8 Tips to Stay Productive and Mentally Healthy

Most of us faced mental health issues and a lack of productivity when the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. Then over the summer, we fell short on safety and security measures a bit, and as winter returned, cases started to increase again. Still, as the vaccine begins to be administered, the cases will decline next summer.

Note: This article is taken from the author, Deanna Richie, in which she talks to us about several tips for maintaining health and productivity.

Most of us know that the vaccine is for the benefit of all. Still, now we receive warnings about traveling to other countries, and we hear from time to time about the failure of some vaccines to eliminate the virus, complicating the matter even more. In fact, according to a poll conducted by TELUS International, 75% of employees suffered at work due to anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent global events.

Maintaining your mental health and productivity:

The loss of many people's jobs, salary cuts, or isolation from working from home has led to other mental health concerns and productivity issues. Whether we are dealing with the pandemic or everyday life problems, there are several tips we should follow to maintain our productivity and well-being.

1. Set a goal every day:

“Nothing makes us feel better than being accomplished and proud of what we've said, so give yourself a goal every day,” says Cate Murden, founder and coach at Push. “I like to choose from five things: family, finances, fun, focus, and fitness. However, you can make your list, and if you feel brave, why don't you do all of them?”

2. Bring diversity to your life:

Of course, this was much easier in the pre-pandemic world, but it's still possible to add diversity to your life until you feel good. Here are some tips for achieving that:

2.1. Change your daily schedule:

It doesn't necessarily change your entire schedule. After all, a daily schedule adds organization to your life, and you can try your calendar online to determine when you're more productive or integrate work and life.

2.2. Harness the power of music and laughter:

“Something is exciting that can be done every day like dancing or enjoying some kind of joyful music,” says mental health counselor Shani Graves. “You can also remember a previous laughing situation rather than being preoccupied with negative and positive self-talk, which isn't easy to do every day.” But listening to music and laughing is something that we can easily do to cheer ourselves up.

2.3. Get out into nature:

Many studies have found that spending time in nature is one of the most effective ways to improve your health. Psychologist Patricia Farrell says: "Ideally, you should walk in a nature reserve, but you can walk in the park or go to the beach." Farrell adds: "These natural places are calm and stimulate creativity. Go out into nature as much as possible, and walk in particular, as it can provide you with many exciting opportunities."

2.4. Think outside the box:

Psychologist Dr. Jesse Matthews suggests, “Thinking outside the box and always trying new things, whether it's starting a workout routine, trying new types of fitness workout, cooking a new recipe, reading a different book than you read, or trying something new you've never done before.” Dr. Matthews says: “The solution when you feel bored is to change your daily program, get out of your comfort zone, and try something completely new. Depending on your ability, you can do this by taking small or large steps.”

3. Engage in interactive activities:

A study published in November 2020 in PLoS One found that interactive activities were able to help you cope with quarantine. These activities must meet the following conditions:

• It should be fun and push you to put in the effort, but not to the point of frustration.
• You should be able to track your progress.

Kate Sweeny, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, explains that "some activities, such as video games, inherently include these features, and other activities may require more creativity to reach the state of interaction, such as painting, yoga, running, swimming, or learning a skill," but the majority waste time on TikTok, YouTube, or Twitter.

“In the lab, we're discussing whether things like browsing social media, reading a good book, watching a great show or movie should be considered interactive activities,” Sweeny says. “Right now, I'd say it's distracting, and if people find themselves trapped, whether, by the Covid-19 pandemic or winter weather, our study suggests that distracting yourself might be a good way to endure this kind of isolation.” Best of all, almost any activity can be turned into an interactive one.

4. Maintain your independence:

It was essential to retain independence during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Still, independence is always an important concept to consider whether you are stuck at home or not, especially if you are exhausted. You can set a more flexible work schedule as a team leader. If you are not in that position, ask if the new normal situation can be part of the week you work from home and the work week in the office. So, focus outside of work on the areas you control. For example, you can set up and organize your workspace and decide what you will eat, how you will spend your free time, and budget for your money.

5. Keep in touch with others:

The biggest problem was not interacting with friends, family, clients, and colleagues in person. While many of us have adapted, the situation is still bad. If you cannot be with family or friends, plan something now so you can go out while maintaining social distancing. We are tired of video calls, but you can communicate with your friends through e-mail, text messages, and phone calls. Whatever you decide to do, plan to communicate with them in person as soon as possible.

I recently went on a trip to visit my mom and dad, and we went out to dinner, and it was possible to socialize a little. Still, we all took the COVID vaccine, which made it more comfortable to meet together, and I also made a video call with some friends last weekend because we hadn't done it in months; it was an exciting call.

6. Turn off digital programs:

A TELUS survey also found that nearly four in five respondents found it challenging to stop working in the evening. In addition to being constantly online, we have no boundaries between our personal and professional lives. Once you're done with your work day, you should turn everything off, so turn off your phone or put it in flight mode and turn off your laptop.

Other strategies you can try are changing your clothes or walking after work, removing social media apps from your phone, or creating tech-free spaces in your home, such as your bedroom, and trying to limit their use. Another helpful method is planning to do something, so make time to stay with family or attend a virtual concert through platforms such as nugs.net. To stay mentally healthy, it is necessary to be interested in life.

7. Plan a vacation at home:

Another finding from the Telus survey is that half of those surveyed haven't taken a “mental health day” since they started working from home because of the pandemic, and 44% said they hadn't taken a day off during the same time frame. One idea to address both is to plan a vacation at home. Although it is not as exciting as an actual vacation, it will give you something to look forward to and this much-needed opportunity to take some time off and recover. Remember that times are changing. I've noticed that I'm still avoiding making exit plans, and it's time to become more courageous, as we can now do more because we gain immunity through vaccines.

8. Seek help from a specialist:

2020 has been a difficult time, at least for most of us. Now more than ever, you should seek help, and thanks to technology, you can use telemedicine to talk to a mental health professional without endangering your physical health. You may, at some point, want to let your friends or family see you and tell them that you're in pain, and if they can't deal with you, that will be their problem and not yours. Still, you may be surprised who will come to your assistant and feel the same way you do; it's a feeling worth trying.

In conclusion:

Circumstances have been harsh, but the situation is improving, and change is on the horizon. As you get to know yourself better, rearrange your priorities to maintain your mental health and productivity, seize the opportunity, and do something new.