Week 2 of quarantine - Ways I'm staying productive

I know it’s been a crazy couple of weeks with the global pandemic, a lot of us are either without work, working remotely, or are considered essential and are taking the risk of being exposed to COVID-19. I know things have been chaotic, but that’s not with this post is about. This post is basically breakdown how I’ve been dealing with working remotely and social distancing myself from others, which will vary from personal, professional, academic, and more. So, I’m listing how I’ve been utilizing my time in quarantine and working remotely.

· Self-care Self-care is big right now, as we don’t know how long it’ll be before we can be around others, go on Target trips, happy hours…but why not take care of you during this time. So, I made it a point to do various things as I work from home:

o No Heat to My Hair I’ve done some heat damage to my hair and lost my curls, which I originally didn’t like them when I was younger, and now I miss them. Now I’m working on getting my curls back and not applying any heat to my hair. I’ve taken time to really take the time out for my hair, such as deep conditioning, applying curl-enhancing smoothies, and changing my diet to more of a plant-based diet.

o Eating Better I’ll be the first to tell you that when I work in the office, my diet is trash!!! What does this mean? It means that I have fresh ingredients, can make homecooked meals more during the week while reducing the amount of processed food and red meat.

o Physical Activity I’m definitely taking advantage of working from home while getting workouts and walks with Jade in. I try to start and end my days with yoga and meditation while getting workouts and walks on trails by me with my dog in. Let me say, I’ve been feeling much better mentally, emotionally, and physically. I’ve been making it a goal to get at least an hour of physical activity during each workday.

· Listening to Podcasts

o I’ve been listening to some of my favorite people I follow on social media while I work from home. It definitely helps to hear the perspective of others on a range of topics, challenge your thought process, or even pursue a new skill. Here’s who I’ve been listening to:

§ Blk + In Grad School Podcast (Instagram: @blkingradschool)

§ The Research Her Podcast (Instagram: @theresearchher)

§ Women & Money – Suze Orman

· Reading

o As I work to complete my doctorate, a lot of my reading are journal articles or textbooks that are relevant to my research topic and methodological approach. I’ve been working on reading for furthering my knowledge, skillsets, professional development, self-growth, enjoyment, and other things. Here’s my list of books I’m currently reading or plan to read:

§ The Memo – Minda Harts

§ The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson

§ Investing for Beginners – D. D’Apollonio

§ Emotional Intelligence Mastery: A Practical Guide to Improving Your EG – Eric Jordan

§ Law of Attraction: Secrets to Unleashing the Power from Within – D. D’Apollonio

I can’t act like I’m not enjoying working remotely and gaining an hour and half of my time back from my commutes to and from work. But I’m still a “responsible” doctorate student (now Ph.D. candidate!). I’ve been prepping myself and building the materials I need to submit with my IRB application. Not only have I’ve been working on informed consent letters, site permission requests, but I’ve also been reading up on my committee’s research. You’d be surprised at what they’ve researched and how it can be applied to your study. Also, I’ve been following up on any recertifications I need and completing them while I have more free time than usual.

As some of you may know, with me being a graduate assistant at the university I attend, we’re required to complete professional development courses. Currently, I’m developing a workshop that will be hosted virtually and in-person when the pandemic restrictions are removed. I won’t say what it is just yet, but be sure to follow the Instagram page (@TheStudentForLife) or the site for when this event will take place. Not only am I developing and hosting events, but I’m making professional moves too! I now sit on 2 committees, one being a committee for The Black Doctorate Network (BDN) Annual Conference (which is being held in Atlanta from 10/29-10/31) and the Technology & Innovation (T & I) committee of an employee business resource group (EBRG) I’m a member of. I strongly suggest looking for opportunities to build up your network, while developing in your field and career.

Right now is the perfect opportunity to work on being a better version of yourself in different ways. Can’t get to the gym? Look at trainers who are hosting free workouts on different platforms like Instagram. Want to build your own business to provide another source of income? Read and invest in yourself by participating in programs. Curious about investing? Do your research, read, and act on it! Right now is the perfect opportunity to invest in ourselves and build. You all stay safe (especially those who are considered essential), stay home if you don’t have to go out! Practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently! We’ll get through this!

If you have suggestions on how you’re handling the quarantine, share in the comments section!

- Candace