Procrastination in Lockdown

As the days roll on and the months sail by, we tend to reflect on ideas of what we can do to occupy our minds, things that need our attention while we are at home. There may be online fitness workout videos to get you on the gym hype, painting and decorating to do around the house, making new recipes for dinner to baking scrumptious cupcakes, but there are always things to do that you have been putting off since God knows and this is the time to do it instead of procrastinating.

When I woke up this morning, I found myself sitting on the floor, in a daze and looking around my bedroom, contemplating what needs doing which I have been putting off for so long. It can almost be a long list of things to do such as:

• Old files, pictures, music that needs to be wiped from my old computer and added to an external hard drive. Furthermore, once I remove the computer, it will make a wonderful spot for my laptop and reduce on-wanted clutter if necessary.

• Getting vacuum storage bags for my winter clothes as the season is changing. I have too many jumpers, scarves and cardigans, so I have no use for them at the moment. This section of my wardrobe needs a tidy up which will make it a nicer and neater spot.

• The main table in my room needs a supportive office chair. This is where IKEA, Wayfair or Amazon springs to mind and scoping out the best pieces available and good value for money.

• Even the jeans section of my wardrobe needs a good pick-me-up as well.

• Looking for distant curtains for my room. Currently, I have net curtains that do its job, but you need something to block out the morning sunlight especially when you have had a late one the night before.

Indeed, there are tasks to crack on with but there will always be more to do. I think the biggest struggle is when to take the time to do it. It’s about motivating one’s self to do the task that needs doing at hand and it can be quite a struggle for anyone because instead, you prefer to lie in bed, listen to music or have a Netflix marathon at your leisure and say this can be put off until next day and then the procrastinating circle starts and goes round and round.

For those of us who would like to get around the lockdown procrastination, I call it, is not to give yourself added pressure. You have five days during the week, you do not need to accomplish all tasks in one day. Spread the tasks out evenly, for example, for me:

• Monday – jeans tidy day·
• Tuesday – scope around online for vacuum storage bags and supportive office chair.
• Wednesday – look for curtains online.
• Thursday – reduce clutter from my main table and draws.
• Friday – it is time to get out the external hard drive and back up old files and music from the old computer.

You could say the first step is laying out a basic plan for myself, now the next stage is to motivate, take control, stick by the plan and hopefully, results will be achieved. Once you get into the rhythm of things, procrastination in lockdown will not even enter your mind, it will be something you “shake off", Taylor Swift says and continue the next task that needs your attention.