Schools are starting up again soon which means your backpack will soon be full of assignments and your brain will get tired. When balancing out schoolwork, sports, hobbies, and extracurricular activities, your daily life can become really overwhelming. Balancing out and being responsible for completing tasks is a skill that will benefit you even after you graduate. So what are some ways you can stay organized and stress-free when your life is getting busy?
Scheduling
When wanting to complete many tasks, it’s important to know all the things you need to complete before specific dates. Know when you need to finish specific tasks and plan out your days, balancing out all your responsibilities. Don’t just be broad and plan to finish your math project somewhere this month, but instead be more precise like “finish by next Friday”. Then you can see all your deeds and you can prioritize each task. Also, think about what time of the day you are most productive and most likely to be able to do that task. For example, don’t schedule your dance practice straight after basketball training where you know you’re going to be exhausted. Or if you’re more likely to concentrate in the morning, plan to finish some homework in the morning.
Writing things down
This leads to the next tip which is writing things down. Whether it’s a planner, calendar, or small post-it-note, write down what you need to complete. This way, you won’t forget what you need to do because it’s written in front of you. Your brain won’t panic about forgetting all the tasks you need to take care of when it’s written visually. Create a routine that works best for you and slowly finish each thing.
Don’t procrastinate
Procrastination is such an easy mistake to make when it comes to having a busy schedule and a bunch of schoolwork. Try to work ahead and finish tasks that don’t need to be done for another few days to a week. By doing this, you can work on other things later on and don’t have to worry a bit about the schoolwork you finished in advance. This saves a lot of time and is much more productive. Now you don’t have to panic on the night before the due dates!
Set specific goals
Similar to the first point, set small goals each week for when to complete specific tasks. Not only about schoolwork that is necessary to complete but small things too. For example, you can set a goal to read 1 chapter of a book a day or exercise an hour a week. By setting small goals, you are likely to feel more motivated to do these things along with your mandatory tasks.
Have an environment where you can focus
Working on your bed or couch can be very tempting especially when you are exhausted from the day. But it is important to have a designated area of your house where you work which is separate from where you relax or sleep. If you have a table or desk where you work, every time you work there, your brain knows that at that moment, it’s time to concentrate and get tasks done. If you work in your bed, your brain will think it’s time to relax and be a little lazy which makes progress much slower. When you work and turn on that focus switch in your brain, make sure that there are no distractions, that you have your resources, and it's a place separated from your relaxing area.
Spend weekends relaxing
After having a really busy, jam-packed week of work and stressful tasks, take the weekend to relax and reset your mind. Treat yourself to your favorite food and activities and spend time with your family or friends. It’s vital to spend some time being lazy and taking your mind off schoolwork so that when the week starts again, you’re all rested up and ready to work. You could also take the weekend to catch up on tasks and complete some jobs in advance so that the following week won’t be as tough.
Balancing school, hobbies, family, friends, and health is a really hard thing to do. By taking small steps and using even small tips, you can loosen up that tight knot in your stomach.
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