The first week of April is nearly over. Where did the time go? I feel like just yesterday was January and I was stressing out over the beginning of the imminent semester. Now, I’m stressing out over the end of the imminent semester! I’ve managed to have a fairly productive week, even though the stress was a little overwhelming! Here are some of my tips for being productive:
Try to get up early!
Usually, I get up at 8:00am every weekday. Well, my alarm goes off at 8:00am and I half fall out of bed soon after! However, I’ve been getting up at 7:45am this week to give myself 15 extra minutes in the morning. That 15 minutes may be used for relaxation, working, or whatever I need it for! I hope to get to where I can wake up (and function) at 7:30am! That would give me time to get up and really enjoy my coffee before the day really begins! That time really adds up, which helps me have a productive week!
Have a routine!
I have a morning routine and that keeps me focused when I’m still half asleep. After my alarm goes off and I talk myself into actually getting up, I get up and take my medication. Then, I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. I take a moment to stare at myself in the mirror and wonder why my hair is doing some insane contortionist act or why I constantly look like I’ve been punched in both eyes. As I convince myself that no one will notice if I look disheveled, I groggily push all of the wrong buttons on the Keurig until I finally get it to turn on and make coffee.
While that brews, I brush my hair and turn my attention to breakfast. I open the fridge and cabinets repeatedly, wondering why I didn’t seem to find buying food important while I was grocery shopping. I’ll usually settle on Irish oatmeal with an insane amount of cinnamon or some Kodiak Cakes. While all of this is all over the place, it somehow really sets me up for the day.
Make a to do list!
I make weekly and daily to do lists. I use weekly lists for things that must be done during that week, and a few things from looking ahead to the next. Additionally, I use that list to make my daily to do list. I write down everything that I need to do because I can get so wrapped up in work that I forget meals, showering, and working out. Having everything written down keeps me on track, and it motivates me because I can see what I’ve already accomplished!
Don’t procrastinate!
I’m honestly being so hypocritical here. I’ll either procrastinate everything, or I’ll blitz it out a month in advance! For example, I spent my spring break in March writing papers and doing assignments in advance so that I wouldn’t have to stress about any of that now. However, I currently have a paper due on Monday and I haven’t even started it, or the documentary that I have to watch first! If you can look over your syllabi and find when things are due, you can try to get a head-start on some assignments and save yourself the stress later. This is especially important because, for some reason, professors always have like 70% of the work for the class due in the last month of the semester, when you’re already beginning to stress for finals!
Work in some exercise!
I’ve gone to the gym for roughly an hour every weekday this week! That’s five days in a row! I used to think that I didn’t have time to workout, but I’ve found that I have a lot more time when I use that time effectively. I’ve been going to the gym directly before or after class because I often have classes mid-mornings and afternoons. Otherwise, I drag myself to the gym, even if I have nowhere else to be! Working out daily has really helped me develop my time management skills and work out some aggression from group projects!
There are dozens of ways to make sure that you have a productive week, but these are the main things that I do! I hope that this gave you some idea of how you can do better yourself!