How Alex Cubis keeps motivated after pandemic halts TV career
Alex Cubis’ acting career has been put on hold due to the pandemic, with lockdown restrictions helping him change his mindset. He reveals how he has been keeping motivated as we all try to shift to a post-pandemic future.
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There’s probably never been a better time to catch up with Alex Cubis, given you could easily guess his new TV show is about life in Australia right now.
The Aussie actor stars in Channel 7’s Between Two Worlds and while you’ll be pleased to hear the star-studded series has nothing to do with the COVID-19 crisis, the title does pretty accurately describe the place we’re all in now, somewhere between the pre-pandemic days and our post-pandemic future.
So naturally I asked Alex what he’d been up to during the various stages of lockdown. But if you’re worried about some motivational blast that will leave you feeling guilty about not achieving more while at home, you can relax.
Instead, Alex says we all just need to release the pressure a bit.
“There seems to be some unspoken rule or pressure to come out of this pandemic as a You 2.0, with some kind of new skill or accomplishment,” he tells Health Hacker.
“Realistically, we don’t all have that luxury or mindset, so hopefully we’re not all being too hard on ourselves.
“Personally, because everything’s stopped filming, I’m looking at my career in a way I haven’t before and I’ve felt a shift in mindset. I’m no longer worried about whether I’m going to book a job or role. I’m learning to appreciate and enjoy the creative process more rather than just the outcome.
“Oh, and I tried yoga …”
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But the occasional yoga session aside, Alex says he has found one major positive to spending more time at home, and that’s the convenience and effectiveness of home-based workouts when the gyms were closed.
“For fitness, I stick to High Intensity Interval Training, which is quick and amazing at burning fat, along with bodyweight home workouts around the same time daily for five days a week, if I can,” he says.
There are so many great HIIT videos on YouTube that are available anywhere.
You’ve probably heard me talk about how 90 per cent of my exercise is done from the comfort of home and it’s something I truly believe in.
Not having to leave the house knocks down plenty of the barriers that stop people going to the gym but there’s a technique I use that knocks down even more. I call it snackercising.
No, it’s not getting fit by eating more snacks but breaking down your daily workouts into tiny, manageable moments you won’t even notice.
While I’m waiting for the jug to boil, for example, I’ll do 50 bodyweight squats. Or while I’m waiting for the hot water to come on in the shower, I might do 10 push-ups.
By building these tiny moments into your day you never have to find time for a traditional training session.
Sounds easy, right? But motivation can still prove the biggest hurdle. So this week I thought I’d ask Alex for his tips.
FAST FACTS ON … STAYING MOTIVATED
1. Get into the rhythm
“One of the things I’ve found most difficult during ISO is avoiding procrastination and maintaining structure so I begin each day with some mindset work, like reading and journaling, and a few hours of creative exercises, like exploring scripts or characters I’m interested in,” Alex says.
“For me, it circles back to routine and some semblance of structure.”
2. Write it down
“I’ve found that handwriting a list of specific goals for the next day before I go to sleep is a great way of keeping myself accountable,” he says.
“I also try to keep a consistent sleep schedule and wake up at the same time each day regardless if I’ve binged watched something on a streaming service the night before.”
3. Don’t forget the pay-off
“I find rewarding myself with things I want to do after completing specific goals or tasks I’ve laid out makes them more enjoyable,” he says.
“It means you’re mindful of the present, rather than the ‘next thing’ or living just for tomorrow.”
* Alex Cubis can be seen on Channel 7’s Between Two Worlds, which premieres on Sunday at 8.30pm
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Originally published as How Alex Cubis keeps motivated after pandemic halts TV career
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