Contrary to popular belief, daydreaming can actually make you more productive. It can help you solve problems and realize your deepest desires, ideas, and plans.
Do a good deed (my absolute favorite on the list)
I think we can all agree that doing good gives us all the warm-and-fuzzies, but did you know that “helper’s high” can actually lower stress and boost immunity? Here’s the science behind altruism.
In line somewhere? Treat the person behind you. Walking down the sidewalk? Buy a bundle of tulips and hand ’em out to passersby. Got a new coworker? Invite them on a coffee break. Want to keep it anonymous? Leave a love note for a stranger in a public place. The possibilities are endless.
Unplug + eat solo (healthy)
Too many of my meals come with “an iPhone on the side.” I know I’m not the only one.
However, those times when I’ve made a conscious decision to disconnect, engage in my surroundings, and actually taste my food, those delicious moments fill me up both physically and mentally.
Some of history’s greatest minds (Beethoven, Goethe, Dickens, Darwin, Aristotle, Freud) found that the mighty stroll helped them compose, write, paint, create, and problem-solve.
Like everything in life, you should cater and mold what you do on your break to your best advantage. Being a child of the 80s, I have these two essential pieces of office equipment in my office for my breaktime.
You can see the importance of Routines.
There is one more routine I know of that is critical to success, particularly when working remotely.
Create a Permanent Workspace
You cannot merely sit down at your kitchen table or even at the computer you generally use at home.
You need to have a space that you can close off for a myriad of reasons. Most obvious is that being separated from the rest of the family is essential at the best of times to avoid distractions.
During this crisis, when many families are at home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the likelihood of distractions from loving (but bored out of their mind) family members are exponentially worse.
The ideal situation is a home office with a door. If you do not have a home office, a spare bedroom is the next best option. If you simply do not have a room with a door, you can choose an out of the way corner of the room with the least traffic.
Arrange your desk facing the wall or a window, most importantly, away from the heart of the house where the majority of distractions will be.
To create the “separateness” needed you will establish barriers, I strongly suggest physical boundaries. You do not need to have a full office cubicle delivered to your home.
Always the innovator, I used parachute cord (a heavy string) and blankets to create walls. The idea was quickly adopted by my tent mates and much of the camp.
The separation gave us a bit of privacy and made reading and writing letters from home more comfortable.
I tell you this story to encourage you to create those “walls” with whatever is at hand.
Aside from decreasing distractions, there are psychological reasons to have a defined workspace.
People adapt to their environment. Have you noticed that people whisper in a theater even when the lights are still up, and the movie has not started? The exact opposite occurs when people pour into a stadium, they become louder and more boisterous almost as soon as they cross the threshold even though the game has not started.
