This year more than any has taken the phrase ‘home-work’ to a whole new extreme with all of us students spending an unprecedented amount of time behind a closed bedroom door at our desks with our beds just an excruciating few inches away. It can be hard to feel productive in an environment that is designed for the exact opposite, so we’ve compiled a few tips to help feel as productive as you possibly can be from the comfort of your own home.
1.Timetabling
Don’t click off, I know you’ve heard this one before but if at every occasion when you’ve been told to timetable your workload you’ve thought it pointless well now’s the time to listen. Now I’m not saying it has to be hour by hour, second by second or even day by day but by just timetabling your workload to do x piece of work on x day and then task y on the next it can help massively in lifting the weight from your shoulders and easing your mind. But it doesn’t have to be a fixed schedule, they can change and that’s perfectly okay. Just having a structure to go off can do wonders in helping you ease your mind and better help schedule in time to yourself. One hour for Netflix here…another one there…
2. Study Area
If you’re currently reading this from the comfort of your bed and if said bed is drowning in books face down to mark the page or covered in pens and pencils and highlighters then get up, clean the highlighters of your bed, put the pens and pencils back in your pencil case and move it all to your desk, or a kitchen table or anything of the sort. Never underestimate the power of a clean study space. Working from your bed can also have psychological hindrances upon your productivity. We as humans associate bedrooms with sleeping, and now, when our usual routine of lunch breaks or going to campus for lectures is broken, that lack of mental stimulus can impact our focus. Not to get all scientific, but, basically, Desk > Bed. Also, make sure you decorate it to be appropriately festive this time of year, studying at a desk helps, but studying at a desk covered in tinsel is even better.
3. Less is More
Focus on one thing at a time. If you have other things you need to do, schedule those into your timetable as well. Set certain hours to focus on one thing and remind yourself that if it’s scheduled you have the time to do it. Time is a precious resource and as students, we’re stretched thin for it but if you can schedule it then it’s doable and if it’s doable then that means you can get it done and finished and out of the way which leaves you time to relax.
4. Positive Reinforcement
Don’t spend all day at the desk labouring in front of a screen nonstop with nothing to show from it. Make sure you reward yourself with a break after completing each task whether that be half an hour or an hour or even fifteen minutes away from work gives you the chance to recharge and boost your productivity. You could also treat yourself to your favourite snack whilst you work, a hunger satisfied is a brain satisfied and it always helps when you don’t have to listen to both your lecturer and your stomach growling at you.
So I hope any of these even if it’s just one has eased your minds just a little bit and if not then always remember one module is little expense in favour of your mental health. It doesn’t have to be stressful especially over Christmas. Make sure you have some much-needed relaxation as we kiss 2020 a not so fond farewell!
