Miss Rocket,
It’s the middle of the semester and I’m trying to stay motivated. I want to continue giving my best after spring break, but I know it’s going to keep getting busy. What should I do to keep being the best I can be?
Sincerely,
Miss Midterm Madness
Miss Midterm Madness,
Personally, I like to think that I have it pretty easy with my classes this semester, but I know that other people have a lot more on their plate. That being said, I can share what personally works for me to manage my time, stress and assignments.
First, something that completely changes the game for me is sleep. My work is never the quality it needed to be when I’m tired. You don’t realize what a difference good sleep really makes in your productivity until you get a proper night’s rest. Also remember to eat enough! I struggle with this sometimes, and hunger only leads to brain fog and jitters. AKA, unproductive study time
In terms of time management, I like to use a planner on my laptop to track assignments coming up. I make a form of all of my assignments, assign them due dates and order them chronologically. Completing things in order of importance takes away a lot of my stress, rather than jumping around randomly from assignment to assignment.
I also think it’s vital to find a balance between school and your personal life. I know a lot of people who have been studying nonstop for exams, but mental and physical burnout is almost inevitable if you push yourself too hard, and that’s not worth a few points on a test. Try to find even an hour a day to go on a walk, see a movie with friends or even just lay down to rest. It may help a lot more than you think it will.
Sincerely,
Miss Rocket
Miss Rocket,
How do I get past writer’s block?
Sincerely,
Frankly Frustrated
Frankly Frustrated,
I feel your pain. Writing, whether professional or creative, can be one of the hardest things to jumpstart when you’re feeling unmotivated. I don’t have a definitive answer to solve this issue, but I have picked up a few habits over the years to spark my thinking.
The simplest, cliche tactic I recommend is just to word vomit all over a page. Whether by hand or digitally, I write out every random little related thought in my brain and leave it for a while, whether that’s a couple of hours or a full day. This lets me clear my brain and revise things without having to start entirely from scratch later.
You could also try going on a walk and, I know it sounds crazy, but talk yourself through your topic and what you want to write. Out loud. You might feel silly, but it really does help to hear it aloud sometimes.
Sincerely,
Miss Rocket
