With classrooms now virtual, there is nothing stopping me from laying in bed all day. Which is a problem. I always preferred to take in-person classes because it gave me accountability through routine. It’s hard to muster motivation when Zoom classes are more like YouTube videos than actual reality.
However, I have found a few ways to make these Zoom-filled weeks pass easier.
Truth be told, I am terrible at managing my time. One moment, I’m checking my phone and before I know it, hours have passed (I blame TikTok). The Forest app has been my life savior for several years. It locks my phone and grows a virtual tree as long as I do not go to another app. I usually set the timer for an hour when I do homework or need to focus.
But if I exit the app, the virtual tree dies and a wilted tree appears instead of a healthy one. It even captions the page, “You can do better next time.” The amount of guilt that I have when that happens is a good motivator to stay off my phone. This way, I can be present in class or finish my homework while my phone grows a tiny tree.
My friends and I decided to make a Zoom call (nearly) every Friday to see each other more regularly. Every call is the highlight of my day, week and month. From Jackbox Games to PowerPoint presentations, our calls last hours. Our next activity will be a virtual cooking night where one of us chooses the recipe for each week. When I don’t see them, I feel more drained. (Being an extrovert in a pandemic is the worst.)
Before the pandemic, I could show up at their houses. But, that is not safe. Lately, we’ve been quarantining in our individual homes so we can’t see each other like old times. My favorite game show, Taskmaster, has released a board game version which gets us running around the house. (I am a sucker for a board game night.) I recommend setting aside as much time for friends and yourself as possible.
Since I’ve been forced to stare at a screen all day, sometimes the best relief is to choose something fun and mindless. The Good Place is my go-to TV show. What better way to consume moral philosophy than with Kristen Bell? Even just watching the show makes me feel like a better person. The show is available for streaming on Netflix.
Some of my favorite books right now are the Children of Blood and Bone series. Barnes and Noble has a gorgeous collector’s edition of the first book. It’s written by a woman of color, Tomi Adeyemi, and the book has diverse characters. I gasped so many times throughout the book. (I get attached to fictional characters.) I’m currently reading the second book in the series and I am so worried that she’s going to hurt all of them.
Although my bed is tempting, I’m locking my phone, hanging with friends and taking entertainment breaks. Life is tough but I hope these tips can make the weeks zoom by.
