I have always struggled with having a healthy school-work-life balance. A regular part of my life is to always say “yes” to new opportunities, so I end up drowning in the middle of the semester. Under normal circumstances, you would find me buried under textbooks on the fourth floor of Marston, on the verge of tears trying to remember which club meeting I was supposed to be at or how I would get to work on time. However, I at least had the reprieves of taking my sweet time walking to different locations and enjoying nature or catching a quick lunch with friends.
All of that has changed with the onset of coronavirus restrictions and the beginning of Zoom University. I still have to come into the office for my job, but for everything else, I am normally on my laptop from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. Whether it be classes, homework, the non-profit I volunteer for, the health agency I intern for or work meetings scheduled outside of my typical hours or this writing position, I am sitting inside all day. I never realized how crucial those short walks between locations were to my mental health before all of this happened.
A school-work-life balance is even harder to maintain now than before the pandemic and remote learning started. Almost 85% of college students still experience stress and/or anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic with their main fears being falling behind on schoolwork, adjusting to remote learning and the uncertainty of the future of their education. In a sample of 200 Dartmouth students, stress levels increased remarkably, and they were estimated to be sedentary for an average of 21 hours a day.
Personally, I know my mental health has suffered because of my own to-do list and the uncertainty associated with the pandemic. Because of that, I have identified ways to take control over my days again and take care of my well-being, so I don’t burn out.
- Don’t give in to the constant productivity culture
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I know we are at the University of Florida. I know we are a Top 6 public institution (go Gators). That doesn’t mean that we have to constantly be plugged in. We don’t have to be in tune with our Canvas accounts and email inboxes. It’s harder now more than ever to distance yourself from schoolwork, work and extracurricular activities because they are all basically conducted in your home due to minimum capacity libraries and Zoom University.
However, you must create time for your mental and physical well-being. “Constant productivity” culture already plagues so many workers trying to learn how to have a work-life balance. There is no reason for you to have Slack or GroupMe notifications turned on over the weekend or to be replying to messages about a group project at 1 a.m. Turn your notifications on for only normal “work” hours and turn them off during your designated “me” time.
If you are the constant messenger at all hours of the night, then learn to check yourself. You should not be bothering people about school, work or extracurriculars at 3 a.m. when the other person has to be up the next morning, even if they are just attending class from home. Be respectful of other people’s schedules regardless of whether everything is online or not. (I’m talking to you, Professor Only-Sends-Announcements-at-3 a.m.)
- Don’t forget to move
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Since starting the semester, I have had days when I realize I haven’t moved from my desk in seven hours. That behavior is so unhealthy, and I am actively trying to resolve it through creative solutions. I don’t have a standing desk, so instead I use my dresser as a place for my laptop, so I can stand every once in a while if I am in a meeting or watching lectures. Additionally, for classes that I don’t have to have my camera on for, I pace and take notes because the movement helps me concentrate better. When I am studying for an exam, I use whiteboard paper on my wall that I have to stand and use to draw out concept maps to connect main ideas. These ideas help slightly, but what has worked wonders for me is making sure I prioritize my workouts or going outside. I used to push off working out or even getting a breath of fresh air because I would rationalize that school is more important. The irony is that I am more productive when I allow myself mental health breaks. Even if it is just a quick five-minute walk or a 30-minute stadium workout, I feel so much more refreshed and focused. It has been found that literally just walking can significantly improve your mental health.
- Give yourself time to do whatever you want
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Even if it is just 30 minutes a day, give yourself time to do something you enjoy. It will take so much pressure off you along with give you the boost of happiness you deserve. Whether it is reading a new book before bedtime or hanging out with friends, do something that fuels your soul. If you don’t give yourself time to be happy, then all these tips are for nothing. There is no need to feel any guilt for using time out of your day to check-in with yourself. Your mental health and well-being come first, no matter how long your to-do list is or how many assignments that one professor assigns you (ugh).
If you don’t know how you want to spend your time, use it to figure out your new hobby. Never tried yoga? Become a master at the pigeon pose. Want to start painting? Find a place with lots of scenery and paint away. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you take the time to yourself.
- Keep your to-do list actually productive.
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It has been shown that the longer your to-do list is, the less productive you are. It is just like the classic “where do you want to eat” problem. When given too many options, a person will become overwhelmed. Also, you will feel disappointed in yourself that you didn’t finish your to-do list. The next day, you will try harder to finish your long to-do list to no avail, and the cycle repeats. That’s why you need to have two to-do lists. One ‘overall’ one for the week/month/year and one for just the day. Also, set priorities to tasks based on when they need to be completed by using a numbering or color-coding system. By doing this, you are more likely to be more productive and actually finish your to-do list.
- Be realistic with your expectations
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If you ask anyone who knows me, I am very guilty of setting impossible expectations for myself and beating myself up for not meeting them. Of course, I am not going to meet them, there are only 24 hours in a day! That is why you must be realistic when setting goals for yourself or making to-do lists. When doing these things, don’t forget to account for the fact that you are human. You may be in a bad mood that day and less productive or sick and not productive at all. When that happens, just take a deep breath, and take the rest of the night off. Sitting there and forcing yourself to be productive is not good for you or your productivity in the long run.
By the way, it is completely okay to call in sick for things even though they are online. Not feeling well is a valid reason to take some R&R, even if all your meetings are online. Just because we are doing things virtually doesn’t mean you can never call in sick.
In these weird and uncertain times, please remember to take care of yourself. Now that classes are getting to the rough part, it is more important now than ever to check in with yourself regularly. Don’t let your looming to-do list control you. Break it down into manageable chunks and give yourself some time to just be you. If you are struggling to adjust this semester, please check out the Counseling and Wellness Center (CWC)’s website for resources on mental health and well-being.