Don’t be so hard on yourself in uncertain times.

With so much free time, it is only natural that a lot of people are trying to use it to boost their productivity and do what they could not with a regular busy schedule.

Productivity however, is more than just completing one task after another. It is a mindset we adopt, a lifestyle that is embedded in the way you live your life.

And the worst enemy of productivity is disruption — disruption to your everyday routines and your emotional levels.

While working from home is normally a viable alternative to working at an office, the current circumstances are quite different since we’ve all been forced to do so and to immediately switch mindset.

Many people have reported that they had several plans to redesign their home office space and become more productive than ever before, but a lot are realizing that staying productive right now is much harder than it seems.

In the midst of a global pandemic, getting things done is becoming ever so difficult. According to Chris Bailey, professional productivity consultant:

It’s tough enough to be productive in the best of times let alone when we’re in a global crisis. The idea that we have so much time available during the day now is fantastic, but these days it’s the opposite of a luxury. We’re home because we have to be home, and we have much less attention because we’re living through so much.

Forcing yourself to start 10 new habits for the sake of productivity right now might be leading yourself to greater burnout than ever before. Millennials are already classified by psychologists as the burnout generation, naturally relating most with lines like:

• “I need to be dedicated to my job and company.”
• “I start to feel guilty if I don’t use my paid time off.”
• “I don’t want my boss to think they can replace me.”
• “No one else should be able to do the work that I do for the company.”

It’s a common impulse in our generation to spend every minute of your life busy hustling, and thus, feeling bad if we fail to do so.

We put tons of pressure on ourselves to stay focused and committed even when it seems like the world is falling apart around us, and we blame ourselves for not being able to keep up the goals and expectations we made prior to the global pandemic.

Furthermore, we expect ourselves to start :

• Exercising regularly.
• Reading one book per week.
• Creating content like podcasts or articles.
• Cooking dishes from Gordon Ramsey Channel.

While staying productive is important, it’s also important to remember that we aren’t living normal times right now.

Psychologists are reminding people that we are going through a shared stressful experience, which naturally makes productivity more difficult.

Following all the tips and guides to maximize it but failing to do so doesn’t make you a failure; it just means you are living consciously of the current circumstances, and you shouldn’t stress yourself too much about it or your it will come to a complete stop.