How often in the past have you thought, “if only I had the time”? I used to think this all the time and if I’m honest with myself, I often used it as an excuse.

But now, in the midst of lockdown in Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world, we’ve been dealt all the time we could want. So what are we going to do with it?

My motivation ebbs and flows with each day that passes. Today I’m particularly motivated but yesterday, I couldn’t bring myself to do much at all. On my ‘on’ days I use the time to learn new skills and work on my photography business or write a blog post as I believe now is a time to create opportunities if opportunity is what you’re seeking.

Here are a few things I’ve been doing in #iso which may inspire you as well.

Create a routine

Begin each day at the same time. Have a shower, get dressed (into clothes, not just back into your pyjamas), brush your hair and even put on make-up, it will make a world of difference to how you feel about the day ahead.

When I stick to my routine, I actually feel like showing up in the world. I want to connect and have virtual chats with friends because I feel more presentable and wearing clothes surprisingly brings about more productivity.

Daily exercise

Go for a walk or tune into a virtual yoga, pilates or barre session. A daily workout, even for 15 minutes, will make you feel pumped. I’ve signed up for Humming Puppy’s yoga classes and the Australian Ballet is now offering virtual adult ballet classes of different levels if dance interests you.

Listen to Podcasts

My favourites are:

• The High-low - A weekly pop-culture / news podcast by Dolly Alderton & Pandora Sykes

• Glow Journal - beauty writer Gem Watts chats with industry experts

• Make Your Break by Jai Long - a podcast for budding photographers however his general business advice is relevant for anyone

• One More Thing with Athena Calderone - interviews with advice on how to design your dream life

• She’s on the Money - tips for millennials on how to manage their finances

• Seize the Yay - Snippets of foodie fun, farshun, fitspo, frolicking and funtrepreneuring

• Wardrobe Crisis - journalist and sustainability advocate Clare Press interviews guests about fashion, culture, sustainability, ethics, activism and the environment

Journaling

It’s an interesting unprecedented time right now so documenting what’s going on and how you’re feeling may be important for future generations to read (if you allow them) but will also help to clear through some of the anxiety, stress and emotions you might be feeling. Putting a pen to paper is surprisingly therapeutic.

Reading

While there are unlimited amounts of television shows and films to consume, there is nothing more calming and relaxing than picking up a book. If you don’t have the physical book to read, audiobooks are a great option. Audible has released free listens here.

Create Something

It’s time to do what you normally don’t have time for whether that’s painting, pottery, knitting, sewing. The list goes on!

Cook

I’ve been baking, a lot! You can probably guess what I’m baking. I’ve been making what everyone else has been making. Yes, you guessed it! The No knead Bread. I also made this Passata which was delicious!

Online workshops

I love the thought of coming out of this period of lockdown having learnt something new or up-skilled in areas of interest. For me, I’ve purchased a few affordable photography courses to up-skill through Creative Live and am also interested in Jai Long’s wedding photography courses.

MasterClass is another platform which has sparked my interest. I didn’t know I was so interested in learning about interior design, Mexican cooking, viticulture or negotiation but MasterClass makes me want to learn all of it! Canadian photographer @petermckinnon has an excellent YouTube channel for all levels plus they’re extremely entertaining and well produced.

Connect, join communities and network

Since we've been in self-quarantine I had more virtual calls than ever before. While they’re not the same as face to face reality it’s the next best thing and helps us to feel connected to our family and friends.

I’ve also joined a number of Facebook groups including Lady-brains. I've found communities such as this one insightful and I'm connecting with more creatives than I ever have before.

My last but I think most important tip is…

Allow yourself to have a break, to do nothing, to have a day (or days) off. You don’t have to be productive all of the time or ever if you wish not to be. It’s OK. I found this article Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure very helpful when I felt I was bombarded by it all. I had FOMO (aka fear of missing out), I felt unaccomplished and as if time was getting away from me. Basically I began feeling all the things I was feeling in ‘normal life’. This read made me feel better about not doing anything if I didn’t want to and feeling OK about it.

How have you felt during your time in isolation? Have you been motivated or less? Comment below and let me know your tips for keeping sane is this strange time.

Stay safe everyone,

Lei xx