7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Downtime

For a last quarter of the year, evert area of our lives and routines have been disrupted in some way.

Despite the negative impacts, what’s been so amazing during this time period is seeing the silver-lining effects.

Hey, it’s in my blood to find the positives in any situation.

What positives you ask?

The pandemic woke us up to prioritize our health. Shelter-in-place orders made us appreciate our everyday lives more. The decline of our economy really taught us to be wise with our money.

And as time is passing by, we are using our voices to fight for freedom and lift up others, including ourselves. Need I go on?

Within our own homes, magic is happening with the downtime that has been bestowed upon us.

That said, I’d like to reflect on how I’ve been using my downtime these last few months.

In this article, I also share seven ways on how you can rest and re-energize, stay productive, and leverage any extra time.

The goal is to use this downtime as a launching pad for your successful future.

TAKE ONLINE CLASSES.

Aside from taking several online classes, I also tuned in to an online conference called Influencer Genesis to learn from various entrepreneurs in different industries, including my girl, Rachel Kennedy! I’m also about to start another course to see where I’ll take my brand next and I’m so excited about it!

What you can do: Take free online classes at Coursera, edX, or invest in digital conferences like Create & Cultivate‘s Beauty Summit and learn something new that interests you.

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BE PRODUCTIVE IN YOUR OWN WAY.

During this time, I’ve purposefully stayed off social media. I’ve been using this time to find a clear vision for She Sweats Diamonds and think about my brand collectively. Currently, I’m working on creating and brainstorming more content ideas. I’m also working on finding structure and how I want to handle everything.

What you can do: Take this time to reflect and take action not just on what you want in the future, but what you don’t want.

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LEVERAGE YOUR EXTRA DOWNTIME.

I’ve been working hard to organize and purge physical things in my home. And I’ve made it my intention to do it so when life returns to a new normal, I won’t have the excuse to clean and organize to feel like I’m being productive. Instead, I’ll be able to focus on actually being productive instead of being busy.

What you can do: When it comes to doing scary things like launching/growing a business, we tend to distract ourselves. Distraction comes in the form of “organizing our offices and cleaning our desks first” so we don’t have to face doing revenue-generating activities. Take time to thoroughly purge, clean, and organize your home before things return to a new normal so you can focus on making that dough!

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REST MORE.

For the last two weeks, I’ve been more tired than usual so I’ve been sleeping in and napping a lot. After talking to one of my close friends, Joe, he told me that our bodies are catching up on lack of sleep over the years. Great, that’s a lot of sleep time for me at least.

What you can do: If you’re tired, give in. Your body is always talking to you to let you know what it needs to perform at its best. Make sure to give it what it needs: water, sleep, exercise, healthy food, etc.

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RE-ENERGIZE IN NEW-TO-YOU WAYS.

I’ve been re-energizing myself by cooking and baking more. So far, I’ve made pasta dishes, fish, and desserts. It feels good to finally have time to be able to be creative, especially when you already know how to cook, but didn’t have time for it before. I’ll be learning how to knit a scarf next!

To re-energize myself physically, I’ve been taking walks, not as much as I should since it’s SO hot outside, but I’ve taken a few in addition to moving my body. At the moment, I personally like to do Lauren Gores’ workouts. They’re short and sweet!

I haven’t read much during this time, but I’m re-reading my friend, Remi’s book called Transformed. I also purchased Katherine Schwarzenegger’s new book, The Gift of Forgiveness and plan on buying Steal Like An Artist that fellow blogger, Tracy of Find Your Dazzle, recommended (she also actually inspired this article!).

Another thing I’ve been doing is watching movies, shows, and documentaries I never made time for in the past. The list of things to watch is long, but I’m here for it!

What you can do: Choose one thing that re-energizes you and do it. Allow yourself time to indulge on what your heart desires. Try something that’s fun to you!

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FEEL ALL THE FEELS.

I’m very much a homebody and yet, I’ve discovered that my personal breaking point was around the 60-day mark. I broke down and just cried from the pressure of everything I was (and still am) dealing with. I just gave myself grace and allowed myself to let it all out. Afterwards, I talked to my mom and friends about it and felt a lot better.

What you can do: Sometimes, it’s difficult to stay positive. In this past article I wrote, I give you a few tips on how to  love yourself better. Read it and do at least one thing.

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DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Yep. It’s exactly like it sounds. As a Christian, I’ve been learning how to take a weekly Sabbath day for a few years. Hey, if God rested after He created everything, why would we think we don’t need to rest?

What you can do: Schedule one day off on your calendar to do nothing. I promise doing nothing for 24 hours will help you have a more productive week!

No matter what you choose to do with your downtime, the overall goal is to give yourself a much-needed break. Whatever you do, make sure it forces you to reflect, brings you clarity, provides you comfort, helps you relax, or just intentionally have fun.

If you found this article to be helpful, please share it, pin it, or email it to someone who may need this information!

How do you make the most of your downtime? Let me know in the comments below!