In order to achieve a healthy work/study balance, you need to plan your activities, such as studying, alongside your housework. It is useful to plan your work hours and find a quiet spot away from home. However, you will still come across crunch times when both tasks need to be completed. To avoid such situations, you can seek help from tutors and other support staff at the university. Moreover, universities often provide students with assistance for balancing their course-based work and household responsibilities.
Organizing your time
To maximize your efficiency, organize your time for work and study by making a to-do list. Write down all the things you need to do before you can relax, such as school assignments and bills. Then, prioritize these tasks. For instance, if you have a final exam coming up, study for it first before you relax. You can modify your list based on new information or events, depending on your schedule and needs.
Using a calendar and to-do lists to organize your time can help you stay on top of everything. Academic planners can be bought commercially or even made by students themselves. Some prefer daily pages, while others prefer weekly ones. Still others choose to use computer calendars. Whatever system you choose, make sure to follow it consistently. It is important to know what your schedule is and how to schedule important tasks accordingly.
Prioritizing
The Pareto Principle, otherwise known as the 80/20 rule, states that 80% of results come from a mere 20% of effort. A similar principle, called the Eisenhower Matrix, states that 80% of a task’s effort must be spent on tasks of equal importance. To use this principle in your work and study, divide your tasks into two categories: urgent and important. Each category represents a task’s relative importance.
The most important lesson to remember when learning how to prioritize is that time is not money. Time spent on a task that does not add value to your life is essentially wasted. To maximize your time, focus on tasks that will increase your ability to spend it on the future. If you are unable to make these choices, you will waste valuable time that could have been used on a more important task. When you are learning to prioritize, keep in mind that working on the right task now may give you more time in the future, while ignoring it can rob you of precious time.
Stress management
The first step in stress management is identifying your sources of stress. Some sources are more obvious than others, but some are chronic. Procrastination, for instance, can lead to a significant amount of stress. If you find that you are constantly stressed out by work, studying, or other issues, you may want to try some stress management techniques to prevent them. Here are some helpful tips to reduce stress and achieve success.
Developing your stress management skills is an important first step to lowering your risk of diseases and gaining more energy for physical activity. Stress management requires that you learn what triggers it, so you can manage it properly. Write down any situations that increase your stress and identify patterns. When possible, try to prioritize rest and relaxation. Once you can manage stress, it will become easier to work effectively. And the benefits of stress management extend beyond reducing your risk of physical illnesses.
Limiting distractions
The easiest way to limit distractions is to put off activities that have little or no value to you. Turning off your phone and closing all non-essential applications are two ways to limit the amount of time you spend interacting with technology. Putting your cell phone on silent and placing it face down while working will help you avoid constant notifications from social media, texts, and emails. You can also block access to distracting websites by placing it out of reach and on silent.
Third-party applications and browser extensions can also help you block distractions. StayFocused and Block Site for Google Chrome are two popular solutions for blocking distracting websites. They also let you blacklist specific websites that are distracting. A good solution is to install a dedicated focus app that blocks social media and websites that contain ads. This way, you can focus on work and study without being distracted by social media.
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