Hello! I hope you are doing well and staying healthy! After around 2 weeks of time spent at home and a couple of days of the ALP(the name for our school's online classes), I have put together some of the things that have helped me keep my mind sharp and avoid spending endless hours scrolling through Instagram.
Experimenting with New Things
In our current situation, one of the "silver linings" has been plentiful time for new activities. For me, there have always been things I have been interested in but never had the time for before. For example, I have always enjoyed writing but have found time now, during quarantine, to document, organize, and share some of these ideas through this blog. For others, this could be online course in a subject matter they are interested in or reading - a precious activity we often forget to do. Maybe listening to a new podcast (two of my favorites include Not Overthinking and Hidden Brain) could help you become interested in new things. Also, as a high school student, I think there is always pressure to achieve and be "academically productive". However, this time is a perfect opportunity to focus less on achievement and more on self-improvement and introspection. I personally have found time for reflection and time to enjoy some of my hobbies like cooking. From spaghetti to street corn, cooking has been my form of mental rejuvenation during this time.
Staying Organized
Although I like to consider myself organized, often, I find myself resorting to my own memory as a way of organizing my responsibilities. As I have come to realize with the ALP, it is nearly impossible to keep track of the Zooms, office hours, and assignments of 7 classes in your head. Although the method of organization is dependent on the individual, I have found Google Calendar to be the most helpful for me. As a fan of color coding and to-do lists, Google Calendar has helped me organize some of my assignments and Zoom sessions in an effective manner. Also while constantly updating my Google Calendar, I am faced by the ever-increasing to-do list on the left side of my screen which basically guilt-trips me into doing these assignments. Another important component of staying organized is in regards to your workplace. In my experience, physical clutter can often generate mental clutter. Staying organized can help decrease this mental clutter and foster mental acuity.
Productively Procrastinating
When you don't want to do a certain task or assignment, productive procrastination is honestly the solution. This can manifest itself differently, but I personally productively procrastinate(look at that alliteration!) by cleaning a certain area of my room, clearing up my inbox, helping my brother with his online classes, or simply switching tasks to one less daunting. In fact, I am currently productively procrastinating by writing this blog post instead of doing my AP Psychology review project. However, there is obviously a boundary with productive procrastination, and at some point, you must obviously gather the courage to do that daunting assignment.
Keeping Up with the News
Living in a house where the news is always playing in the background, I have learned to drown it out. However, it is incredibly important, especially now, to be aware of what is happening around the world. With constant discussion of COVID-19, it is easy to be demoralized while watching or reading the news, but ultimately, being an informed member of society is incredibly valuable and easy to become with widespread access to news.
These are just some of the things I have found to be helpful for myself during this troubled time. Anxiety and uncertainty about the situation can be overwhelming, and this is my way of relieving some of those feelings and stay sharp mentally. Thank you so much for reading, and if you have any interesting ways that you have been keeping you mind sharp, comment them below!
Experimenting with New Things
In our current situation, one of the "silver linings" has been plentiful time for new activities. For me, there have always been things I have been interested in but never had the time for before. For example, I have always enjoyed writing but have found time now, during quarantine, to document, organize, and share some of these ideas through this blog. For others, this could be online course in a subject matter they are interested in or reading - a precious activity we often forget to do. Maybe listening to a new podcast (two of my favorites include Not Overthinking and Hidden Brain) could help you become interested in new things. Also, as a high school student, I think there is always pressure to achieve and be "academically productive". However, this time is a perfect opportunity to focus less on achievement and more on self-improvement and introspection. I personally have found time for reflection and time to enjoy some of my hobbies like cooking. From spaghetti to street corn, cooking has been my form of mental rejuvenation during this time.
Staying Organized
Although I like to consider myself organized, often, I find myself resorting to my own memory as a way of organizing my responsibilities. As I have come to realize with the ALP, it is nearly impossible to keep track of the Zooms, office hours, and assignments of 7 classes in your head. Although the method of organization is dependent on the individual, I have found Google Calendar to be the most helpful for me. As a fan of color coding and to-do lists, Google Calendar has helped me organize some of my assignments and Zoom sessions in an effective manner. Also while constantly updating my Google Calendar, I am faced by the ever-increasing to-do list on the left side of my screen which basically guilt-trips me into doing these assignments. Another important component of staying organized is in regards to your workplace. In my experience, physical clutter can often generate mental clutter. Staying organized can help decrease this mental clutter and foster mental acuity.
A depiction of my love for color-coding and my affinity for to-do lists
Productively Procrastinating
When you don't want to do a certain task or assignment, productive procrastination is honestly the solution. This can manifest itself differently, but I personally productively procrastinate(look at that alliteration!) by cleaning a certain area of my room, clearing up my inbox, helping my brother with his online classes, or simply switching tasks to one less daunting. In fact, I am currently productively procrastinating by writing this blog post instead of doing my AP Psychology review project. However, there is obviously a boundary with productive procrastination, and at some point, you must obviously gather the courage to do that daunting assignment.
Keeping Up with the News
Living in a house where the news is always playing in the background, I have learned to drown it out. However, it is incredibly important, especially now, to be aware of what is happening around the world. With constant discussion of COVID-19, it is easy to be demoralized while watching or reading the news, but ultimately, being an informed member of society is incredibly valuable and easy to become with widespread access to news.
These are just some of the things I have found to be helpful for myself during this troubled time. Anxiety and uncertainty about the situation can be overwhelming, and this is my way of relieving some of those feelings and stay sharp mentally. Thank you so much for reading, and if you have any interesting ways that you have been keeping you mind sharp, comment them below!
Janvi :)
Indeed, very commendable thought process at such a young age. My recommendation would be to reach out to other friends (personal, school, sports), family members (close and extended) and family friends (through all known people) by word of mouth, text, emails, phone calls and invite them to join in discussions through this blog. Also, ask them to share it through various social platforms; I have shared on Facebook. With such interesting subjects being written about by you, it deserves to be discussed and propagated further as a process of learning and food for thought. Bravo, keep it going!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are enjoying the blog and thank you for sharing on Facebook! So far, I have been reaching out to friends via social media and inviting them in these discussions. I have enjoyed the comments on these blogs and hope to further encourage discussion on each post!
DeleteVoila!
DeleteDefinitely. I believe this period of isolation is what we make of it. We can actively choose to dedicate this time to sharpening our minds and exploring new areas of interest, or we can become consumed by lack of motivation leading to a mental and physical demise. I love the continuous idea of introspection that these posts include, it’s critical to keep you mind sharp during this time and it’s just as important to do this in your own way. Personally, I have developed a daily schedule to ensure optimum usage of my time. Along with numerous Zoom meetings and group FaceTime calls, my schedule includes time for relaxation. This looks a little bit different everyday, it ranges from trying a new cake recipe to an hour of mediation and I am so grateful for the break in my day. I too am starting to love the ‘silver linings’ this pandemic has inflicted and continue to look forward to your posts :)
ReplyDeleteYes! I totally agree that we have complete control on how to perceive this period of isolation. I am glad that you are finding time for hobbies and relaxation as I have been! Thank you so much for commenting and reading!
DeleteHi this is Sanaa Janvi! This blog is a self reflection of oneself and it really shows how much you can do at home without staying bored.I am also inclined to try new activities. I started doing online art classes along with crocheting. With abundance of time in our hands I am also making a lot of meaning to my spare time. I am so happy you started to learn how to cook such fabulous meals for you and your family! That is so awesome. Maybe you could teach me some day how to cook! Kuddos on your blog writing and keep those positive thoughts keep coming.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for leaving a comment Sanaa! I am glad that you are also using this time to pick up on new ideas like crocheting. Maybe you can teach me how to crochet when I teach you how to cook. If you enjoyed this blog, I just found out that you can become a follower(simply by clicking the sidebar), which allows you to get notified when I post again! Glad you are enjoying!
Delete