Defeating Yourself to Get Your Work Done
Each and every one of us has been impacted in some way by COVID-19. However, the way it has impacted each of us is different. Some of us have had to go back home after being on college campus, some can’t see their grandparents or other elderly relatives or friends. Even accessing a computer has become much more difficult. We’re all making transitions that will take some time to get used to and to learn what we can or cannot get away with. For me, I’ve had to make the transition of staying on task much more often.
I get easily distracted, and having to stay in my home for long periods of time leads me in that direction. “Why would I want to do homework when I can do literally anything else?” is the question I always ask myself, at the same time letting my assignments build up slowly but surely. While writing this, I have an insane amount of homework due! Why do I do this to myself, and how can I improve on it?
I do this to myself because I get really lazy in my environment. I feel almost too comfortable to want to do anything, which is a huge detriment to me. Some of you may also feel the same way, like you’re too comfortable in your own home to want to do any work. The atmosphere of school is gone, and that’s not normal to a lot of us. What can we do to get that atmosphere back and put our brains in the right place? What are the biggest obstacles we face, and how can we overcome them?
The largest obstacle in our paths is our own selves. We daydream for roughly eight hours a day, one third of our whole day! It’s best to let your mind wander when you’re not doing your homework. Getting yourself in the zone is vital, but staying there is equally important.
First off, try and mimic the setting of school as best as possible. Put your phone somewhere you won’t be tempted to use it, but close enough so that you can hear phone calls if need be. But, if the phone calls can wait, put it out of sight and out of mind. Finding a quiet spot in the house can be difficult for some people, so convincing your family to steer clear of where you are is one of the best things you can do. What if you work better surrounded by others? Find a family member that can help you stay on task, especially if it’s someone who has been through college or even did an assignment similar to yours.
Another thing you can do to help yourself focus is to put some music on. Preferably music that doesn’t have lyrics to it, as you can easily find yourself lost in the lyrics of a good song. Sure, Beethoven is good, but it’s also perfect for helping you focus and clearing your thoughts. However, some of us may work better when there’s no noise at all. For those noisy distractions, make sure there is no TV on within your range, turn off all notifications and apps on your computer or other device, and make sure you politely ask whoever is pumping music in your home to lower it down a bit.
Defeating yourself isn’t easy, and it shouldn’t be. We all have to find out how we can get ourselves on task without going back to the distractions. Sometimes, we don’t take our own advice. It’s fine if it doesn’t work out at first, because you’ll never do it perfectly the first time. If you mess up, you can always make up for it down the road. Don’t kill yourself over it, but learn from it so you can properly defeat yourself the next time and get the work done.