Best Ways To Keep On Schedule When You’re Stuck At Home
Best Ways To Keep On Schedule When You’re Stuck At Home
At the start of quarantine, many people thought it would be so much easier now that they get to work from home. It was actually a lot harder for many people since being at home gives room for lots of distractions. If you live alone, it might bee easier to get work done, but many of us had to move home with our families or friends.
Even just having other people around can be a huge distraction. You have more motivation to focus and not venture off schedule at work, but at home and sitting in your bed, you’ll be more relaxed with your assignments. Fortunately, there are quite a few ways that you’ll be able to stay on schedule while you’re stuck at home.
Make a List
One of the best ways to keep on schedule is to make a list every morning when you wake up. Making a list when you wake is a great way to get your itinerary for the day set and down immediately. It’s best to write a physical list because studies have shown you remember something better if you write it down. It is also extra security if you forget something on your mental list of things to at least you’ll have everything written down. Don’t forget to cross out everything you complete during the day to keep your list organized. To make this fun, you can buy a cute printed notepad and some colorful pens to color-code your list based on the task.
Keep a Planner
You can easily find a planner at your local dollar that will be perfect for keeping your schedule in order. As soon as you receive an assignment for work or school, immediately write it down into your planner. That way, you can know what your schedule will be like for the upcoming weeks and months. You can even decorate your planner with some stickers or doodles so that you will always have something fun to look at amongst the work you need to be done.
Stay Away of Distractions
I know it’s easier said than done, especially if you live with your family. If you can find a quiet or the quietest room, then go there and do your work there. Leave your phone in another place so that it won’t be near you to grab or respond to while you’re working. Since we’re all probably working on our computers. Only open it to work on the tasks you need to then; when you’re done, immediately close is so you don’t find yourself wander the web. If you have family around disturbing, you try and ask them to go to another room or keep their voices down. You deserve the respect of a quiet workspace, especially under the conditions we are all under.
Keep Everything You Need With You
Grab what you need to do your work so that you don’t have to leave at any point in writing. Use the list you made to make sure you have everything you need when you sit down to work. As long as you have everything you need to do your work, it aids in not distracting you by having to stop your work to get what you need. I also recommend keeping snacks with you in case you’re hungry and can’t stop working. Also, always keep a bottle of water with you! It’s so important to stay hydrated, especially when you’ll be working and it can get tiring.
Eat Before You Work
I think it’s best to work with a full stomach. When you’re working, you won’t grow hungry, and it will help you stay on schedule if you’re not distracted by hunger. Keep some light snacks with you while you’re working to help if you do get hungry. A great way to keep on schedule is to meal prep every weekend, so you have your food ready to go before you start working. It elevates the stress of figuring out what to eat and saves you time, so you’re not waiting for delivery or having to cook a meal yourself.
Positive Affirmations
It’s completely okay to be stressed out with everything that has been going on in the world. Sometimes keeping on schedule at home can be really difficult, and that’s okay to struggle with it because you’re not alone. One great way to keep yourself motivated is through positive affirmations. If you have a hard time with an assignment, then take a second and simply say, “I can do this.” It’s a really small thing that could evidently do wonders. As long as you believe in yourself, you’ll keep to what you need to do, no problem.
Set Timers
This is an easy tip to stay on schedule because it’ll be a great reminder for you. Setting timers for when you should be working or finishing an assignment is a good way to stay on schedule. It’s going to be a jarring reminder, but it’s also going to get you to focus on your work because you know the timer is about to ring. It’ll also be a good way to keep track of time, so then you won’t be continuously staring at the clock, wondering how long you’ve been working.
Have An Accountability Partner
An accountability partner is someone, either a friend or coworker, who also needs to do their work and who can keep tabs on you while you’re working. You can create a system where you message each other or have each other on video chat to be a consistent reminder to do your assignments. It’s a great feeling to know someone is in the same boat as you and that you’re not alone in trying to keep to your schedule. An accountability partner is a great way to make sure you stay on schedule while also getting some social interaction out of the situation.
Which of these do you think will help you stay on schedule? Do you already do some of these things at home? Let us know in the comments! Make sure you share this with your friend and family so they can keep on their schedules while they are also stuck at home.
Hi, my name is Sara and I'm a 22-year-old college student in New York. I'm a corporate communications major excited and passionate about writing and art. When I graduate from Baruch College I hope to pursue my dream of getting a cosmetology license and hope to one day be working in the beauty industry.