As I am currently looking for a new job, I’ve discovered that taking this time to improve on areas of my life, both personal and professional is an opportunity to grow and develop. Instead of being stressed about the situation, I’ve decided to really focus on which areas of my life I would like to improve, and put most of my time and effort into doing so. Here are some of the things I’ve implemented into my daily routine that have helped me to keep growing during my time at home:

Journaling:

If you’ve ever dived into the whole productivity and efficiency part of YouTube, you will most likely have come across journaling in one way or another. To me it seemed to be a bit of an odd thing, that you supposedly would get so many benefits of just sitting down and putting what’s on your mind into words, however, I actually do feel the benefits of doing so. While I haven’t been journaling for a long time, I clearly see the benefits of taking all of your scrambled thought and putting them in order.

It's like the satisfaction you’d get from untangling a pair of those wired headphones everyone used to carry around no more than 5 years ago, before everything went wireless. It seems like untangling your brain, in the same way makes everything more clear, and makes everything easier to deal with. Because of this, I would highly recommend anyone to try journaling, and if you don’t know how to start, I would recommend this approach by YouTuber ‘Reysu’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmyfB513E1s

Taking courses:

I have always been driven by improvement, and I’m always looking to level up my professional skills. Writing this now, i realise that this is maybe why i enjoy working with product design so much - the industry is constantly changing and new tools pop up every year, meaning you constantly have to develop your skills to stay relevant.

I started following Googles UX Course, as i have no formal education in UX design. I have never struggled with planning out user flows and journeys, but i have never had the proper tools at my disposal, as it was never a priority for employees to prioritize that in my two former employments. In fact, i was often told that i shouldn't spend time on it, as it wasn't important. Well i disagree, and now i'm learning.

Improving my physical health

In January i cancelled my fitness subscription and bought a pull-up bar so I could work out from home. First it was in order to save money, I mean, 800 danish crowns for a pull-up bar, or 400 a month for a fitness subscription - it’s a quick return on investment. Working out from home has turned out to be a great way for me keep me physically strong and healthy. I currently work out up to 5 times a week, and if I miss or skip a day, I don’t beat my self up over it. To me its about feeling healthy, and staying fit, and if i miss a day, it's not the end of the world.

I’ve also started keeping track of calories as I really love how simple it is to lose weight and stay healthy doing so. It’s basically just math, which is one of the most logical things we have in this world. My main tip for people counting calories and not loosing weight, is adjusting your calorie intake by 100-200 calories down and then keep going with that for 1-2 weeks, adjusting further if needed. If you are not loosing weight chances are you have miscalculated your required calories.

Walks and Audiobooks

I try to go for a lot of walks during the week, especially Mondays and Wednesdays where I can walk instead of taking my bike to volleyball practice. It’s a great way to get some “passive” exercise, and you can also feed your brain the entertainment it craves through podcasts, audiobooks or music. Currently I’m listening to audiobooks on audible, and I love it. Sometimes I go for walks just to have a space without distractions where i can listen to my audiobooks.

Prioritizing Sleep

This is probably something everyone have heard a million times, but getting enough sleep is extremely important for keeping your mind focused and energised. Admittedly I sometimes struggle with getting into bed early, but this is something I’m trying to improve on. I think I have this tendency to wanting to reward myself from a productive day, by being on the phone, watching a series or playing videogames, and usually I don’t even have anything I wan’t to watch or play. It’s a strange thing, but I’m improving and I can really feel the difference on the days I’ve gotten 8 hours in.

Conclusion

While unemployment can be challenging, i try to get the most out of it. Though journaling, courses, staying healthy, going for walks and getting enough sleep, i can feel myself getting better at everything i have set my mind to.