I've been struggling to stay positive in this time of isolation, and I have a few recommendations (that have been helping me, or starting to at least). Many of these are probably common/not novel, but I hope some find them helpful:
-get up at a regular time and go to bed at a regular time. If you still have work that you can be doing from home, try to use your normal hours to do it.
-take frequent breaks as necessary; studies show that we can only be productive in 3 hour increments, so don't push it. Since you have the flexibility in your schedule now, maybe do a workout or take a walk in the middle of the afternoon, and work a little later instead.
-take this time to do the things that you've always had on a to-do list in the back of your mind, but never have gotten around to. I recommend making a list of those things, and tackling 1 per day, so that you don't get overwhelmed or feel too accomplished all at once:P My list includes things like: organizing files on my computer and on google drive, trashing old emails that I don't need to have sitting in my inbox (did this today-- went from 2000 emails to 125 in one account!), uploading pictures from my phone to my computer, collecting recipes that I've liked recently and putting them all in one easily accessible spot, etc...
-take this FREE class on being happy from a professor at Yale, on Coursera. It is extremely well-rated, and gives great suggestions not only on what it is that will help make us happier, but how to implement those things on a daily basis/change your way of thinking. Now is a better time than ever to learn this:)
The class is featured in this CNN article- https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/health/yale-happiness-course-wellness/index.html
I find that staying productive and accomplishing things, while sometimes a bit tedious and boring, is ultimately far more satisfying than binge-watching a new show on netflix, or scrolling endlessly through social media. Let me know if y'all have other suggestions:)
Hi Sophie, I really resonate with your post, I have also been using my weekends purely as weekends and that has helped me find a sense of structure to my week. Another thing I have really enjoyed are relaxing forms of exercise such as Yoga and taking walks, it has really helped me stop and smell the roses as they say and always leaves me feeling whole in the midst of everything.
Oh! And, continue to use your weekend as a weekend. Just because you're stuck at home doesn't mean you need to start doing work on the weekends. If that's what makes you happy, then go for it, otherwise, taking the time to go on a longer walk or to play games with your family, or whatever it may be, will allow you both to enjoy your weekend and be more productive during the week.