Trying to stay productive while in quarantine? If it’s taking you longer than usual to write content or you’re continuously hitting a creativity roadblock, you’re not alone.

Yes, we know Shakespeare wrote one of his greatest pieces while quarantined during the 1600s plague¹, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Writing and creating content might be a small part of your coaching business, but rest assured even journalists – who are expected to write every day – are struggling too.²

You might even be beating yourself up about not having the motivation to do simple tasks like scheduling appointments or billing. The more you worry about not being productive, the less productive you actually are, and so the cycle continues.

What’s a quick hack to overcome this?

Stop trying to crush quarantine. 

By scaling back and prioritizing key items, you can stay busy, keep your sanity, and keep your business on track, even if it’s a different track than what you had planned for this year. Here are some ideas to find (a healthy level of) productivity within the pause.

4 PRODUCTIVITY HACKS IN A TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING

1. LOOSEN UP YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY

The most important thing right now is to focus on things that matter to you. You may have had a stellar marketing plan laid out for the rest of the year, but you’re just not inspired to write about digestive enzymes or detox plans right now.

That’s okay. Write about the things you’re focused on even if that’s perfecting a gluten-free banana bread recipe or trying to get any number of steps in while staying at home. Chances are someone in your network is trying to do the same thing and would appreciate the tips.

2. EMBRACE VIDEO

Everyone is using social media as their window to the world right now. Instead of stressing about writing an impactful blog post, join them on camera. By using the Instagram live feature, you can engage in real-time and offer content directly to your audience – no copy edits required.

If the live component is daunting, you can always record a video and post it on any of your platforms. If your attention span is limited right now, chances are your audience is feeling the same way. Meet them where they are by offering quick digestible content via a quick video visual.

3. REFINE YOUR TO-DO LIST

Try and keep a loose schedule like waking up and closing your computer at the same time each day, but let go of the idea that you have to blast through your to-do list. If you’re thinking, “But I’ve got nothing but time, I need to be productive!” reframe this to say, “I’ve got nothing but time, I can spread this out over a longer period and give myself some breathing space.”

Remember, you’re not just working from home. You’re at home, during a public health crisis, trying to work. There’s a huge difference between the two and acknowledging this will go a long way to helping you stay on track with a few high priority tasks you have identified.

4. PAIR ACTIVITIES WISELY

For those of you who live for efficiency, you’re probably finding ways to double down on productivity by doing two tasks at once. That’s great, but pair wisely.

Laundry while tuning into a podcast can work. Cooking while on a conference call, or teaching your kids math while wrapping up a project, not so much. Your concentration is likely less than perfect right now, so make sure to give the tasks you are doing the time and attention they deserve. It’s worth emphasizing again, while there may be a lot of open time right now, you don’t have to schedule all of it.

The bottom line – focus on your ROI.

And by that, we mean your return on impact.

Focusing on the things that matter most right now is the most effective way to create the biggest impact for both your own personal worth and for your audience. And while you might not be able to turn your kitchen or office into a personal protective equipment (PPE) production site, you can still offer impactful support to your audience and network.

That can look like many things – from simply being present and available for client appointments to offering cooking demos via video on your social media platforms. Whatever feels good to you right now is the most important work you’ll do this quarantine.

For more productivity hacks, head here 10 Steps To Declutter Your Space & Your Mind.

1. How Shakespeare survived quarantine
2. Journalists are struggling too