4 Beneficial Habits For Distance Learning

By: Anonymous

Last school year, when Chariho first introduced students to distance learning, I struggled with it. Away from school, I find it hard to focus and get my work done. I always feel unmotivated, tired, and depressed. My grades started to drop, and my teachers began worrying about me. And to tell the truth, I even got recommended to get counseling and to see a therapist!

Summer gave me a lot of time alone to think. I kept asking myself, do I want to continue that kind of lifestyle?

So, when my parents signed me up again to do distance learning for the first quarter, I knew this time was going to be different! This school year, I made an oath to myself that I'll improve myself!

I started this school year with four simple habits that not only helped me in distance learning but in my life as a whole.

1) Sleep Early

I used to have a bad habit of sleeping late. Back then, I used to go to bed at 3 am, 6 am, or sometimes, I don't even sleep at all. It wasn't easy, but after a long time of trying, I finally have a good sleeping schedule.

It might sound cliche, but yeah, sleep is beneficial for you. Sleep will boost your memory, productivity, mood. So try to get some sleep, especially that we're still teenagers. I'm not a doctor, but trust me, you'll feel 10x. No, 100x better when you have a good night's sleep.

Some tips that will keep you from sleeping late is putting your phone away an hour before your bedtime. Though, the most critical thing that will keep you from sleeping late is not procrastinating.

2) Make a To-Do list and Create a Schedule

I used to be the King of Procrastination. Seriously, I used to brag about it to my friends. I boasted that I started my English project, that's due later that day, at 2 am and finished the presentation at 5 am. I went to bed for an hour, and woke up at 6 am to finish the recording. Edited the recording between breaks, submitted it before English class started, and got a 100. I'm pretty sure the teacher gave us a week to finish that project.

This year, I'm not a procrastinator anymore. I do my work early, so I sleep early. Two simple habits that helped me with procrastination is making a to-do list and creating a schedule.

Making a to-do list and schedule won't solve all your procrastination habits, but it does help by creating structure in your day.

A to-do list only takes a couple of minutes to do, but it has many benefits. It will let you have a sense of priority, and you'll be able to manage your time wisely and be more productive. Checking off something on your list will also give you a feeling of accomplishment.

A schedule is also necessary since it balances the time when you can have fun and the time when you have to work. It also gives you a routine that will make your day more productive. It's impressive to mention that once you follow the schedule regularly, it will become automatic. For example, I used to be lazy when getting up in the morning, hitting the snooze button three to five times before I get up. Now, I immediately get up when the alarm rings and do my morning routine without me thinking about it.

3) Create a Productive Study Space and Put Distractions Away

Okay, great! You have a to-do list and a schedule, but what good does it do if you don't follow it?

I admit, I still get tempted by distractions. I sometimes go to youtube to search for some music, and before I know it, I've been binge-watching youtube videos for an hour! (or more.)

To stop being distracted, I always make sure that I have a productive study space. I clean my room and organize my desk first before I start my homework. When everything is clean, I feel like I'm ready to have a productive work session. I don't stop there. I silent my phone, I close the door, and I have my study music playlist ready to keep me away from youtube. I also try to eat a snack before doing my homework to stop myself from getting up and going to the kitchen.

If you can keep yourself from being distracted, before you know it, you have finished your homework!

4) Rest and reward yourself

You didn't procrastinate, and you finished your work early? You should be proud of yourself! Takes self-discipline to do all that. Treat yourself to a cookie or watch an episode of a T.V show you like. We're not robots, so be kind to your body and mind.

For me, after all the hard work I did, I reward myself by not working on the weekends (I finish all my Monday homework on Friday.) I hang out with my family and friends during the weekend. Those two days are my fun and relaxing days.

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To end, I hope that these four habits help you as much as they help me. Or perhaps, you'll find other great habits that work better for you? Nevertheless, remember that change doesn't happen overnight. It took me a while to change my sleep schedule and to end my procrastination habit. The only thing that you can't do is give up! Don't give up, no matter how much you fail, and go back to your bad habits! Keep trying to improve yourself, and one day you'll see the positive changes in your life.