This year’s been a weird one. Everyone has had to adjust to the changes such as online classes and being home most of the time. The work doesn’t stop though, so finding a balance for everything is pretty helpful. Here’s some tips that could benefit you during these times.
Scheduling
(Photo: Yello)
With so many things happening at the same time, it's easy to lose track of time and when everything is due. Using applications like Google Calendar or Apple Calendar to schedule when assignments are due or when you have work events helps keep everything in check. Missing deadlines is the worst, trust me, so keeping a schedule of work and events lets you be more organized, and you won’t need to worry about forgetting about anything important. It’s even more helpful in times where pretty much everything is online as it’s so easy to get caught up doing something else at home. Having an organized system for work lets you also find time to do things that you enjoy like watching something interesting or hanging out with friends.
Prioritizing
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By keeping a schedule, you can understand how to prioritize. This helps as you can focus on what’s most important and what requires the most time and attention. Obviously, there's going to be deadlines every week, so you need to prioritize what needs to be finished first. Getting organized and making sure the important things are out of the way eases me and helps me relax, knowing that I am not going to get swamped with assignments and work when it gets to crunch time. Been there, done that and it’s terrible, so organizing your time can be very beneficial.
Don’t Procrastinate!
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It’s easy to do this. I do it all the time. I also regret it every time. Working ahead of time is one of the most important ways to balance everything. Once everything piles up, it is extremely hard to put the right amount of effort and focus into multiple tasks. Getting the motivation to work on 3 different assignments within two days is extremely difficult so getting tasks out of the way as early as possible will make it so much easier later on during the busy periods. You maintain a better quality in your work as well as you can go back and look over it rather than working to just finish something for a certain time. And again, this helps make time for other important things like getting some exercise or just spending time on your hobbies.
Sleep Well!
(Photo: A Healthier Michigan)
Getting a good night’s sleep is something that helps me a lot. Not feeling tired from the start of the day because of not having a proper sleep is a big demotivator. You just don’t feel like doing anything. Building a proper sleep schedule keeps you focused and healthy to work and make the most out of the day. Suffering from stress and a lot of work is a major factor for not being able to get enough sleep, so by getting ahead of deadlines and maintaining a steady flow with work, you can feel more relaxed, which helps in keeping your health in check. This is even more relevant now that there is hardly anywhere to go or do anything, so the little things that boost your health can make a big difference. Keeping the motivation going is really important for me.
Have fun!
(Photo: New York Post)
This is actually the most important aspect for me. While it is very important to focus on studies, work events and other similar things, it is more important to enjoy your day. With the pandemic going on, doing regular fun activities like going out or meeting friends is obviously very limited, but you should find other things that you find interesting. Whether it be cooking, playing some games, spending time with your roommates, watching movies or finding new hobbies, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to do this as it will help boost your motivation and keep you energized. I can’t work or study properly if that’s all I have planned to do, so this should definitely be an aspect to give enough time for yourself. Just relax and don’t think about stressful things. If you’re enjoying life, it also resonates in your work, and gives you more motivation to get things done!
Hopefully, next year isn’t more of the same but make the most of what you have and maybe quarantining won’t be too boring!