This week we have guest educator, Kaisarah Barbawanth. Kaisarah, pronounced “Kay Sa Ra”, like the song Que Sera, is a member of BNI Metro on Auckland. She is a 25-year-old Podiatrist that loves BNI and weekly puts the members off their breakfast with exciting stories and photos of fungal nail infections.
She has valuable, timely, advice on how to avoid Lockdown Lethargy.
Introduction to Bad Habits
It’s that time again. You’re watching the news, the Prime Minister announces a lockdown, and all these thoughts are running through your head – your business, your clients, your work, but some of you may start thinking about other things.
They may include:
“Time to warm up the oven for banana bread”,
“Happy hour can be at 12pm right?”
“Time to finish those 15 seasons of Criminal Minds!”
But most of us can agree on one thing – you feel locked up during lockdown and returning to normal is a challenge due to lockdown lethargy. So here are some tips …
Give Structure to Your Day
Lockdown affects everyone’s daily routine. Kids are at home, the dog constantly wants to play, and Netflix has never looked more appealing. It’s easy to give in to your surroundings and forego the daily routine you’ve practiced for most of your work life. Sure, you get to sleep in a tad and avoid the traffic, but to avoid your lockdown life starting to feel like Groundhog Day, it may benefit to give your day structure.
For this, you must plan, ahead:
– Wake up at your usual time. 7am? Make that cup of coffee, get dressed and get ready for your day.
– Create a workspace where your environment doesn’t distract you. You’re in the office and it’s important to distinguish between your bed and workstation.
– Schedule your day. Set yourself a dedicated time for morning tea and lunch.
– Put aside time for the family and take regular but disciplined breaks.
– Continue your 1-2-1s! Being in your bubble can be fun initially but being disconnected from the world can get hard. If you can no longer meet in person, continue to log your 1-2-1s via Zoom and get creative. It also helps to learn how other members are coping and how you can benefit each other.
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
You’re home full time now. Those hundreds and thousands biscuits that the kids munch on are just a few steps away. Don’t give in to the munching!
Food and exercise is something that can help you beat your lockdown lethargy – I think we can all agree that this is the dilemma for most of us.
Again, plan, ahead!
– Meal prep. Just like when you would go to the office, prepare your meal for the day ahead. Give yourself a dedicated lunch hour to eat what you’ve prepared and wind down. Avoid loading on carbs that the kids start preparing in the kitchen.
– Get that Vitamin D. Exercise is CRUCIAL to overcome fatigue. If your day usually started with gym or a walk in the morning, continue with that. Get out in the sun during your breaktimes. If it’s raining, bring out that yoga mat. This will help boost your mood and keep you calm and focused.
– Drink water! It can be easy to forget to drink water with the available juice, caffeine and gin & tonic in the kitchen. Stay hydrated, you can’t battle a Covid outbreak in your community if your immune system isn’t getting its fuel.
Quality Sleep
The day is over, you have a drink in your hand and now you can watch your favourite show. We all know that 7-9 hours of sleep is ideal, but is it practical during lockdown?
Since you don’t need to wake up early to battle traffic and your temporary office is just a few steps away, it’s tempting to continue clicking ‘next’ after each episode on Netflix, or even checking emails past 9pm.
– Give yourself a break from technology and screens. It’s time to wind down and give yourself some me-time.
– Avoid checking your smartphone and give your mind a break. A hyperactive brain will affect your quality of sleep.
– Avoid caffeine and tea after 5pm. It’s easy to get carried away using your coffee machine at home! The same goes for sugary foods and binging on carbs.
– Take a bath or read a book.
Focusing on these three tips may help you battle lockdown lethargy and prevent you from feeling locked up during this lockdown, but there is one bonus tip that can help you, your family, and your colleague’s mental health!
Take some time out to focus on yourself but also reach out to others where possible. We are so lucky to be part of networking group where we can help each other and make the most of this.
Asking how another member is or talking to another member about your experience can help in ways more than one.
Take care… stay safe.
