5 Five-Minute Fixes to Blursday
I’d never heard of “blursday” until a client mentioned it was a new term originating from our experiences in 2020. So, I googled it to find:
“Blursday is a term that's being tossed around on social media right now to describe the merging of minutes, hours, and days since COVID-19 shut so much of the world down. Before the pandemic, it was a term that described a drunk or hungover day, according to Urban Dictionary.”
Is there anyone who can’t identify with Blursday?
Admittedly, I haven’t felt Blursday as profoundly as some others since I already had a primarily WFH schedule. I had regular routines to break up one day from another and one hour from the next. Whether scheduling coffee meetings or taking a lunchtime bike ride, I found ways to not feel isolated. But, those who aren’t used to it could be having more trouble, as evidenced by my work-from-home officemate who used to be either in an office or traveling the country for business meetings. Office life and traveling are a thing of the past, for now, especially in San Francisco (but that’s another subject all together)! We must find ways to make the minutes, hours, and days become a little less blurry!
Here are 5 Five-Minute Fixes to Blursday:
Make your bed.
An unmade bed means yesterday is still going on. Even if nothing else got done, that was done. A made bed signifies the start to a brand new day!
Go outside for a quick 5-minute walk around the block.
Yes, this means you really should put on real shoes and maybe change out of the pajama bottoms you wear daily because they can’t be seen on your morning Zoom calls (hey, no judgement).
Even I am challenged to keep consistent workouts for the first time in forty (yes, 4-0) years of running, biking, and swimming. So, I start by getting to the mailbox. Once I’ve made it that far, I find I’m excited to take another step or two and keep walking. It’s okay to lower your expectations if you’re not just not feeling it right now. Something is better than nothing!
Download an app for mindfulness and spend 5 minutes meditating to signify the end of your day.
We all know routine is crucial right now. To help provide structure and division to your days, use mindfulness/mediation as a way to signify the work day is over and to begin decompressing into home life. Some people are hesitant to start a mediation program, but it can’t hurt to try! Dan Harris, a successful anchor on Good Morning America, had a panic attack on live television, and since then has promoted mindfulness and meditation. He’s helped take the stigma away from mental health. Go check out his book, 10% Happier. If it can help him, what’s to say it can’t help you?
Try the Headspace or Calm app, which have options for newbies!
Call a friend or family member you haven’t talked to in awhile.
People may feel isolated and alone during this time, especially if they live alone. I planned a few really short calls, figuring most people I know have never been busier trying to help their companies keep pushing forward during all this uncertainly. I got a big surprise. First, that all of them wanted to talk. And second, I listened 99% of the time! I could just hear some stress and also some relief and gratitude for the conversation. I guess it wasn’t entirely altruistic to set up the calls, I benefitted greatly too!
Spend 5 extra minutes at the beginning or end of a work call to really ask how your colleagues are doing.
We all put on a professional front and when asked “How are you?” generally respond with something along the lines of “great!” even if we aren’t feeling so great. Spend a few minutes before diving into work or a few minutes after wrapping up work to check-in on colleagues, their families, how their weekend was, and so on. Try to show genuine interest. We all need these human connections to get us out of our funks!
While these methods probably aren’t going to make every day your best day ever, they are ways to provide routine and social interaction. Make your bed in the morning, go for a walk during your lunch break, and close out your day with mindfulness. This creates routine to help differentiate each day, as well as differentiate your work time from your home life (and maybe the transition of your kitchen table that’s been functioning as your desk for the last 8 hours to using it as the actual kitchen table again)!
The 4th and 5th suggestions really help maintain human contact outside of those that you live with. It can be tricky to pick up the phone or waste a few more precious minutes of your day asking about your colleagues, but I can almost promise you won’t regret it.
Other ideas? Feel free to share in the comments below what’s worked for you!