It’s not groundbreaking to say this past year has been hard. Our routines, social lives, and work lives have been fundamentally altered. I have noticed a lot of changes in myself, largely in the way I work.
The Problem
I noticed my productivity has waned, and my attention span has decreased since transitioning to online classes. An assignment that would normally take me thirty minutes to complete now takes me over an hour. Although part of this can be blamed on Tik Tok, Buzzfeed quizzes, and whatever podcast I am into, stress is often at the core of my lack of focus.
I love my classes and my job at the Writing Center, but the stress sometimes makes everything seem less important. Reminding myself why I choose to go to DePaul and why I love my job has helped reignite my spark when I’m feeling down. Although these months have been hard for me personally, I acknowledge that many have it much harder than me. I haven’t lost my income, and I have a safe roof over my head. For the most part, I can focus on what I have rather than what I have lost. I understand that for many, including my family members and some close friends, this is not the case.
Accepting that I might take more time to do my assignments has been critical to have a positive outlook. Being constantly disappointed at changes in myself only makes life in quarantine harder. I have implemented new tactics in order to keep my productivity up and to avoid being constantly upset at myself.
The Solution
I have implemented the Pomodoro Technique, which is a productivity method where one works for a set period of time (for me, twenty minutes) and takes a break (five-minutes for me). This cycle is repeated four times, and then there is a longer break (15 minutes). I can vary this method to fit my work schedule where I will work for 55 minutes, take a five-minute mini-break, and repeat this cycle until my scheduled half-hour break comes up. You can learn more about it here.
I keep my phone out of sight when I’m working. Studies show that even seeing a phone that is silent and turned off is distracting.
I run every day. I recently started exercising regularly and I have noticed I can better manage stress. I used to think the idea that exercise helped stress was a big lie and for the first year of college, I probably worked out five times total all year. After running Cross Country in high school, this was a big shift for me. In my sophomore year, I realized that my stress became hard to manage and my productivity decreased. I needed a change and there has been no better time than now. I don’t run very fast or very far, but anything is better than nothing.
I put all of my assignments and work deadlines in my bullet journal. I have done this for the past two years, but recently I have relied on it more, especially because I currently live in PST, which is two hours behind work and school based in Chicago.
For work, I set alarms on my phone to remember to clock into my shift. I have a terrible memory and since my shifts are at different times every day, I would forget if it wasn’t for these alarms.
Lastly, I avoid doing work in my bed. As nice as it can be, it is terrible on my back and my productivity because I am in the mindset of relaxing rather than working. I try to sit at a table or on my couch. Taking Zoom appointments for work in my bed also makes me feel unprofessional. I know writers probably don’t mind, but it makes me uncomfortable, so I avoid it.
The Results
Having zoom appointments at work and zoom calls with family and friends helps me feel more connected to people and helps me know that everyone is experiencing this together. I have gained a deeper appreciation for zoom appointments because I am able to connect with writers in a more immediate way.
These methods have helped me, and I hope they can help you, but everyone is different. Learning what works best for you during these rough times will be your own process of trial and error. This process has allowed me to gain further insight into my learning and working process. When life returns to a state of normal, I hope to still use the lessons I learned through self-reflection. I hope to be more insightful about my stress and how it affects my school and my work.