We're all stuck inside right now and that's pretty much the worst thing for mental health. Motivation is at an all time low for many people. We'd love to offer up a few ideas to make the days a little brighter.
A recent publication from https://thiswayup.org.au/ recommends scheduling a couple of activities/events/tasks each day. One that brings you joy and another that gives you a sense of achievement.
Here at Calapp by https://shareavailability.com/ we've been trying this out - with some promising results
For Achievement
Personally, we've been feeling achievement through daily workouts, cooking elaborate meals and Duolingo lessons.
The workouts supply the adrenaline rush we've been missing out on narrowly escaping death dodging cars on our way to work in the morning.
Cooking is a fantastic creative outlet and we're on a mission to make tofu taste good - no luck yet but we'll let you know if there are any developments and would love your suggestions!
Duolingo is one of our favorite apps because its one of the few games that we actually feel smart after playing. However, be warned that Duolingo's bird mascot will passive-aggressively shame you for not logging in everyday. On second thought, this might be counterproductive to our goal....
For Happiness
In terms of an activity that brings happiness we suggest reading and reconnecting with friends online, taking a bath, or any combination (carefully) at the same time.
For the first time in recent memory, we have made reading part of our daily routine and we will try to maintain that when lockdown ends. It's also lucky that the Northern Hemisphere is entering summer and we can do it outside in the sun.
Even with all of these activities it still doesn't fill the void left where our social life once existed. Good thing is that almost everyone we know is mind-numbingly bored and up for a chat. We don't think we've ever been so caught up with friends, even the ones that live overseas.
Our friends have been holding weekly pub quizzes via Zoom and that has become our big weekly social outing (or inning? Whatever, you get the point).
In Summation
Think about what you can do that will give you that sense of achievement and joy, then schedule in some time for personal wellness.
We recommend you block out time in advance for these activities as experts say that's the best way to ensure they actually happen.
Use Calapp to share your availability with others and ensure another work Zoom meeting doesn't disrupt your plans.