How’s everyone doing? I know these days are starting to feel a bit long knowing there’s nothing to really look forward to outside of being at home. This might be especially true for those of you that aren’t used to working from home, so know that I’m thinking of y’all and trying to brainstorm ways to be helpful during this tricky time.

I have some great tips in this post that I think could really help if you’re struggling to be productive while working at home, but I also want to share ideas on how to fill that downtime between work obligations! Maybe you finish up early for the day or maybe you can’t do your job from home but still want to be productive, etc. Whatever the circumstance is, I came up with some ideas that I think strike a pretty good balance between productive and just things that can take your mind temporarily off the news.

Start Cooking More

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, then you know that I’ve been really enjoying getting in the kitchen more. If you’re someone that doesn’t like to cook or is intimidated by it all, I totally get it. I was the same way. But I decided to dive in a few months ago and although there has been quite the steep learning curve, it’s still SO much fun!

I’ve been sharing my recipes and what I’m cooking in these round-up type blog posts if you’re interested. But also, on Saturday, I’ll be sharing what I’m cooking next week along with my exact shopping list too! I’m not much of a baker, but that’s another idea for something to do while at home. Do you have any favorite recipes you wouldn’t mind sharing with me?

Also random, but wanted to share that I love this resource from the NY Times on sheet pan dinners! I want to try one in the coming weeks!

Take some Time to Reflect & Journal

Y’all know I’m BIG into self-reflection and journaling. If you missed it, I wrote a blog post on how to make journaling a habit earlier this year. It helps me so much with processing my thoughts, learning from my mistakes, and growing as a person. Even if you’re just doing it once a week, it’s still just so good to do a check-in and take some time to be alone with your thoughts an feelings. I’ve also shared how journaling helps me in my relationship with the Lord too if you’re interested in reading more about that.

Organize Your Kitchen

Duncan and I just did this a few weeks ago and it felt SO good! We’ve still got some work to do in the pantry but it feels so nice to actually have a place to put things. Along the same line, take some time to organize your Tupperware – hows that area of your kitchen looking? I feel like that’s an easy area that can get out of control quickly!

TikTok Dances

I’ve been having so much fun learning TikTok dances and oh man, what a workout! It feels like the perfect combo of fun, getting your mind off things, and a workout all in one! So while it might not be *productive*, it is in the SELF way! I’ll be sharing more dances I’m learning on IG Stories and in a post next week if y’all wanna join in! The way I’ve been learning is just randomly picking a a trending song (that people are doing a dance to) and watching a few people do it over and over again. I like to watch a few different people to get some variety in how they do the moves. I’ll watch it several times and then sometimes if there’s a part I just can’t get, I’ll import it into another app an slow it down (I use INSHOT). But I don’t try to look exactly like the people I’m learning from, but instead I try to get the gist and then put my own twist on it! I’m telling you, it’s SO much fun!

At Home Workout

I really need to up my game when it comes to at hone workouts. In my defense, I tried to get some weights from 3 different places here in Denver and they are either sold out or closed. And I tried to order some from amazon but they won’t get here for another month! So I guess I’ll keep dancing in the mean time!

Here are a few resources for at home workouts:

• Found this guide to working out at home with lots of free at home workouts. I think this solid core workout looks interesting for after a little jog or this no equipment biceps workout.
• this weights free workout from Valet Mag (they have some others too!)
• or you can pick from one of the many online workouts on Popsugar’s Youtube!
• Try out Megan Roup’s Sculpt Society app – you can use code BRIGHTON25 (I think it still works!)

Get ahead on work projects

At face value, I know this can seem kinda lame (LOL), and I don’t want to encourage you to overwork yourself or work without being paid, but if you have extra time and you’re working on some fun and cool projects with your job, get ahead! This is one of those things that I think future you will be grateful for, especially once you’re back in the office and need some time to adjust back to that routine. Plus, it might even show your boss you can be super productive working from home, which could encourage them to let you do it more often if you want.

Purge All The Things

Y’all know I’m all about purging right now and this is seriously a great time to organize and get rid of things! Take the weekend or even just an afternoon and dive in headfirst. If you’re not sure where to start, I recently wrote a post about what to purge before you move, but there are tons of principles in it that could be applied whether you’re moving or not. I’ve recently been purging my closet but also other stuff too – like expired groceries in my fridge, old beauty products I don’t use (or they’re too old), as well as socks that don’t have a match. It feels SO good to get rid of stuff!

Here are a few ideas of things you can purge while you’re bored at home:

• socks
• underwear & bras
• pajamas you don’t wear
• tee shirts
• summer shoes you’re not excited about
• beauty products that you don’t use (or are expired)
• under the sink – do you need everything down there?
• jeans you haven’t worn in 2 years
• expired stuff in your fridge
• old paperwork

Self-care

I know I mentioned self-care in this post last week, but I also think it applies here. Run yourself a hot bath, layer on a mask, dry brush, ice roll your face – do all those wellness-y things we all wish we had time for but rarely ever do! It’s a good way to help put your mind at ease, but also pass the time. Plus, I’d still consider it productive because it will probably help the mental/emotional side of everything going on and I think that sounds so nice right about now.

If you want to dive a little deeper into self-care, check out my guide for creating a self-care plan and why you need one.

Clean out a Drawer

Ugh, this is one of those things that constantly rolls over to the next to-do list, am I right? Duncan and I organized our kitchen drawers a few weeks ago (where a lot of random stuff tends to build up) and even though we just moved here under six months ago I was shocked by how quickly stuff started accumulating. We grabbed some drawer organizers and went to town and I have to say, it was 100% worth putting the time into because now whenever I open the drawers I smile instead of groan.

I also organized my Tupperware drawer and it felt amazing! I used these adjustable dividers to keep things straight and tidy!

Read

Honestly, there really has never been a better time to catch up on some reading!! Using this time to make a dent in that stack of books that have been piling up feels really productive to me – fun even! You can go the work/self-improvement/development route or escape reality completely and go fiction. If you need some ideas for what to read, check out the BTD community book list!

For me, this means continuing with my project of reading the Bible cover to cover this year. See my Bible Recap highlight on Stories for more on that front! And I’ve recently started reading Jenni Allen’s Get Out Of Your Head and OMG it is speaking to my soul!! I love everything that Jenni does, but I really am enjoying this book and feel like I really need it!

Watch that TV show or movie

Alright, I do want to help you be as productive as possible during this time but sometimes that’s really hard when worry and anxiety start to creep in (at least that’s how I’ve felt). So although I want to encourage you (and myself TBH) to use this time “wisely”, if you’re finding yourself overwhelmed or anxious, allow yourself time to just chill without feeling guilty about it. I’ve had to accept this week that as much as I want my life and work to be “business as usual”, it just isn’t. And that’s OK! Netflix it is!! I’ll be sharing some faves that Duncan and I like later this week :)

So there’s my list of more specific things you can do to keep busy without completely vegging out (unless you want to, then do it!), but I also want to remind you all that I have TONS of content on my site about how to find motivation, staying productive and all kinds of “get out of your own head” content. After all, these are things I’m constantly working on. Here’s a quick list of some of those posts to get you started:

• What to do When You’re Feeling Uninspired
• How I Take Back Control of My Mind
• 8 Things That Kill Your Productivity
• 7 Tips for When You Need Motivation
• 5 Books to Motivate You
• What to do When You’re Having a Meh Day
• The Do Something Principle
• What to do When You Feel Overwhelmed

I truly hope all of this serves you and helps you navigate these times!

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