Trill Tips — How I stay productive at home
Coronavirus has been a whirlwind of emotions to say the least. When I first saw that covid-19 was affecting people on the other side of the globe, I did not expect it to be such a widespread problem in the United States. To me, it was just a headline, something that I could not imagine to accelerate so quickly. Yet, I went from one day of sitting in my dorm room, attending classes, and going to hang out with friends to, less than a week later, saying goodbye and moving home for the rest of the semester.
To summarize, I felt shocked that my plans were all turned around so suddenly, and I was scared for the wellbeing of myself, but even more, the people in my life who are more susceptible to covid-19. I was stressfully periodically checking the updates of coronavirus in the US and in my area, reading emails for updates from the school, and figuring out how to fly back home. Logistically on top of those emotions, I had to do a mad dash of packing and storing everything I had managed to accumulate in my dorm over the course of the year.
Fortunately, the college I go to has given us two weeks to settle back home and adjust. Now, my college interactions are all online: lectures and clubs meeting on Zoom, Slack channels being made to communicate more, and Houseparty rising again to replace in person conversations. It is now that I and many of my friends have truly started thinking more in depth about how the rest of the semester will go. So much has changed, no more in person school, and we will have to start working entirely from home, as social distancing has made going to libraries and coffee shops impossible. Because of this situation, I have heard many of my peers especially concerned about their productivity. So, below I have provided tips that I personally have found helpful in staying on track.
How I stay productive at home:
- Scheduling is extremely important. Not only should you be scheduling what time classes are or when you have to turn something in, but also schedule in work time on certain subjects or projects.
- Try to have a set schedule every day. Wake up at a certain time. Personally, I try to get up early to have a jump start to the day and feel productive. And go to bed at a certain time (to make sure you get enough sleep to feel well-rested).
- Find study buddies. It is hard to stay on track when you do not have the same atmosphere that you may have at school or work, but having people at your side to work with you keeps you more accountable and makes the work much more fun.
- Try to find a space in your home that will be an optimal working environment. Clear the area of distractions and bring all the materials you need to work. Maybe even play some lofi to get into the right mood to work.
- Most importantly of all, take breaks. Working from home is hard, especially when you are just looking at a screen all day. Take breaks to do a hobby you enjoy and overall just try to take a break from electronics.
