With the end of 2020 near, most of us have had at least half a year to adjust to the "new normal". Many of us now work from home, walk for exercise, coordinate endless deliveries and have previously unattainable ‘me time’. And there are also the dry, itchy hands.

Yet despite the smooth, albeit compulsory, transition to a more restricted and home-based lifestyle, isolation and extreme changes to a daily routine can affect productivity and overall mental health. Additionally, an increase in home or alone time impacts everyone differently and can severely affect progress on things that need to be done, such as work or study, even showering. Finding motivation for immediate tasks can feel impossible without a clear, seamless plan, while staying focused on long-term goals can feel pointless.

effortlessly move through your day without planning

To adapt to volatile or restrictive conditions, creating an all-purpose plan can help you to try and maintain some momentum and continue habit streaks each day. To create a simple all-purpose plan:

• Create a schedule or each unique daily routine (e.g. Monday to Friday, gym days).
• Map out the day hour-by-hour.
• Include sub-columns or leave space for a vertical list of points with options. Include what to do when at home, when there’s access to some outdoor spaces and when restrictions are eased.


• Download templates to get started:
  • Images (ideal for apps such as GoodNotes): pastel with heading/without heading or dark with heading/without heading
  • Spreadsheet in Excel format of all styles (ideal for editing and making your own): .xlsx file
  • PDF in all styles: .pdf file

With multiple alternatives for each task, you can effortlessly move through your day without planning what you could do instead or dwelling on what you’re missing. It's important to also pencil in time for things that provide relief, comfort and pleasure throughout the day and include time to wind-down well before bedtime. It seems simple, and it is, but just having a schedule for each task and restriction levels will give you a sense of control over the day.

Some examples:

• 08:30 Work
  
  • Home: Make a nice coffee with new moka pot, set-up at dining table, put on music
  • Eased restrictions: Make coffee and bring in reusable cup, spend morning without meetings in park with free wi-fi
  • Normalish: Grab a coffee, get to work, practice physical distancing and good hygiene to support continued normalcy
  
  
• 13:00 Gym
  
  • Home: preselected app/YouTube videos/playlist: 5-minute stretch, 25-minute workout, 5-minute warm down, 10-minute meditation, shower, moisturize
  • Eased restrictions: walk playlist on, brisk walk around neighborhood for 45 minutes, optional shower
  • Normalish: pack a separate face towel to avoid wiping sweat, gym session for 30-40 minutes, pre- and post-wipe equipment


• 18:30 Dinner with partner or friends
  
  • Home: prearrange video call at a time when cooking or deliveries complete, eat together, talk about the food, day and avoid pandemic talk
  • Eased restrictions: 1:1 dinner alternating friends, take turns cooking or buying, meet outside
  • Normalish: follow local advice on what is allowed and use common sense

Complement the all-purpose plan by only logging what you actually did in your journal. That way you can look at each day and only see activity, progress and achievement, as opposed to a list of unactioned items.

Stay well and be considerate.