Today came the first twitchings of cabin-fever.
The fourth day of the same four walls with very few people to talk to can get kind of dull kind of quickly and as a result I’ve found myself looking around for anything and everything to do that isn’t work-related. Now don’t get me wrong, I haven’t been whiling away the hours on FIFA (yet…) but instead I’ve found myself feeling ever more responsible for the general cleanliness of the flat. A clear desk equals a clear mind and all that… so that must extend to the wider one-bed-flat environment, surely. So I’ve made it an earnest part of my daily to-do list (not mentioned on here of course because there are better things to talk about) and set about catching up with laundry, taking care of any washing up that needs doing, general movement of clutter from one corner to another in the name of neatness, and most impressively cleaning the bathroom!
Trouble is, the latter, no matter how proud and mature it’s made me feel, has left me with a resounding sting of bleach in my nostrils and an ache in my head which feels like the moon itself is gravitationally balanced above my frontal lobe. Not painful, just a gentle draping of heavy fatigue, a fog which seems intent on stopping even the simplest of tasks. But I will not give in! There must be a way to overcome!
Motivational techniques are all over the place for just this type of predicament – so I’ve rounded up a few of the best:
- Make a List
Absolutely essential- without lists I wouldn’t have a clue what I was trying to achieve! Now more than ever, my list of tasks helps me keep focus on what it is that I need to accomplish and what I need to move on to next. - Set Manageable Deadlines
The key word here being manageable – a to-do list is one thing but if you’re trying to conquer a small nation in a day you’re going to cause nothing but stress and unnecessary pressure. Equally, if you’re not feeling at your best, it’s not going to make you feel any better to see that you need to go full throttle to have even the slightest hope of completing your objectives. Decide what can and can’t be done today, base it on a realistic assessment of how much you can achieve, and the lower priority tasks can wait for tomorrow. - Take Frequent Breaks
Leave the house – get some fresh air! Don’t let the fumes of bleach and window cleaner riddle your mind with doubt and confusion…
Fresh air and the sights and sounds of civilisation can instantly clear the cobwebs away. Pop out for a coffee, or just a walk around the block to the highstreet – anywhere outdoors, around people and away from the laptop. - Reward Your Efforts
Plan your breaks as rewards and help make sure you tick items off the list. You may need a break but aware that if you come back in an hour only to find that you really really didn’t do anything in the morning it’s not going to be the most inspiring thing in the world. So pick the smallest/easiest thing on the list and make sure you don’t let yourself out until it’s done.
Managed to find some inspiration and guidance on this from www.wahm.com (despite not being a ‘mom’).
the digital hybrid 