1. Make yourself wake up early
Try to go to sleep at a reasonable time (12-1) and drink lots of water before you go to sleep. Make it so that you can wake up earlier than you would naturally (if you’re a late sleeper like me) around 10am, and get out of bed in the mindset that you will do work.
2. Make a to-do list/some kind of schedule
When you have some sort of schedule or list of things that you plan to do, there is more reward when you get to cross something off. Make sure to include things to get done other than studying/homework, like cleaning your room and painting your nails. The most crucial part of this step is to add time in for a small dance break and meals!!
3. Go to the gym to start off your day
By starting the day with a workout, you are not only waking yourself up, but getting your blood flowing, making you more motivated to do homework. If you’ve taken Psych 1000 you know that when you workout, you can increase production of “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” or BDNF and that promotes the growth of sensory and motor neurons. So by working out, you can actually stimulate brain growth, and who doesn’t want that?
4. Nap in the afternoon
We become more tired around 2-4pm, so take this time to take a 20 minute nap; not too long so that you’ll feel groggy, but not too short that you won’t feel rested. It’ll help you feel refreshed and ready to do more homework. Make sure you don’t take this time to lay in bed, and watch an episode of something on Netflix, because most likely, you’ll never end up leaving (we’ve all been there before). If you use an eye mask you can to block out light and have a better nap, which can also keep you less distracted and more likely to actually nap instead of laying on your phone for the 20 minutes.
5. Have dinner plans in advance or order in something yummy
Enjoy ordering in something good, so you can have something to look forward and something to reward yourself with after a day’s work. This can also give you the chance to actually talk to real people and socialize, because if you locked yourself in the library or your room all day to be productive, you most likely need some human contact.
6. End the night by watching a movie
Lay in bed, and relax because you’ve gotten some work done, and had a productive day. Take this time to wind down, and give your brain a break. Watch a good movie, or one of the Netflix movies that you thought looked good, but turned out to be terrible, and you know for next time.