Typically I start off a new school year with high energy and motivation. However, this year was a different story. Due to the enormous amount of screen time I have had in the past seven months because of being in quarantine, I didn’t feel as refreshed as I usually do at the beginning of a new year because I was going straight into more virtual learning and work.
I don’t know about y’all, but everything for me this school year is virtual — my education, job, and downtime. I have the privilege of still being employed because I am able to work from home/school on my computer, but being virtually interactive in the classroom and a work environment is exhausting. It often feels like there is no “outlet” (pun intended lol).
Even what I consider my “downtime” is just more screen time. Playing on my phone, scrolling through social media, Facetiming my friends, and watching Netflix continue to add to the daily screen time intake. Again, it gets exhausting, isolating, and just irritating. I can tell the difference in my irritability, sleep patterns, energy levels, and motivation.
Buuuut, you gotta fake it till you make it. Right? So I started my first week of junior year with cute outfits, early alarms, and high energy/motivation. Funny story is that it quickly diminished into sleeping late, attending zoom classes in pjs, finishing assignments last minute, and barely clocking any hours into my virtual job by the second week.
As I’m starting to try and gain my motivation and KEEP that ball rolling… I want to share a few things I plan to do to elevate my energy that does not involve screen time.
Go for walks.
Work out a couple times a week.
Eat on a better schedule & eat more fruit.
Go for a drive & listen to music.
Journal more
Take less naps
Collage and paint
Play cards with friends
Read (I bought two new books recently!)