This is a guest post from David Beckett

As a community, freelance translators and interpreters are well versed to working from home.

But now that everyone is forced to work from home a lot has changed.

First of all, you now have to be at home all day. You are not able to go to the gym, cafes, or other public places anymore. We are also not able to see our friends and family outside of our home either.

So, the question arises, what do you do to keep your productivity level high and your physical and mental well-being in tune?

I believe that a crisis like this comes with tremendous opportunities. I will now introduce to you a set of habits that I have been developing and implementing for myself to make the most of this challenging global pandemic and come out of it stronger.

Those habits help my productivity as a translator and improve my overall happiness, as well as my physical and mental health.

Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit”

Habit No. 1: Exercise and Leaving the House

Exercise is essential in regards to productivity and health. There has been a vast number of studies that have proven to show over and over again that exercise leads to a huge energy and productivity boost.

The form of exercise is not as important. Fortunately, there is a lot of exercises you can choose to do without a gym.

1. Walking

Walking is great because you leave the house.

Sun exposure in the morning helps your productivity and happiness.

The benefits of walking are that you do not have to be an athlete to get started.

I recommend a 10-20-minute walk twice a day (or longer if you have the time).

The first one in the morning (before you eat) to get some early morning sun exposure. This will help you wake up and get your day going. I like to plan and make my schedule for the day during my walk.

For me, walking also has a meditative effect

I usually do my second walk around lunchtime, but you can choose anytime that works with your schedule.

2. Yoga

Yoga is a fantastic way to stay in shape during this difficult time.

If you are lucky and have a yard or garden and live in a place where it is sunny, you could even exercise outside.

As translators and interpreters, we sit a lot. One of the ways to counter that is to do yoga specifically for your posture.

If you want to do Yoga, I recommend looking on YouTube. There is an abundance of fantastic yoga instructors. Start with a 10-20 minute video and work your way up.

3. Lifting Weights/Bodyweight Training

If you want to build some muscle or stay in good shape during this period, a bodyweight routine is your best bet. My routine includes push-ups, core workouts and leg training. This usually takes 20-40 minutes, and I do this 2-3 times a week.

4. Jogging

Jogging is great because it combines a hard workout and being outside. 30-40 minutes out is more than sufficient.

It is very important to adapt your physical activity to your personal circumstances and goals. If you do not want to build some muscle, then you do not necessarily have to bodyweight exercises. Find a mix that works for you. My weekly physical activity usually looks like this:

Monday: 10-minute walk in the morning, 30-40 minute bodyweight training at lunch

Tuesday: 10-minute yoga in the sun in the morning. 20-minute walk at lunch

Wednesday: 20-minute walk in the morning – 30-minute jog at lunch

Thursday: 10-minute yoga session in the morning – 20 minute bodyweight training

Friday: 1 10 minute walk in the morning – longer walk/yoga in the sun in the afternoon

This is more orr less what I do during the week to stay in good physical health.

But I adjust daily depending on my work schedule and what I feel like.

The crucial part is to do something, not everything.

Habit 2: Social Physical Distancing

I consciously make an effort now to connect with friends and family every day. Just because we are not supposed to be together physically, does not mean we cannot connect and be social.

On my walks in the morning, I schedule 10-30 minutes to connect with someone that I care about. This might be my mum or dad or a friend I have not talked to for a while. However, if you do not feel social that particular day, don’t worry about it. Everyone is different and not everyone wants to (virtually) socialise every day.

When I contact my friends and family, I use either Skype, WhatsApp or Social Media. Some of my relationships with my friends and family have strengthened because of this crisis. In my opinion, effort matters regardless of what medium and time you use to connect.

Habit 3: Self-Education

You might have less work during this difficult time.

Personally, I had two quiet weeks. I knew it was coming and I embraced that opportunity to learn something new. I started to learn more about the stock market and social media marketing, but you should choose whatever you are curious about, which could be a new hobby like the piano or guitar etc.

This might be a course in SEO, or you might have been thinking of picking up another language. This is an excellent opportunity to developing the habit of learning!

Habit 4: Meditation and Gratitude

In times like this, it is challenging to stay optimistic and be grateful for what we have.

I am trying to implement meditation and / or gratitude session in the morning. There are a lot of good and free apps for that, such as Calm or Headspace. This will help to shift focus on all the good things that we have in our lives.

When it comes to gratitude, I make a small list of 3-5 things I am grateful for each day. This can and should include simple commodities, such as water, foods that I like, or people in my life whom I love.

I then go and write 3-5 sentences explaining in more detail why and how I am grateful for one particular thing. This helps me actually experience gratitude for that person, food, or whatever it is I am grateful for in that moment.

Conclusion:

Change is hard.

It is essential to understand that implementing new habits is difficult, especially during this time.

My recommendation would be: Start small.

Consistency is more important than in intensity. A 10-minute walk is an easy start and a lot more convenient than a 40-minute workout. Meditating for 10 minutes is less of a commitment than 20 minutes.

One method that has worked well for me is to create space in my mornings before I start my translation work.

By doing that, I make sure that I have time to take care of myself first and to start my day with a healthy morning routine.

This routine includes a 10-20 minute walk/yoga session followed by learning / reading something new (books about the stock market / social media marketing etc.).

I then go and meditate and write down what I am grateful for today.

Finally, I connect with someone I care about and ask them how they are doing.

I do this every day before I turn on any device / look at screens. It makes me a lot happier and more productive at the same time.

Bio:

David Beckett is a German to English Translator and started his own translation company in Vancouver, Canada. Over the past few years, he has been able to acquire comprehensive experience in the e-commerce space, social media marketing and financial space. He now runs a blog on his website talking about social media and languages in addition to his freelance translation career and e-commerce business.