5 Ways To Keep Motivated In Lockdown

Now you've probably worked your way through most of Netflix, Amazon and Disney +. Lockdown has been an excellent opportunity for everyone to take a little bit of a break from the busy world. From a mental health perspective, some may see this as a time to take stock on their needs quietly and gradually go about fulfilling them. Others have viewed this as the perfect opportunity to connect with loved ones on a more personal level and even up-skill themselves ready for the return to work. But as the weeks pass us by, a lot of us are running out of things to do.

I think up until now I've been thriving. I've been working hard to turn my blog from a frivolous side hobby into a severe side-hustle. Up-skilling has also been a big priority for me, before lockdown, I had loads of ideas about ways I could improve myself; now I've finally got the time to do it. 

But it's just as easy to over exert yourself as it is to be motivated. I definitely put myself at risk of over exerting myself to the point where I just lose all interest in the task at hand. Recently, I've been trying to figure out how to move web hosts and it's completely drained the life out of me. I'm adamant that I will make the move without losing all my blogs and pretty design, but I also have to keep reminding myself that I'm not a web developer and I can't code for my life. The whole process of trying to move hosts ended up putting me in a creative slump. 

This is the perfect opportunity to go through some ways to bring back my motivation, whether it's with work, writing or just life. 

If you're not sure whether you're 'stuck in a slump' you should have a look at the blog post I wrote a few days ago called 'stuck in a slump'.

Routines are fundamental

Especially during lockdown, creating a set routine for each day helps you feel just a little bit more in control. Organising your day down to the 'T' can sometimes be difficult but structuring your day is really handy. To do this, I downloaded a new app called 'Hour blocker' which allows me to break up my day into handy little chunks. I find it useful for days like today where everything seems a little too much; I can just go look at how I've planned out my day and see if I can fit anything else in. If not then it's time to delegate or move it to tomorrow.

Keep a daily journal

I think the perks of journaling are severely underestimated. It's a brilliant way to work through all the emotions of the day and declutter your brain a bit. Writing every morning has become a key part of my lockdown routine but I also pick up the journal when I'm stressed or need to process everything thats happened that day. 

Use prompts

Whatever your niche is, using prompts is a brilliant way to keep creating and still have some structure in your work. I find writing prompts incredibly useful when I'm struggling for blog topics. Pinterest can be a really good source for writing prompts but there is random generators all over the internet which can give you that but of extra inspiration.

Find your hype-man

Sometimes all you need is a little hype man sitting on your shoulder cheering you on. Sometimes this can be talking through your thoughts and feeling with a friend/family member, sometimes it can mean bouncing ideas off a co-worker and other times it can mean reading a motivational medium article. Whatever works for you! 

Know when to take a break

I struggle with this last one so much! More often than not, I take a break when I've over exerted myself past the point of interest and not a moment later. Sometimes you need to know when to close the laptop or shut the notebook. If you're not working to the best of your ability then why bother? Take an hour or a day away from your work and come back to the task with a fresh pair of eyes and a burning desire to finish the task in hand.

So this is how I feel motivated on the day to day. Some methods might differ from your own and some you may want to adopt into your own day. I refuse to call lockdown 'our new normal' because I don't think it will be something I'm 100% used too. In my opinion, the key to surviving and thriving in these troublesome times is to adapt. Find new ways to work, connect and love yourself. Otherwise we'll be stuck for endless hours playing games, refusing to communicate with loved ones and not feeling like ourselves.

Please let me know if you have any ways you like to keep yourself going. I'm always looking for ways to grow mentally. This blog is rather short just because I needed to get back into writing ASAP and thought I'd write about something which had been on my mind a lot this week. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you in a few days.

Hopefully on a new web host...