Back when we still had normal school days, I would wake up at five in the morning. But ever since online classes have begun, I have been waking up at noon. I was frustrated with my sleep cycle because not only was it messing up my circadian rhythm, but also my entire day. So, I decided that enough was enough and I must change. Here are some tips that helped me be more productive and hopefully they will help you, too.

1. Wake up early, but not super early

   I started setting my alarm for 7:30 a.m. because it was still early and I had that extra sleep, too. I sleep at around 11 at night which means I get a good amount of sleep and I try to maintain those hours. Keeping a sleep routine and following a sleep cycle will help you feel more put together.

      2. Try some Yoga exercises 

   Take that yoga mat lying around your house and get those asanas done because they do help. You can look up yoga routines on the internet and YouTube and follow them. The goal here is to establish a healthy routine that you can follow and adding some relaxing yoga poses is a great way to start your day.

      3. Get ready

   Even if you are not going outside anymore, put on some makeup, or comb your hair, or change into some cute clothes. It doesn’t have to be something extraordinary, you don’t have to wear a suit or a gown, not that I would judge if you did that, but simple things like that can help maintain some normalcy throughout your day.

     4. Pomodoro Technique

   I recently came across this genius technique and it is so efficient. Set a timer for 25 minutes and get as much work done as you can. Then, take a short break for five minutes and don’t just sit on your table and scroll through Instagram, get up and stretch, or go and get some water. Once the break is over, go back to doing work for another 25 minutes. Once three increments of 25 minutes and breaks are done, take a longer break for about 20 minutes and then continue the cycle. Even if you don’t follow this technique, make sure you are taking breaks to keep that productivity flow going.

     5. Create a to-do list

   You can use any notebook or notepad for this. All you have to do is jot down the tasks you need to get done today and the time they should take. Remember it is always safe to note down more time than it would actually take. Once the task is done, cross it off the list. It is a simple tip, but it has helped me be more organized with my chores and schoolwork.

    6. Don’t study all-day

   With the upcoming AP exams and school work still piling up every day, it is important to remember to have some fun. It doesn’t have to be something grand, but it can be connecting with your friends online or even pursuing that old hobby of writing poetry. For more tips about online schooling, click on this article by Charlotte Weiss.

   7. Managing social media

   I used to watch YouTube videos about staying productive and scrolled through studygram accounts and although they were good tips, that didn’t get me to do actual work. For me, social media became an obstacle for being productive and I didn’t like that. So, I started to observe which apps I use the most and I challenged myself to not use them the entire day unless it was important. Keeping my phone in another room while I am studying in my bedroom has also helped me a lot. Keep an eye on your screen time and know how much of that is essential and how much is not.

   That is all I have for these tips and I hope they come in handy when you’re trying to get through this time. Stay safe everybody and wash your hands.