#BeWellUGA at Home: Time Management
Strategies to Work, Learn, and Study from Home
Get ready for your day the same way you did before.
Dress for class as you would if you were attending in person. Wake up and eat breakfast at the same time and virtually attend classes or watch lectures during their regularly scheduled time. The more consistency you can create, the easier the transition can feel for you.
Dedicate a place to learn and study.
If space is available, set up a designated spot for you to learn and study. When thinking about a good place, consider finding a space you won’t become too relaxed, one that will allow you to stay as engaged as possible, and one where distractions are limited. For some, this may be outside of your bedroom or off the couch. However, if those are the only places in your home that feel conducive for learning, try to create a distinction between when a space is for sleeping and when it is for studying. For example, putting different blankets on your bed for the various activities or a blanket over your comforter or couch only when you study or learn.
Take time to communicate.
If you are someone who works well in a study group or reviewing material with others, take the time to reach out and schedule check-ins with the same individuals you studied with before. Enhanced communication will also be important for group projects or assignments. Since everyone may utilize technology differently or have access to technology at different times, give yourself and others extra time to connect about assignments. This may mean reaching out earlier than usual, setting up different times to meet, and establishing hard deadlines along the way. Take advantage of shareable documents and tools including google docs, sheets, and slides so everyone can see the progress you are making on assignments.
Take time to organize your classes, assignments, and other activities.
With a shift to virtual learning, timelines and course material may change. Take time to go over emails sent from professors, announcements on eLC, and write down new assignment dates, test dates, and materials that you need to review. If you have any questions, check in with a professor to ensure you have all the information you need. Once you have everything written down and organized you can create a daily or weekly schedule to offer yourself some structure.
Make time for breaks and self-care.
If self-care hasn’t always been a priority, now more than ever, self-care is important. Schedule time for study breaks, eat to fuel your body and brain, include a quick movement exercise to help shake up the daily routine and promote well-being. Study for 30 minutes and then take a 5 or 10 minute break to stretch and move around. If you find that you are distracted, try a short mindfulness activity. Try to take a few minutes at minimum each day to care for yourself. What makes you happy? Calling your support system, drinking tea, listening to a podcast, reading, walking outside, cooking? Take time to join in those activities!
Set boundaries.
Through this time of adapting to a new norm, setting boundaries can help ensure that you are creating an environment most beneficial to your success. In a shared space this may mean checking in with others about your daily plans, agreeing on volume or noise in the space, and when communication with each other is okay. It may include setting limits on when people schedule virtual calls or how to check in with you if needed. Since there may be more individuals in the space than usual (parents, siblings, etc.), make sure you regularly save your work and secure assignments or projects in a safe place when you are taking some well-deserved time off or when you have completed the task at hand.
Lastly, remember it is always okay to show self-compassion, especially now while navigating and adapting to this new environment.
How can you reward yourself? In what ways can you show gratitude to others? And remember, if you need some support, Health Promotion/The Fontaine Center is here for you. Call us at 706-542-8690 to schedule an appointment. Our Wellness Coaches, Nutrition Counselors, Health Educators and Mentors are excited to help in any way we can.
Check out more FREE virtual wellness and prevention classes, clinics, and tools hosted by the University Health Center at BeWellUGA at Home, brought to you by the UHC Health Promotion Department.
Written by: UHC Wellness Coaches, The Fontaine Center / UHC Health Promotion