Write an email to your friend motivating him to over come the limitation you are facing during the pandemic
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Apr. 6, 2020
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Six strategies for staying motivated during the COVID-19 pandemic
By Emily Elia: I'm sharing some simple tips for staying motivated during this unusual time.
Six strategies for staying motivated during the COVID-19 pandemic
As social distancing and stay-at-home orders are extended throughout the country, many graduate students are coming to terms with the fact that we will be working from home and learning remotely for quite some time. The changing reality of this pandemic makes focusing on research and classes extremely difficult for many, but it also makes it clear that we will be in this “new normal” for the long haul. For most of us, the responsibilities of grad school continue, and we are trying to stay on track as best as we can. Below are some simple tips for staying motivated during this time.
1. Set small daily goals.
It is important to recognize that these aren’t normal times, and your productivity is likely not at its peak right now. That’s okay. Setting daily goals can help you to make your day as productive as possible, but be realistic with the goals you set. Big goals may seem insurmountable right now; instead, focus on small goals for each day that you can cross off your list. Get through the assigned articles for your upcoming class. Finish the first draft of a paper. Make progress on your data cleaning. Setting smaller goals that can feasibly be tackled in a day can help you stay on track. Try to make a short list of manageable tasks to get through every day.
2. Carve out time in your day for work and for relaxation.
Working from home can make it much harder to get through your daily tasks when the temptation of Netflix is quite literally right in front of you 24/7. For others, working from home can actually lead to a serious case of overworking now that we are no longer dependent on an office or lab space to restrict work hours. Scheduling when you will work and when you will relax can help you to manage a healthy work-life balance at home. For some, a conventional 9 to 5 schedule with a lunch break in the middle helps them to stay focused. After 5 pm, put down the work, make some dinner, and relax for the rest of the night. For others, their most productive times of the day may be less conventional. One pro of working from home is that you can fully embrace when it is that you work well. If you’re most productive in the early hours of the morning, get up early and work during the first half of the day. If you’re someone who works best at night, then spend time relaxing in the morning before jumping into work later on. The most important thing is that you can dedicate a chunk of your day to work and then keep your work out of your relaxation time. Plan out a schedule of work and play, and try to stick to this schedule Monday through Friday, like a regular work week.
Answer:
For the most part, physical distancing guidelines for interacting with others during the COVID-19 pandemic haven’t changed: Remain six feet or more apart, wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, and avoid prolonged interactions indoors.
But navigating the interpersonal side of these recommendations can be trickier. Physical distancing runs counter to many of our social norms and complicates the ways we work, celebrate milestones, and generally interact with other humans. Things can get even knottier when people’s boundaries and perceived levels of safety are in conflict.
So, what do you say to a friend who insists that COVID-19 is no worse than the flu? How do you talk to your parents who keep going to restaurants to eat indoors? What if a beloved family member wants you to come to their wedding or birthday party and you don’t feel safe attending? How do you talk to your kids about safety without scaring them too much?
This guide lays out scenarios like these, and Laura Murray, PhD, clinical psychologist and senior scientist in the Department of Mental Health, weighs in on the interpersonal side of pandemic precautions. Crystal Watson, DrPH, a senior scholar at the Center for Health Security, provides practical underpinnings based on current research, data, and public health guidance.
Scenario 1: How do I talk with a friend or family member who doesn’t seem to be taking the COVID-19 threat seriously?
The response should depend on how well you know the individual. In communicating, we always need to keep our relationship in mind, what we know or don’t know about the person, where they are coming from, and how best to interact with them.
Overall, it’s important for the messenger to be aware of their thoughts and emotions going into the conversation. For example, if we go into this conversation angry or frustrated and thinking “They are crazy!,” then it is unlikely to go well. We won’t come across as compassionate, empathetic, and/or understanding.
For some it may be good to start with a question such as “I’d like to better understand your perspective on this” or “Where are you hearing that?” It’s always good to understand where the information is coming from. For example, maybe they are confused by all the different guidance or getting information from a non-scientific source.
For specific questions, you could say “I’d love to share an article/podcast/post with you because I’m worried about your health—now and in the future.” Here it would be critical to use a source that the person might be responsive to. Less political is usually better—something from a doctor, for example, or even a real-life story written by someone who has been impacted.
The key is to make sure that all of these thoughts are conveyed out of concern.
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