Hi again, everyone. It’s me, Lacie! Recently, I’ve been facing some personal and health-related issues that have caused me to fall behind in my classes and my work. You are probably wondering why I would even bring this up, but in this blog, I will be talking about how to get your academic life back together after your personal life comes at you fast.
Academic and work-related setbacks happen to the best of us, and it is very easy to feel like you are drowning in work and responsibilities that you must ultimately take care of. The best way to get your work done is to do it. But as you probably could have guessed, that’s definitely easier said than done. Here are some ways you can make your workload feel a little more manageable.
- 1. Create a plan of action
Do some planning beforehand to figure out what exactly needs to be accomplished. My favorite way to stay organized is to make a to-do list in my planner. I write a list of everything I need to do and draw little boxes next to them. This way, when I finish a task, I can cross the task off my list and feel some relief. It reminds me that if I keep pushing, eventually all of the work will be done and I will be back on track.
- 2. Chunking
Trying to tackle everything at once is hard and can be overwhelming. Breaking your tasks into smaller pieces will help you to stay calm, and make you feel like you are being more productive. If you work on each of your assignments or projects for a little bit every day, then eventually they will all be finished at the same time and you will be back on course.
- 3. Remind yourself it is not the end of the world
Do not be too hard on yourself. You are only human, and these kinds of things happen to everyone. You just have to remind yourself that you can overcome the hurdles ahead of you with time and effort.
- 4. Tie up loose ends
If you are really behind, send emails to your professors or bosses explaining the situation you are in. Apologize for the inconvenience, and work out possible deadlines so you can get back on track. If you and your superiors are on the same page, then they might be more sympathetic to the fact that the work you are turning in is late. If for whatever reason they do not or refuse to acknowledge your apologies, do not panic. Simply do the work as soon as you can and move on.
- 5. Take time for yourself
Do not overexert yourself. Make sure to set aside some time for yourself- whether it be reading a chapter of a book you like, taking a hot shower, scrolling on Twitter, or just taking some time to cook a good meal for yourself. You cannot perform if you are too stressed out, so make sure you are in good shape mentally before you proceed with your work.
Those were some tips I found that have helped me recently, and I hope they can help you too! Remember you can do whatever you set your mind to, as long as you put the time and energy into it.