In the age of remote learning, working, and living, it can become difficult to organize aspects of your routine that were once entirely separate. Time has seemed to blend together since the kick off of spring break 2020, when college students were ushered into quarantine. These past few months have flown by, even with finishing up the school year and going through finals. As a current Bobcat, working remotely has shifted my life around in ways that I could have never imagined, and it’s important to get insight on how I’ve been managing to keep my life balanced as it once was.
Social distancing can bring in some obstacles to staying busy, active, and awake. It’s tempting to brush off a daily routine since there’s ultimately nowhere to go, but from personal experience, this leads to depleting productivity and a harmful change in mindset. Keeping yourself on a schedule that works with your daily responsibilities is the key to staying as active as you can be! Everyone’s needs are different, meaning that your techniques to staying productive and organized will be just as contrasting.
It may be difficult to stay out of this nationwide summer slump, but the Division of Information Technology (DOIT) and IT Assistance Center (ITAC) have the resources and support to help keep you motivated! My personal favorite tech service has to be Microsoft 365, more specifically the Outlook calendar feature. Having my BobcatMail and calendar side-by-side helps keep my work day organized.
Although it’s important to stay active and productive, the key to balance is finding ways to keep both your personal and work life healthy. With the days blending into months, it’s been tough to recognize where your energy needs to be transferred to keep that work/life relationship stable. This is when introspection and relaxation play a major role in keeping yourself healthy, thus boosting the ability to juggle your workload and downtime. Taking breaks between tasks, being kind to yourself, and getting active creatively or physically are all ways to decompress throughout the week.
Take advantage of the free time quarantine has given us to figure out a routine that works for your lifestyle. Once school kicks up again, you’ll have stable structure of productivity and relaxation. Remember to use DOIT and ITAC’s resources specifically in place for Bobcats to get yourself organized for free!
Eva Nobles is a sophomore majoring in advertising and a student employee in the IT Assistance Center.
