Time Management While Distance Learning

Over the course of time I have had this blog, I have learned new ways to be productive, and I hope my suggestions and findings have been helpful for those that have tried them. From trying various ways of staying motivated and organized to finding new ways to be motivated and stay on track (though I have definitely struggled). One thing I have to say and remind others that feel like they are not doing as best as they think they should be - it's okay to mess up. Let me tell you about the ways I have become inspired and motivated during these tough times. 

Staying Productive in Quarantine: Products and Suggestions Words cannot describe the number of times I have wanted to study and do my work in a coffee shop or in my university's library just for a change of scenery. Working from home in my room at my desk for the last year has been far from ideal, and I have tried my best to make it comfortable and designated for work so that my room that once was only meant for relaxation and sleep. Because I miss the comradery of working with other students and around other people, I have made some more changes to encourage myself to feel motivated and productive while working from home. What Have I Done to Boost Productivity? I have struggled to stay motivated working from home. My at-home workspace was far from ideal, so I often would go to a local coffee shop or go to my university's library before the pandemic hit. When I was in those environments, I felt like I had a designated work area and very little distraction, which is what I did n...

  Working and Going to School From My Room So, I know I am not the only one trying to navigate working, going to classes, and spending time with family. If you are like me and are lucky enough to have not had to keep away from your family during the duration of this pandemic, then you also know that keeping your time working/going to class and spending time with family (or alone) can be quite difficult. I am living with my mom, dad, and sister, and three of us are working and/or distance learning. My mom, sister, and I all work in our own rooms luckily, but that does not stop us from walking around the house to each other's rooms just to get away from the computer screen. Though things have been working out okay, I have needed to make some changes to keep time and distance myself from distractions with others also working and/or learning from home.

 Another thing I have found that helps keep me keep my time better is to use to-do lists outside of the ones I have in my planner. Like I said in my last post, my planner has a section on each day for "To-Do", and I use that as a place to mark what is due that day. If you want to use that for daily to-do lists, then, by all means, go for it!  For me, I have found other means that work for me. Last semester towards the end was getting hectic and I struggled to keep track of all the things I had due down to the last week. So, I used my iPad and phone to make to-do lists on Microsoft To-Do. That actually worked out great and it lets you set reminders and specific dates and times things were due without a distracting calendar or interface. It is very simply laid out and it just shows you what your to-dos are in order of what is due first based on the things you entered. It also has a very satisfying sound it makes when you check something off.  Here is a picture of one of my ...

 One of the things that I have consistently turned to keep time is a planner. Planners are great for a few reasons:  1. They are great for people that need visuals to make sense of their days 2. They can help you look ahead in your week 3. They come in so many styles, you can most definitely find one that fits your needs I have found myself using 2 planners for my use. One I use for planning and keeping track of things that need to be done for school, and the other I use for work.  The one I use for work can be found here . The reason this specific planner works well for me is that in the daily sections, there is a half of them that is sectioned off for "to-do"s. I use that to keep track of what is due for that day. For time management, that helps me be aware of what I need to have done so I can plan accordingly.  My work planner is much simpler, which I got from Amazon. I work in mental health and I use that planner to keep track of the meetings I have with my clien...