Finding the Time

As some of you may know, I am currently a college student. I did a decent job updating this blog in January. Not so good in February so far, but there is always time to improve that situation. I am also working two part time jobs on campus. Full disclosure, working two part time jobs at college sucks and I would not recommend. I also am actively involved in two clubs and heading to DC with one of them in March.

So, it's safe to say I am a busy person who overcommits to everything (as I cough glaring at how many books I've requested on Netgalley). This is just who I am and I have come to terms with it, for the most part anyway. This semester, despite the massive workload, I have done a better job managing my time than I think I ever have, including Nanowrimo. My general Nano time management is just to write until I have something due in a few hours and then scream as I work on that. Definitely not good. But this semester has been going fairly well, and I am here to share some of the time management tips that I've learned. So let's get started!

All of these are specific to my own experiences and some of them may not be useful depending on what you are currently doing, but there should be something in here that can be helpful for you.

1. Have relaxation time.

If I don't have time to decompress, then I end up overworking and being stressed until I have a panic attack, which is not fun at all. So it is not an option for me to just work until I have everything done. I always try to write off my mealtimes as not workable. I eat lunch with my best friend twice a week. Two of the other weekdays I actually run from class to grab a to go box from the cafeteria and then to work. I work at the front desk, so while I have to handle any issues that arise, I try to take the first half hour of my shift just for me. I eat, look at Twitter, and read an ebook on my phone. I don't work on any assignments or blogging, even if I am stressed out and worrying about how I'm going to accomplish everything. I handle the fifth lunch of the week and my suppers similarly, though I don't have to work. Wherever I am eating that day, I sit and relax. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I watch Netflix. While it seems stupid when I am freaking out, I really have to do something to be able to calm down.

2. Make work time different from the rest of the time.

I tend to procrastinate a ton, especially if it is something that I don't want to do. One way I prevent this is by putting my hair up during work time. It seems really silly, but it works surprisingly well. When I get hot, I want my hair up off my neck anyway. I usually do this during the summer months but doing this has been amazing. Like, hair up means it's time to work. Anything would really work but I would definitely use something physical. Like maybe put on certain socks during worktime. This is especially useful for me since I typically work on my bed using a bed wedge (which I love and recommend if you have trouble with desks). Work time is literally any time that I'm trying to work on something besides reading. I'm doing life science homework? Work time. Blogging? Work time. Attempting to plan a novel? Still work time.

3. Pomodoro Timer Apps

I love these for my bad focusing days. The one thing that irks me is that getting streaks is very
motivating, but some days I don't use them because I don't need to, which then messes up my streaks. My favorite app for this is Productivity Challenge Timer by AXFN, though it does not let you take breaks while working, like if you get a call you have to take. I have used Forest and FLIP in the past, both of which work fairly well. Forest annoys me because I can't use my phone at all, which means that if I need the internet I have to go get my laptop. Get Sh*t Done is also a fun app, though not as focused on the pomodomo timer technique. You have to set a list of stuff you want to get done in a set time and a reward and a punishment for meeting or not meeting your goal.

4. Plan work areas.

Probably somewhere in your home is a good place. Mine personally is my bed. But sometimes, that just doesn't cut it. When I can't focus because my room is too distracting, I head out to the library. I have 55 minutes on Mondays that are worthless to head back to my room for. I have an area in the student union that only a few people occupy that I go to when I have that extra time on the wrong side of campus than my dorm. I am comfortable with these areas and understand the vibes there. In my favorite location in the library, it's a group study room. If I know that I'll be distracted by that, I head somewhere else. The one day this semester it was warm enough, I headed to the grove of trees in front of my dorm and worked at a table. Changing things up can be valuable, as long as you know what exactly you are getting into. It sucks if you need some place quiet to work on a certain day and the place you go to is not ideal for that.

5. Prepare your work beforehand

Like I mentioned early, I work on my bed most of the time I am in my dorm room. Since it is lofted, this means that every time I forget to grab something, I have to jump down, go find the thing, and climb back up. It gets very tedious very fast and also has the potential to distract me. Avoid that and gather everything you need beforehand. Even if you don't end up using a material, it is still less distracting than if you needed it and had to go searching for it. This is useful if you aren't going to be at home either so you can actually get some work done whenever you have the time. Getting things all the way completed feels like you've done more work than multiple partially finished things.

6. Set a bedtime.

It seems really silly, but I refuse to work past two am. This is likely too late for many people, but I am awful at holding a normal sleep pattern. I typically try to go to bed earlier, but sometimes that isn't an option. The other night, I had a ton of life science homework due the next day. I stopped at two am so I could actually get some sleep and worked on it the next morning when I got up. I don't sleep enough but this set time to go to sleep generally gives me enough time to get everything I need to accomplish finished. If I don't, then two am is late enough that I tried. It makes it easier on me to be able to stop because I have this already decided. Of course, the goal is typically to fall asleep before this time. I know that when I'm writing I have the tendency to want to work past that, but by keeping this pattern it keeps some of the pressure off.


So yeah, these are some of the methods and tips that I use to try and manage my time to get everything done. What are some of the methods that you like to use? Be sure to let me know some of your favorite tips and tricks for time management. Nanowrimo is only a month and a half away after all.

Thanks for reading!
Alyssa