How are you feeling right now, living under lockdown? Take a moment to feel your feelings.

One of our greatest needs as human beings is the need for certainty – knowing what tomorrow will look like and planning for it.

Right now we have less certainty: Will I get sick? When will lockdown end? When will I get back to college? It’s hard to have no answers to these questions.

 

Routine is a way of creating certainty in your life, and can be very helpful – if it’s a helpful routine, of course. Try these ideas.

 

  • Start the day in gratitude. Each morning write down three things you are grateful for. The more appreciative you are, the more empowered you are. When you live in resentment, you give your power away to whoever or whatever you think ‘wronged’ you. Take your power and happiness back by being grateful.
  • Set an intention for the day. Your intention could be something like ‘be kind’. Or your intention could be something specific, like ‘do a past paper’ or ‘read Chapter 3 of the textbook’. Review your intention at the end of the day – did you do what you intended to?
  • Write a ‘to do’ list and tick it off as you achieve it. You can include small things that are easy to tick off as that’s very motivating – like ‘make tea’ – but also include a few challenges.
  • You used to commute to college every day and now you don’t. Create your own commute to signal the start and end of your working day. Your commute could be a 10-minute walk on the street during the legal exercise time. Or it might be indoor exercise. It doesn’t matter what it is, create something that symbolises your commute
  • Get dressed every day as if you are going to college. That gets you into the working frame of mind.
  • Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time each week day.
  • Keep up all your healthy routines, like eating properly and resting. If you have unhealthy behaviours that don’t serve you, let them go.
  • Do something each day to stay connected to other people. Human connection is so important. Phone a friend, or work on improving your relationship with someone you live with.

 

Don’t waste your days by neglecting your goals and waiting for this time to pass. Lockdown is your life right now – so live it well.