November 25, 2020, by Communications
Productivity During a Pandemic
With the implementation of a new CMCO, discussions about productivity have arisen again. We interviewed Dr Jessica Price, Associate Professor, and Director of Teaching and Learning of the School of Psychology about this topic.
Dr Jessica Price
A trend in the early stages of the lockdown was a rise in people wanting to use their free time in a productive manner by picking up a new hobby or skill. However, due to a fear of failure, there are many who are unwilling to try new things. Moreover, some feel too daunted to start something new as it may pose as an additional source of stress.
Therefore, Dr Price shares her thoughts and opinions in the interview below on why people think like this, what we can do to mitigate these thoughts and what simple hobbies she suggests are best for beginners.
Where do you think thoughts about being too scared to try new things for fear of failing stem from?
I think whenever you try something new, it is always a bit scary. And that can also be the challenge of thinking, “Am I going to be able to do it? Is it going to be too difficult? Other people are better than me, what is the point in trying?”
I think, a lot of time, there is a lot of self-doubt and that may have stopped people from trying things, because you never want to have that feeling of thinking you are stupid. Perhaps that is why people are a little reluctant.
How do we mitigate such thoughts?
Sometimes by just trying things out and seeing what works. You do not necessarily have to share with others what you have done, but trying things out, seeing what you think works and what does not. Then, trying it again and then maybe sharing it with someone that you are comfortable with and asking for feedback.
Just sharing what you have done with someone that you are comfortable with can help. Especially if they can give you good feedback that you can work with.
You can also say something like, “Can I have some input, I do not want you to be hypercritical, just have a quick look, do you think this is a good idea?” You can set guidelines and boundaries so that people know what type of feedback you might be expecting.
Do you think having big personal goals during the pandemic is sustainable?
I find a successful day for me is when I have gotten dressed, showered and I have been able to keep vaguely on top of my emails. I think I would love to set myself kind of big ideas and big goals, but I also know myself that sometimes it might be more than I can handle right now.
It depends on what you want to achieve, then maybe set yourself some milestones, then set some deadlines to achieve things bit by bit.
In terms of big goals, I would set myself: anything I can achieve that fits in my personal goals that I have set for myself this year is good enough. I am just going for maintenance, any extra is a bonus.
Many people often feel guilty and ashamed of themselves when they do not complete a milestone in time for their goals, do you think such feelings are useful as a motivator?
Not if it is unhealthy. A little bit of guilt is fine, if you think “Okay I didn’t achieve this today, but I will get it done tomorrow”.
However, if you feel so guilty that you did not manage to finish it that day, it can mean tomorrow may be even worse, because you keep pushing it and you can get into a cycle.
So a little bit of guilt is helpful because it can motivate you to finishing something, but you have to be careful not to get into a cycle where you are not able to break the loop of continuously procrastinating on what you need to do.
So if you are setting goals you have to make sure you have given yourself enough time to do them and break them down into the different steps that you need to do and how long each step might take you.
In some discussions online, there is a general consensus that it is unhelpful to mental health to try new things during the lockdown as one is already going through a lot of stress. What are your thoughts on this statement?
I have not really tried many new things during the lockdown, nor have I picked up many new hobbies. But what I have done is focused on things that I have always thought about doing, but never really had the time to do.
So, for some, maybe picking up a hobby can be difficult. But if you have done something in the past that you have enjoyed and have not had a chance to do for a while, maybe return to it.
It also depends on what people feel is most helpful to them. So, if picking a new hobby or a new habit is too stressful, and would make you feel worse, then that is not helpful. But if you have a hobby that you did in the past, that you did not have a chance to focus on too much, then maybe revisit that, because you already know how to do it, it is a little less stressful that way.
What, in your opinion, are the easiest and simplest hobbies/skills people can pick up?
It might sound silly to some people but something as simple as buying a colouring book? Or trying to learn some basic cooking skills? Sometimes organising your room or working space can help you focus. Also, jigsaw puzzles!
Do you think that picking up new hobbies will also contribute to a person’s general wellbeing?
It can be. It depends on how easy the hobby that you have decided to pursue is. So, picking up new hobbies is not a bad thing, it is quite good at helping your mental health and your mood. However, taking on too many things at once if you are not good at handling more than one thing at a time can be bad, but there is nothing generally wrong with taking on a new hobby.
For students who are going through both the stress of academic work as well as the general stress of the pandemic, what advice do you have for them with regard to meeting their personal goals? Do you think it is wise for them to pick up a new hobby or skill?
I think one of the most important things is for people to stay connected, so it doesn’t have to be a hobby, it can just be reaching out, playing a game like Among Us, discussing a book if you like reading… Staying connected is key. Because it is quite lonely dealing with the pandemic, and I know for some of our international students they do not really feel like they know their course mates that well because they are in different time zones.
So it does not necessarily have to be how to go about taking up a new hobby, it could be about having a meeting at home, just chat about random things or talk about music, people or books.”
Having that feeling of connecting with someone is something I feel is quite important.
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