India 
USA 
As the Covid-19 crisis continues, work, life, learning, and everything has become limited to our living spaces. Weeks of working remotely by yourself and in isolation can be monotonous. But it can be made worthwhile. This is the time to learn new things, new skills, and keep yourself engaged while you give your mind something productive and enhance your portfolio as well.
Having said that, motivation doesn’t come easily, especially when you are in the same space following almost the same routine every day for months now!
There are myriad ways to counter this monotony and improve your professional capabilities.
Identify your learning needs
Once in a while, it helps a lot to put things in perspective. And what could be a better time than now? When work-life goes back to normal, whenever it does, things are going to change. It is best to prepare for change before you are pushed into it. Read about market predictions, assess your skill gaps, interact with industry experts/peers, and see what others are speculating and forecasting. Engaging in research is the first step to encouraging yourself to learn more. And as you do, it will tell you how you can fit into the new world order when it comes.
Choose a subject you have never learned before
The excitement of learning something new can be exhilarating. Once you know what you want to learn, dedicate yourself to it. Absorbing new and unfamiliar information is a great food for your brain. And as you continue to learn and grasp the skill, it also boosts your confidence. This will go a long way in getting yourself noticed among your peers, or even get promoted/hired for a better opportunity!
Look for interactive classes
Of course, the only way to learn in the current situation is to learn online. But simply sitting and going through slides or pre-recorded lectures/sessions might not intrigue you enough to dedicate yourself to an entire program. Opt for courses and programs that are not only online but also interactive. For instance, Live Interactive Classes from TalentSprint go one step beyond the regular online classes. In such learning sessions, you can communicate real-time with the mentors, peers, while learning from some of the best industry experts in the country. Such interactive classes are powered by AI to make the training precise and customized to your needs and you can access it from any device, making it more flexible.
Keep the communication going
Communication is vital, especially when you are isolated from your colleagues, peers, and friends. Interactions that happened over coffee now happens over a video call/chat. But it must happen. Conversations and constant communication keep your mind active and help with the exchange of ideas. Even if those ideas are not executable immediately, they will help you expand your thinking. This is all the more necessary when you are trying to learn something new. Connect with your peers on social platforms or learning forums and see what others are talking about. Interact with your faculty/trainers/mentors to clear doubts and give yourself enough food for thought. How about forming a learning group?
Make learning fun
Routine is boring, especially when you are in the same space doing the same thing every day. And when you add one more task to it, it can seem overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to! When you are learning a new skill, don’t treat it as a “to-do” item. Instead, make it something that you do just for yourself, apart from your office work and household chores. Now, whether you do it while you rest and relax or while doing the laundry, you need to make it fun for yourself!
Living in lockdown is not easy but we need to constantly keep ourselves active and in the best shape so we can prepare ourselves for the coming days. Constantly learning and keeping yourself a step ahead is the only way to gain an advantage when new work structures emerge!
