Has anybody else been feeling like all of the days are rolling into one being stuck at home? It’s hard to find your rhythm when many of your schedules have been torn up and thrown into the air.

Whether it’s working from home, home schooling or putting focus into your side hustles and passion projects, staying productive isn’t easy but it can be really important for our overall wellbeing.

It’s been found that there’s a link between our productivity and mental health. Checking things off a to-do list and feeling a sense of accomplishment can do great things for your mind and sense of self-value.

Now, that doesn’t mean you have to be super busy all the time! It’s actually more about getting done the things you need to get done without finding yourself curled up in a ball of stress by 3pm, and adding in a little purpose to otherwise endless and empty days.

So, how do you maintain efficiency when you’re stuck inside all day? Follow our tips to improve productivity and get your days back on track…

Write a to-do list

Staying organised is a big part of productivity and a to-do list helps you to create a clear plan of what needs to be done. The satisfaction of checking something off feels really great too. Just remember, you shouldn’t feel stressed if you don’t finish your list. Simply move the left-over items to the next day and start again.

Start your day on a positive note

A good morning routine can set your whole day up for success. Get out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off, make your bed, do your morning skincare routine, and if you have the time, go for a walk or do a little exercise. It’s a great chance to begin feeling that sense of accomplishment from the minute you wake up and gets you in the right headspace to tackle the rest of the day.

Plan your meals

I bet we’d all be horrified to know just how much time we waste throughout our lifetimes staring into the fridge and opening, closing and reopening the pantry thinking about what to eat. Planning your meals takes the guesswork out of it and is also a good way to save money at the supermarket. If you’re not the meal prep type, that’s ok. You’ll still benefit from knowing what you’re going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, having the ingredients ready and being able to whip it up at meal time.

Schedule a lunch break

Taking a break and getting away from your desk, screens or projects is really important for giving your brain a little chance to rest. Knowing when your lunch break is can also help you to better time manage your day and is a useful motivator for getting those tasks completed in the mornings before your settle in for a meal.

Break down your goals into bite sized pieces

If you struggle to stay focused, breaking down your goals into to smaller, more manageable tasks can help you to remain productive overall. It could include spending set amounts of time doing something before taking a break and swapping to a new task. Or, you can break up a bigger job or project to focus on a single aspect at a time.

Don’t forget to give yourself some ‘me time’

It’s a crazy time we’re living in and no-one expects you to carry on as if everything’s normal. Giving yourself a time out to do something you really love, or to do nothing at all, can help you maintain a positive mindset and keep the rest of your day on track. Setting out a time also helps to prevent you from getting distracted throughout other tasks.

Most importantly, be flexible

Things will undoubtedly pop up throughout the day that you didn’t plan for. Getting stressed about straying from your plan is not productive so be sure to give yourself a break where you need it. If you get off track, reset and re-evaluate your daily priorities to ensure you get done what you need to.