Now that spring break is over and book bags are filled, the determination to make it through the semester has dwindled away. There is no more drive, no more motivation and no more focus to complete this semester out strong. So here are a few ways to keep yourself productive when all you can think of is summer.
Productivity: A few ways to keep yourself busy.
- Trim The Fat: Our phone are programmed to update us on everything. From new emails to new tweets, phone notifications are blowing up left and right.
To keep yourself focused try getting rid of the notifications. Rather than focusing on school work, the second your phone lights up you are distracted. If you really must know, you will go and look.
- Flip The Page: Having easy access to our social media apps are great, but they also suck you in when you don’t intend to click on them. So try putting all of your fun apps on the second or third page of your phone. By doing this you won’t be as tempted to look at them when you see your home screen.
- Touch It Once: We all tend to look at something or start some sort of project and then decide “I can do that later.” But instead of doing it later we forget it. So go by this little rule of thumb, just touch it once. After you have opened an email or started an assignment, finish it.
- Check It Off: I advocate for to-do lists any chance I can. It helps to see what you have to accomplish that day or even that week. It’s also a great idea to put them in the order from what is due first and what is due last. And if there are two parts to one assignment, put them both down. Nothing feels better than checking off something once you’ve finished it, I swear.
- Pick a Place: Picking the environment that you work in is very important. Choosing to study on your bed isn’t the best place because your brain associates it with sleeping. Also, make sure that you are not surrounded by your indulgences and distractions.
- Warn Others: Make sure that before you start to work on your assignments you let the people around you know. Cut out people as distractions.
Letting them know to leave you alone will not only stop interruptions your studies, but also help keep you on track when you start to lose focus.
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Motivation: Here are a few ways to keep yourself motivated when you just don’t want to work anymore.
- Have your goals in front of your eyes at all times. Getting stuff done is no fun when you don’t have the end result in mind.
- Surround yourself with the right equipment. Having the appropriate tools to get your job done is a necessity. You want to work with items that will give you the greatest outcome.
- Listening to music can help bring your spirits up and make you want to push through. Whether it’s a paper or PowerPoint, you can find a theme song for any moment in your life
- Remember to celebrate your achievement no matter how big or small they are. Awarding yourself for finishing an assignment will make you want to knock them all out, and you will reap all the benefits.
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Stress Relief: Stress should not be held onto, so here are some foods and natural ways to get rid of stress.
Foods: Here are a few foods that are best for stress eating that also help bring it down.
- Oatmeal
- Dark Chocolate
- Blueberries
- Avocadoes
- Seeds
- Green Tea
- Pork Tenderloins
Natural:
- Amethyst (A Crystal that helps lower stress)
- Vitamins B and C
- Get enough sleep
- Take deep breaths
- Listen to music with just instrumentals
- Take a power nap (They should last between 10-30 minutes)
- Talk it out with someone
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Get Moving: A few different exercises to get rid of the stress.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Start by sitting down with your eyes closed taking long deep breaths. Then Squeeze your fists as tight as you can while relaxing all other muscles in your body. Hold it until you feel like all your stress is in your fists. Then think ‘sink into yourself,’ so that you sink into the chair. Then relax your hands and open your eyes.
- Yoga Poses:
Padahastana: Stand on the mat with your hand by your side. Take a deep breath in and raise your hands above your head. Breathe out and bend forward touching your palms to the ground.
Child’s Pose: Sit on the ground with your feet underneath you and your knees on the ground. Then fold your body forward with your arms stretched out in front of you and take slow, deep breaths.
Downward Facing Dog: Stand up straight on the mat and fold your body over having your palms touch the ground. Walk your feet back until you are in the shape of a mountain.
Trying to get through the end of the semester is a struggle, but these tips should help you push through. It’s time to get to work.
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Find it here
Georgia State offers counseling for all students. They are located Citizen’s Trust Building 75 Piedmont Ave, N.E. Counseling and Testing Center, Suite 200A
