As everyone is either studying or working at home now due to the virus outbreak, it can get difficult to stay on schedule. This is especially when you now might have your siblings close by, couch and TV two doors down or simply your bed next to you. We in principle have more time in the day to get things done, yet we tend to push that stress of completing the task to the next day/week, why not right? Below are some simple steps to get things done on time during these weird times:
1. Write out your tasks for the week ahead.
It can get overwhelming when you have a lot of unallocated time ahead and a lot of work to do. Things are unclear and it might be hard to tackle it all at once. Instead, slice your work into pieces and divide it over the week, you can clearly see when you will complete it all, and you have a clear way of tackling it. This can be seen as obvious, but you want to be clear of what you are going to do everyday, and stick to completing it on that day only.
2. Schedule enough time to relax
Rewarding yourself for completing those daily tasks is what motivates you to finish them. Instead of waking up and playing video games or calling your friends for hours. Tell yourself to save that once you complete your work, or have someone you trust check on you to finish it if you don’t trust yourself. Relaxing when you have done your work is more satisfying than if that stress still lingers in your mind. Not only this, but take a break in-between tasks during the day as well.
3. Turn off your phone
Turn off your phone completely and put it in another room or give it to someone nearby. More often than not, you spend unnecessarily time there. It gives you another motivation to complete one of your daily tasks when you tell yourself you can turn it back on once you complete it.
4. Set earlier deadlines
We usually underestimate the amount of time needed to complete certain tasks. When planning out your week, make sure to split your tasks so that everything is done 2 days before the real deadline. You’ll notice that it gives you breathing room in case more time is needed. Maybe something external happens that requires you to take a day off. If not, you can finish the work earlier and have some extra time to relax.
5. Start brainstorming about the task
If you haven’t planned out your work or don’t have the motivation to start yet. Start by brainstorming on your phone’s notes app, write out ideas you have about the work or how you might split it. While writing down ideas, your brain starts actively thinking about the task. You gain motivation to finish those thoughts. You have motivation to start the task when you see progress in your notes, even if it’s the slightest.
Written by Darnell Starling, from the Content Committee