How I Quit Watching Netflix & Got Productive During Quarantine

Author: Amy Thompson
Posted on August 12, 2020

It is now month five of the pandemic and let’s be real, some days are better than others. Even with the greatest intentions for the day, it can be easy to just stay in bed and binge watch a new series on Netflix all day (watch The Imposters, you’re welcome). That’s why when my friend, Julia Kauffman, told me that she had been being productive by “sandwiching her day”, I knew I had to try it out – and let me tell you, it is a game changer!

The concept is rather easy, you sandwich your down time, on both sides, with something that is productive. For me, in the morning when I wake up, I like to do a workout and then make myself a nice yummy smoothie. This is my favourite way to start the day because it helps me wake up without still feeling lazy and puts me in a good, positive, and productive mindset for the rest of the day. 

After my breakfast and workout, I will do any work that I need to get done. Then, by the time that I am done working, my motivation tends to be gone and so I let myself have some down time (the first half the sandwich is complete!) During my downtime I like to do things like take a nap, watch Netflix, or read a good book (Behind Closed Doors is my FAVOURITE!)

It can be easy to stop there and spend the rest of the day on the couch scrolling through social media, so I always make sure that I have something in place for the middle of the afternoon to help me regain my productivity. When possible, I try to schedule things with other people such as going for a walk with my grandma, baking with my sister, or going golfing with my friends (a new quarantine hobby of mine). These are all something fun that I look forward to in the day but also hold me accountable to following through with my commitments with other people and staying productive (completing the sandwich)!

During these weird times it is important to build some structure into your day for both your mental and your physical well-being. And, with the upcoming semester being a blend of both in-person and online courses, it’s going to be more important than ever to adopt a routine in order to be productive (trust me, I learned this the hard way). With that being said, I definitely recommend giving the “sandwiching your day” method a try! :) 

Photo: One positive thing that came out of having to stay home was that my sisters and I got to explore lots of cool places. This picture was taken on one of our many walks!