7 months into the global pandemic, the entire world, no matter who you are, what you do, or where you live, is facing a completely unprecedented situation every single day. This far into the pandemic, there is very little chance that you haven’t been affected in some way.

I’m sure you’ve seen the two sides to this coin. In fact, there seems to be two very conflicting mindsets that are being discussed a lot on many platforms, no matter what industry you are in.

On one side of the coin, there is the opinion that you should not hold yourself to the same standard as last year. Don’t compare your sales numbers from this year to last year; this year has had so many external factors that may have affected that number that you just can’t compare.

Why should we expect the same level of productivity when the circumstances are completely different?

On the other hand, there is the opinion that with the shift to work from home, with no commute, except the 5 minute walk from the bedroom to the office, we have more time.

More availability.

Which for some people, leads them to believe we should be more productive overall.

So, what I am curious about is, why does it have to be one or the other?

Why can’t there be a happy middle between being realistic and flexible with your own expectations of productivity and utilizing some extra time you may have due to working from home.

I mean, if you think about it, everyone’s situation is vastly different.

As a parent, sure you don’t have a commute anymore, but now you might have to get the kids ready and set up for online school, possibly handle working from home while watching the kids, assisting them with their school work, etc.

Aside from unique situations like this, I think there is a happy middle we can discuss without playing into hustle culture.

With no commute, let’s say your commute is 1 hour one way, x 2 times per day, x 5 days per week. That is a whole 10 hours a week. Do you need to use that time to start a side hustle or a brand new venture? Absolutely not.

It is certainly an option, but you could also use that extra time to be productive on something that is work-adjacent. Which is another way to say self car or professional development!

Novel, eh?

Maybe you could use that time to get that wonderful home office finally completed.

Perhaps with these 10 extra hours a week, you finally get started exercising regularly or building in more stress-relieving activities.

Or you could use that time to learn a skill that could benefit you in your industry. You could also utilize that time to read blogs in your industry, listen to podcasts, or webinars to brush up on any skills in demand in your area.

The bottom line is, it is true that if you’re working from home when you previously had a long commute, you do have more hours in a week, give or take.

However, to be productive you don’t always have to start a giant project. Sometimes productivity increases by turning inward and investing in your own wellness, personally or professionally.

Bottom line is that you can still be productive without completely burning yourself out.

It’s time to start taking care of yourself. That’s how you’re going to come out on the other side of this stronger than ever.