Whether you are taking classes online, in person, or a hybrid of both, classes this semester have been a handful. From trying to take care of yourself and managing schoolwork without being able to see friends as often, it’s never been more difficult. Here are some tools and things that I have been doing to have a better work-life balance.
- Notion
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Notion is an all-in-one organizer that I have been using this semester to keep track of literally everything. Its flexibility allows you to create pages, pages within pages, trackers, and more. It’s replaced all my planners and most of my notebooks (although I am partial to handwriting in a couple of journals). I mostly use it to keep track of my due dates, plan my days/week, and write notes during class. Check out the link below to learn more about the features. If you sign up with your college email, you’ll get the Personal Pro plan free!
- Sleep Schedule
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Let’s be honest. As a college student, sleep isn’t exactly something we all know well. Being at home gave me the opportunity to fix my sleep schedule, and I have never been more productive. I found that doing work after getting a good night’s rest makes me much more energetic and willing to get work done the next day. By fixing your sleep schedule to get at least 7 hours of sleep, you can even save time on the days where homework seems to keep you up until 3 am. Trust me, the primary reason you are up that late is because your brain is working on less energy and is trying to get your body ready to go to bed.
- Taking mental breaks
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An overlooked but incredibly important part of productivity is taking breaks! I used to get extremely stressed out when dealing with too much work. Taking a small and controlled break in between big tasks has helped me do my best work at all times. This also includes knowing when you need a day to yourself to recharge. If you need to recharge, try to spend your day taking a nice bath, watching your favorite movie, getting outside, or whatever else makes you feel re-energized. After giving yourself a day to relax, you will feel much more ready to take on the next day.
- Routine
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Having a routine gives structure to an otherwise structureless semester. If most of your classes are asynchronous, plan which days you will watch which lectures. Pick a particular time of the day that you have the most energy and stick with it. For example, I always watch my math and computer science lectures before lunch and after working out. This is when I’m the most energized and more willing to take on my hardest classes.
- Getting active
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Quarantine has everyone sitting at home doing nothing. Even if you have in-person classes, getting active other than walking to those classes can help a lot. It doesn’t have to be intense unless you want it to be. I found that the days that I take time for myself to workout I feel more confident and energized.