A friend once asked me how I manage to do my tasks so efficiently. I wrote a 500-word essay in 20 minutes. I finished my math homework and studied for a quiz in the half hour before morning assembly. I sleep at 9 pm on most nights. But how can I possibly achieve that?
I’ve seen people, even good students, check their phone every minute or two as they’re studying. I’ve seen students “study” for six hours straight, meaning taking down some notes then watching a YouTube video then reading their textbook then opening Instagram… you know what I mean.
My advice is to commit to whatever you’re doing. Not too long ago, another friend asked me, “Jo, do you ever get distracted at home?” to which I replied, “Distracted by what?” They told me about how they always have the urge to check their phones, talk to their friends, or get some food. I can’t say I never get distracted, but it very rarely happens to me because I focus on what I’m doing–and only what I’m doing. Here’s how:
1. During the time I allocate for working, I turn my phone to airplane mode (with WiFi switched off, of course). No messages or notifications will distract me from what I’m currently doing. Recently, though, I’ve left my phone on in case there’s anything important. There might an RMUN photoshoot tomorrow, or a Physics quiz, or a music showcase. I know myself well enough to know that I have the discipline to do nothing more than glance at the notification. However, if this isn’t true for you, then I suggest you keep your phone on airplane mode.
2. When I allocate time for relaxing, that’s all I do. No homework. No textbooks. No opening emails as they come. Just me and a good book or Photoshop or the piano or something. That way, I can satiate my thirst to relax within the half hour or so and not crave more when I start working
As for music, it’s been proven that music makes you less productive when trying to recall and absorb information (studying, in other words). Music only makes you happier when you’re doing things but not more productive.
By this, I don’t only mean which ones are most urgent, but which ones you can’t accomplish anywhere other than at home. For example, let’s say you have these three tasks: a) research about structural unemployment; b) write a poem with the theme of death; c) answer some questions about quantum physics; d) do a problem set about implicit functions; and e) memorize a set of chemical reactions. This is how I would do them:
Write the poem on the way to school. Maybe this is just because I like poetry. And because I can’t write when other people are around. I’d probably get a first draft done by the time I get home.
Do the research about structural unemployment. My school’s WiFi is terrible.
Answer the quantum physics questions. The new information is still fresh in my brain and doing the homework will help me revise, easing the process of spaced repetition.
Memorize the chemical reactions before I go to bed. Studying before you sleep is supposed to improve your memory, and since my memory is terrible, that’s exactly what I’ll do.
Do the implicit functions problem set as soon as I get to school the next morning. Math is undoubtedly my best subject, and it’s very refreshing to do math at 6:45 AM in the morning.
If you saw the pattern, I assigned each task a time slot when I would be most productive. I also did them from easiest to most difficult to the easiest again. Because everyone works differently, I suggest you find out which types of tasks are the most difficult (memorizing, in my case) and which types of tasks require a certain environment (e.g. requiring WiFi for doing research).
I guess that’s pretty much self-explanatory. I like to nap right after I get home from school if I’m feeling especially tired. As for breaks, I prefer to take them between tasks instead of every 25 minutes because of my high study inertia.
Commit to what you’re doing
Delegate and prioritize
Give yourself shorter deadlines
Take breaks!
And that’s it! Hope this guide to efficiency was helpful in some way. I do believe that by following these four steps, you can accomplish all your tasks in a much shorter amount of time. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me an ask!
august 29th 2019 — day 8/100 days of productivity. today i went grocery shopping and grabbed some stuff to study, mainly folders, and notebooks. i also studied a little bit so there that. now i’m currently reading love and other words and i’m crying because it reminds me of my mom so much, and yeah, it’s triggering me. but it’s a good book so yeah.
- Play “don’t let the balloon hit the floor” with multiple balloons while at the same time playing “the carpet is lava”
- play hide-and seek in a mall or large public place
- dress up in elaborate costumes to do normal things like go to walmart
- play hide-and-seek or something in walmart without getting kicked out
- get on youtube with friends and try to learn a new talent like juggling or dancing or something
- look at the ingredients in the house and google what you can bake with them
- go to a park you’ve never been to before and walk around like you’re an adventurer discovering everything (“I do say! This here looks like a leaf! What an interesting specimen!”)
- just go to a park in general. I mean, they got slides and swings and crap. Get all over that (but don’t be a jerk. kids are awesome. let them play first).
- dig up toys/games from when you were a kid. Try to play Nintendo 64 games on your hi-def TV. Feel yourself get cut by the sharp, pointy pixels.
- make a super tacky music video to a song that you thought was super cool when you were in middle school
- draw with chalk, blow bubbles, jump rope, ride your bike around your neighborhood
in general, just stop pretending you’re too cool to do the fun stuff you did when you were 10. 10-year-olds don’t have money to spend on entertainment, and yet I notice that they have more fun than anybody. Have an awesome summer, everybody.
college is like *gets an email* *walks somewhere* *realizes u left ur water bottle at home* *walks somewhere* *walks somewhere* *gets an email* *gets an email*
I was diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder with depressive subtype my Freshman year of college. I also have a extreme amount of anxiety that come along with that. I have had this disorder my whole life and thought I would share somethings that have helped me.
Sometimes it is too hard to study and that is ok.
There are going to be days where you don’t have the energy or spoons to get your work done. I had so many of those but the important part is not to hate yourself for it. Sometimes being alive is the best thing you can get done in a day.
Remember you are what is important not your grades
I don’t know how many times I have worried so much over my grades that I spiraled downward because I didn’t put myself first. Your body and mind are what matters and even though grades seem important you won’t be able to stay motivated if you give yourself to much anxiety over one assignment or test.
If you can get disability services
I received disability services after have a huge attack of hallucinations as a freshman in college. Schools in the United States are required to help students with disabilities IF you are signed up for them. Some schools will give you extra time on tests, note takers, and quiet places to take tests. There is nothing wrong with getting disability services and if you can get them I would highly suggest it just for a little extra help. If you can’t because of family or other reasons don’t feel bad you can always make good friends in class to work together on things!
If at all possible go to a therapist or have a support system
I am a huge proponent of going to see someone to talk to about anything. If you don’t feel like you deserve a therapist you totally do! I believe if possible everyone should go to therapy because you learn about yourself and how to cope with things. I do understand that it is not feasible to afford a therapist all the time so a support system of people you can trust can work as well! A support system makes things seem a little less lonely. And if you don’t have anyone you can always reach out to me!
A piece of advice if you are in college- see if your school provides free therapy! This is an amazing thing some schools have, though some schools limit how much you can visit. Double check your school’s policy but it can be very helpful. I know therapy helped me realize some of my worth and talking through things that bothered me.
Don’t listen to people who call you lazy
You are not lazy. Sometimes it is just to hard to do work. Don’t beat yourself up, do what you can to start to feel better and maybe tomorrow you can be “productive”. The littlest things are still an accomplishment!
Eat something please
I know personally when my mental health is the worst is when I do not eat. But that makes it so much harder to feel better when you aren’t eating. Eat something. Whether it is something small or “bad” for you eat because it can give you a little more energy and give your brain what it needs. Don’t worry about eating healthy just yet, when you are feeling better you can work on that.
Coping skills
Coping skills are so important. Find what keeps you calm and happy and hold on to it! Do these when things are getting hard and bad. I focus hard on my coping skills to bring my levels back to normal and possibly be able to get some work done.
My personal coping skills include: jamming to some loud music, writing something about my feelings, watch my favorite youtube videos, talk to a loved one, journaling, listening to a great podcast, and drawing.
Never be afraid to talk to someone
I know everyone says that. But if you need to talk to someone you can talk to me, talking helps even if it is just a little bit. Talking helps me feel less lonely and then I can work.
Make a list but don’t stress
I like making lists because it helps me concentrate but don’t stress too much over it. Just find that little thing that jet starts motivation and go with it.
Take a deep breath and remember you are strong and amazing. You can totally do it and if you don’t get it all done don’t fret. You are the most important thing and school can wait. Your life and mental state is always worth it.
when millennials were first heading into high school and college there was a huge trend in news stories about how stressed out our kids are, how their backs are getting messed up from carrying so many books, how they’re sleeping less and doing more school work, and how we should do more to help our kids have the childhoods we had because our kids are falling apart from stress and being forced to be more productive than kids should be. but then once millennials started hitting the workforce all the news was about how millennials are lazy and narcissistic and entitled lmao you were real concerned about us until you found out a 23 year old is more qualified to do your job than you
The main reason why I dont post pics of my study space is because of the nonexistent lighting but my lovely neighbor on the other side of the street opened their window reflecting the sunlight in the right angle and look at that! Natural lightning! So here is my pinwall and my August spread :)
what to do if you feel like crap over something and need a fresh start💘
hey guys! these past few days i’ve been super anxious and feeling just overall, bad?! so here i am sharing some tips to bounce back when life comes at you!
turn off your phone or tv: after binging netflix or youtube for hours, you’re going to feel worse. so just shut them off to do something that’s actually worth your time.
freshen up: did you drink enough water? have you taken the proper steps of your skincare routine? did you take a shower? if no, go do those things!
just do something ya love to do: doing the things you enjoy brings you back into the present and helps you focus on the now, not something that happened in the past or something that may or may not happen in the future. reading, making art, and creative writing are a few examples!
put on a good ol face mask:it’s super relaxing and you’re benefiting your skin! trust me, it makes you feel ten times better!
journal: writing your thoughts down in a notebook makes yourself aware of your current state! and hopefully by spilling your feelings all over the page, you’ll feel a little bit better because they’re not jumbled up in your head as much. you don’t need a fancy notebook, you can even write on a random piece of paper!
review your goals: whatever they are, remind yourself of what you’re doing and why! and if you don’t have them written down, write them down!
take the first step: write down your to do list when you feel overwhelmed by all the work that needs to be completed. it’s a basic thing to do, but really, dump it all out of your cluttered mind! prioritize what’s most important! break everything down into tiny steps so that everything seems less daunting! and then do that first thing!
accept that you feel this way: i know it’s easier said than done, but something important to remember is that everything is temporary. you’re not always going to feel horrible. but you’re not always going to feel amazing. so don’t set yourself unrealistic expectations and beat yourself up when you don’t meet them! when something specific has happened, i like to ask myself “is this really going to matter when you’re 80 years old?”. most of the time the answer is no and you might realize that things aren’t as bad as they seem.
so i hope that these tips helped! i know these things have definitely worked for me in the past and they’re also things i need to do more often! sending you all the love and support right now💓💞💗
