Productivity Tips for Pandemic Students

Hello to our lovely community of students here on 7cups.

As I'm sure we all know, being productive is not easy. Being productive during a pandemic, when school seems like chaos, is definitely not easy. And being productive during a pandemic while struggling with mental health is even more difficult.

However, the good news is that we aren't alone. So many students like us are having a hard time with productivity. For that reason, I have decided to begin a thread where we can share productivity tips.

Please leave your favorite productivity hack below, or more than one, if you are so inclined! Also, feel free to share your own personal story and support one another. I will get us started off.

How to Upgrade your To-Do List

Being isolated and lonely -- as well as anxious and overwhelmed -- during the pandemic has definitely tossed up my personal routine. Writing to-do lists is a good way to bring some order and structure to these strange days. However, sometimes a long and unappealing list can hurt your motivation rather than help it.

I tried something out to upgrade my to-do lists: transition activities. These are short, easy, even enjoyable tasks that I write next to my hard, long tasks on my to-do lists. They are geared towards helping me get into the right mindset to do tasks I would otherwise have a hard time starting.

For instance, do I want to read the next act of this Shakespearean play? Most certainly not. But what if I read a short, simple summary of the last act online, then started reading? Well, I might be able to get in the right mood.

Am I in the mood to practice violin? Not really. But can I listen to a recording of the piece I'm practicing a few times, then start playing it myself? Maybe I can do that.

Am I ready to write my essay for my civics class? Nope. But what if I skim through some recent news and headlines on the topic I'm writing about? Maybe I'll be in a more relaxed mindset, and be more interested in the subject.

I've found that these transition activities have helped me stop procrastinating (at least partially; will I ever truly escape procrastination? ) and get into the right frame of mind. Try putting some on your list next time you make one; and don't forget to share your tip below!

Keep thinking positive ... and hopefully testing negative.

-Inky