Even now as an adult, I find myself falling prey to monotony and daily routine boredom. Hours go by, and I can’t account for the time.

So what can we do to stay motivated during the pandemic?

Start your day well. Wake up, make your bed (yes, this seems elementary), get dressed, and eat a solid breakfast. Maintaining a morning schedule, especially when working from home, is healthy and sets the foundation for a productive day.

Shake up your routine to keep it fresh. Listen to a new playlist, wear something from the back of your closet, try Reese Witherspoon’s green drink (look it up), go for a morning walk, or eat breakfast outside.

Make a list. Santa’s been doing something right! Whether the list is for the day, week or month, write it down. If a task is large and requires multiple days of work, break it down into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Once completed, physically cross it off. Give a visual landscape to the progress made.

When I start to wonder what I’ve actually accomplished, I come back to the list for motivation and encouragement. If you’re the type who needs an extra push to stay on track, send the list to a friend who will keep you accountable.

Designate your time. Since I’ve been working from home, I find it hard to “leave work” at the end of the day. Again, thinking back to my childhood, my mom would use the kitchen timer to resolve just about anything in daily life: taskmaster, timeout monitor, share-with-your-sibling maker. She was definitely onto something. The noise coming from a kitchen timer alerts us to a change.

Similarly, moving from work to home should be marked by a change. Because I don’t have the drive to shift my thinking, I’ve picked up a new routine to end my work day: Change clothes, go for a walk, and listen to a podcast or book on tape that is non-work-related. Find your “kitchen timer.”

Save money. If you’re anything like me, you’ve put a trip (or two) on hold and stocked up on groceries for the past couple of months. Turns out, when I don’t drive my car, I don’t need fuel! I’ve challenged myself to save the money I otherwise would have spent on travel.

Yes, there are other expenses when staying home 100% of the time, but there are also ways to save money: Make meals to freeze for busier days (bonus points if you can use ingredients you have on hand rather than going to the store); shop the clearance section (online); challenge yourself to only purchase items that are multifunctional; find the hiking trails/nature parks in your area; cancel subscriptions you aren’t using; become your own barista. The list goes on and on. Saving now puts you ahead later.

Press on, friend! There is much to gain from a different perspective.