hobby.
I have taken up painting, painting my nails, painting my house and painting on canvas! I’m not sure I’m any good at it, but I’m having a go and I’m finding it really chilled and fun. I don’t always have time to do it, it’s been more of weekend thing, but I have surprised myself with what I am capable of and that’s kind of cool!
No one is perfect, heck I’ve been late to work in my own house three time this term, but we are all giving it our best shot. I hope that you found something in this article to try yourself or at the very least make you laugh.
Lisa
App of the Month
Headspace
Parents-Look after yourself
Brain Breaks
