Getting Back On Track During COVID-19

Hello, Busy Woman Family!

It’s Time – Getting Back On Track!

How have you been? Are you getting back on track during COVID-19? Have you been going through the nationwide mood swings and weight gain I’ve heard so much about or found you lacked the motivation to get anything done? I certainly have.

This pandemic has amplified our idiosyncrasies. Add to it working from home, and there you have a disaster in the making. Learning how to handle these types of life issues and to pull yourself up is extremely important. And, sorry folks, Facebook is not the answer.

That’s why I’ve been slightly off the grid this past month. If you know me, you know that I go through modes; rest mode, introspective mode, and then the get up off my tush and get back to work mode. I’m a social person but also desperately need my alone time. Though, this much alone time is not good.

Changed Environment and Issues

The environment has changed. Most of us are less social (not by choice) and don’t have the same schedule, some are cooking and eating more, and many are not sure how to manage or structure the day-to-day tasks. Task-oriented individuals end up being overly busy with tasks that are not necessary. I believe it has to do with having a sense of control when other things in life are out of control.

When I feel like I have no control over anything and especially during COVID-19, I try to control my surroundings. That got me far this go around. This is why I’m writing to you today, to help you feel better and get back on track.

Filling The Void

The isolation and routine disruption has hurt so many people. However, I can only address what I know, and that is how we try to fill the void of less social interaction and not being able to move around town or the country like we’re used to.

Here’s the shortlist:
~ Social Media
~ Eating
~ Creating tasks and to-dos that don’t matter or don’t help

I’ve been hanging out on Social Media more than usual and watching too much news. Would it make you feel better to know that I also gained weight? I’m very petite. For the last twenty-plus years, I’ve had a hard time gaining weight due to food allergies. Because of COVID-19, I gained quite a bit of weight for my size and ended up with tight clothing and less energy. Comfort food that caused my allergies to act up became staples, and I did not continue exercising. I got into a vicious cycle.

By the way, speaking of food, I can attribute a large portion of my weight gain to coffee ice cream and Banana Bread, neither of which are in the house any longer. Do you follow me on Facebook? I made some killer Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and posted the recipe.

I digress. While I completed an incredible amount of decluttering, I also added lots of tasks and to-dos that did not improve my home or business. Some were just busywork that gave me a quick sense of completion for the moment but took time away from productive tasks.

Solution

The solution can only come from you. You have to get tired enough of the unhealthy, unproductive daily routine, or you need friends who come over and get your tush up and out. I’m a self-reliant person and almost always pick myself up. And with COVID-19, not as many friends are getting together inside their homes to hang out or help.

Sadly, when most of your friends aren’t doing much better than you, someone has to get things rolling, so email or call me if you need help. It took not being able to button my pants to get me fed up enough to change my diet and start exercising again. That helped with my energy and motivation. I am replacing a meal with a Juice Plus shake, lowering my sugar intake, and am getting back on track. (No, I do not sell Juice Plus.)

Having clients to care for has kept me going in my real estate business. I am grateful to God for that. Yet, I’m not out and about making new contacts like usual, and that has affected my business. Shameless plug: If you’re reading this and know anyone looking to buy or sell a home in Oregon Wyoming, send them my way, susieglennan.com. (Check with me about Idaho too.)

You really have to funnel through getting back on track. Look at the big picture, then work down the funnel until you get to a manageable, bite-sized task that is not so daunting. Start there!

Start Small

I made lists of what to do while stuck at home. Some of the tasks were too large and daunting. I tend to do that the first go around. Therefore, there were still some things on my list that were not completed that I deemed important.

Here’s what to do for your to-dos:
~ Create a list.
~ Put an estimated amount of time it will take to complete the task next to each item on the list.
~ Only plan one item on the list each day according to the amount of time it will take.
~ If a task is too big, use the funnel above.
~ BLOCK YOUR TIME.

Listen, brain dump all that is on your mind. Sort the list by what you must do and want to do. If need be, put each item/task into the funnel. Draw your own funnel and get to it. If you need help, email me. I’ll walk you through.

Do you follow me on Facebook? If so, you would have seen the brand new inners’ photo of one of our toilets. I had to take the entire toilet apart. It took me a month to get the oomph to do it because I looked at the project overall and felt overwhelmed. When I stopped overthinking it and visualized only turning the water off below and taking the tank off, I was able to get started.

Get Into A Morning And Evening Routine.

When you get down to it, having a morning and evening routine helps you stay grounded.

How has your routine changed during COVID-19?
What do you find you do the same every day that is not serving you?
What habits have you picked up during these past six months of 2020 that are throwing your days off-kilter?

I find that if I’m not doing __________ first thing in the morning, it doesn’t get done. Fill in the blank. Now, do this for the evening. Example: I find that if I don’t exercise and do bible study first thing in the morning, it doesn’t get done. Therefore, before anything else, that’s what I do.

What does that look like for me? Silence all notifications on my phone and computer, so nothing is chiming at and distracting me.

Stop for a moment, and think about what that looks like for you. It might take as long as three weeks to get into a routine. That time is SO worth it!

What’s your final straw?
What will it take for you to get up and get going?
What do you need to do first thing in the morning, so it gets done?
What do you want your evenings to look like?

Let me know in the comments below. Or, tell my readers and me what you did to pick yourself up.

Cheers,

PS. If you like this blog post, you’ll love this one too:
What Is Stopping You?