With a lot of countries going on lockdown and too many people not being allowed to leave the house without an urgent reason, you might find yourself at a loss with your usual routine out the window and wanting to know how to be productive during quarantine. What do you do with all this time at home, when you are literally not allowed to go out?, In my opinion, the most productive thing you can ever do is figure out how to manage your time, the only resource you have that you can never ever replace. Time management is key as it helps set priorities rights.
To achieve this, a simple to do List, is the one app that helps you track and block your time, prioritise tasks, set alarms and reminders so you never forget the really important things and so much more.  If you want more free time to do all those things you have always said you were going do, you need to study what you do with your time, learn how you can prioritise your tasks (including spending time with loved ones and yourself) and then allocate the time you do have. In other words, you need to learn some serious time management skills and with a Coronavirus lockdown, which could last indefinitely, is the perfect time to do that.

Take this time to reflect on your life. What have you been doing recently?, Are you where you want to be?, Do you know where you are going?,  Is your life everything you have ever dreamed it could be?. The Coronavirus lockdown could give you the time and space to really study your life, see what works and what doesn’t, and make a plan to improve what works and completely change what doesn’t. Every dark cloud has a silver lining and this could well be one. In fact, you might end up deciding that you have been neglecting yourself and use this time to dive deep into the concept of self love. That is going to be one of the most productive ways you can spend your quarantine time.

Tactically, this is so spot on. Leaning on software will be crucial during this time, so it is important to pick out your stack of tools, learn them and start to leverage them to keep you productive. If you are feeling frazzled, set aside an hour to go through tutorials and videos to learn. That hour of focused learning will save you tons of hours later in lost productivity. Take the opportunity to register for onlione courses on diverse areas outside your field of study or profession, there are a lot of online courses out there for free such as technical courses, business courses, academic courses, and many more. Most of them get you certified right away and you can even put the badges on your LinkedIn.

During a pandemic, it’s logical to invest in your health. Now that you all have the time in the world, you have absolutely no excuse to skip exercising. We know that staying in shape may not seem like the easiest thing to do, especially when you are confined to your living spaces. If you are struggling to motivate yourself, don’t worry because there are a lot of apps and workout videos you can find online. Most of them cater to those at home and to those with no gym equipment at all (it’s a plus if you have). No excuses!.
For most of the people who blame their busy schedule to be the reason why they are not being able to exercise, this is the best time to pay attention to health. And for those regular gym workers, make space for your home gym, Chalk out a workout routine for yourself and stick to it. There are several exercises that can be done at the comfort of your home which are both effective and fun to do, as this can get your mind off the pandemic stress.
Spend time with your family. In today’s time when all the members of the family are so caught up in their work and office, we seldomly do not find time to sit and talk to our family. Make the most of your time and have a wholesome chit-chat session with your family. If you have a pet, take out time to feed, groom and bathe it. All this will not only recharge for the day but will also make you feel happy for a long time.

We don’t know how long the Coronavirus outbreak and therefore, your quarantine will last. This is the perfect time to start future-proofing your income , treat this quarantine as a reset button for your finances. In many ways, it actually is. But make sure that when you reset, you have a clear strategy for your finances. This quarantine may be the biggest test for your finances in a long time. Layout a budget plan for yourself (or update your current one). Seeing clearly exactly where your money is going can help you feel more prepared to meet uncertainties.
You will also need to consider your bills, food, health items, and medicines. Ask yourself “How can I save more?”, buy only the necessities! And then, layout your recovery plan after and look for ways to start earning from home. If you don’t need to earn right now, then you could start a blog. Start setting it up correctly so it can actually earn you money in the future, blogging can lead to serious income but it usually takes years, just like your more traditional brick-and-mortar business. If you need to earn money now, then you can start applying for remote jobs whilst you are at home or start a brand-new side hustle.
Yes, the Coronavirus quarantine could only last a few days, or it could extend for weeks and months. You don’t really know so you might as well take the leap right now and learn something new. Luckily, you don’t need to go out to do this. There are so many skills online that you could take that will give you the self relief. All you need to do is to find the ones you have great interest in. And it doesn’t have to be work-related. You can learn how to cook, learn a new languages, learn how to fix a broken gadget, learn how to invest in stocks, and so on.
Learn about Insurance. During a health crisis like this one, it is important to revisit your life or health insurance (if you have one) and review all its details. See if you are covered in a crisis like this one. If you don’t have one, this could also be a good time to apply for health insurance. Just remember to read all the fine print however complicated it may seem. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice from a friend or an expert.
Health and emergency workers who are in the frontlines call for additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks, alcohol, and hand sanitizers. As you may already know, there has been a shortage of these PPEs due to mass panic buying and hoarding. We can donate our extra face masks, alcohol, tissues, and hand sanitizers to them. If you really can’t leave your house to donate, which is understandable, you can assist them financially.
Last but at the least, let us not forget to pray, as Christ is over virus, infection and death forever. For the book of 2 chronicles 7:14 says, if His people who are called by His name, will humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins and heal their land. This may not be the best time to want to build a relationship with Christ but it is the right time to start and develop a good personal relationship with Him, not only because we are afraid, but because we need Him everyday in our lives.
As you can see, there are many ways you can be productive if you’re stuck at home during a Coronavirus quarantine. If there are things you wanted to do but never managed to do before, now is the time. Don’t wait for the perfect moment and don’t wait until the little things have gotten so big you can’t ignore them. Tie up all your loose ends. Okay, maybe not all but a lot of them. Tie up as many loose ends as you can whilst you’re in isolation. Make the most out of your time at home and become more productive. It’s quite possibly the one single benefit you can get from this unexpected coronavirus economy war.

Isabella James is the President of the Law Students Association, at the Benson Idahosa University (B.I.U.),Benin City .