Hey there, lovelies!
If you're anything like me, you spend your whole school year counting down the days until the best time all year... summer break! Summer is the perfect time of year as a teen. It's so refreshing to be able to wake up whenever and spend time with friends as much as you want. There's none of the regular stress during the school year about homework, or extracurriculars, or grades. I mean, it's perfect.
Right now, at my school at least, we have about 7 weeks until break, which sounds like a lot, but it sounds like so little at the same time. But since I'm so excited for the break, I'm finding it hard to focus on school right now, and I'm sure many of you feel the same way. So, I've put together a list of a few of my favorite tips to keep focused for these last few weeks of school.
Proper Sleeping Habits
As we get closer to summer, I always struggle with getting to sleep at a decent hour. With the warmer weather and longer nights, I typically stay out later which leads to me getting home later, and in turn, staying up later. I have to get up at 6 am during the school week, so I've found that maintaining proper sleeping habits is crucial for staying focused during the school day. Here are a few tips that have helped me:
View Sleep as Self-Care
- Just like you take time for your skincare routine or being active, prioritize sleep as an essential component of your overall well-being. Think of it as taking time for yourself to feel rejuvenated and energized for the next day.
Lower Caffeine Intake
- I love energy drinks, and lots of my friends love coffee in the morning. They are so helpful for those mornings when you're exhausted; they just wake you right up. But through this journey of trying to be a better student, and better my lifestyle, I've found that making smoothies in the morning instead still give me the boost that I need every morning, and honestly, I like them much better.
Make Your Room Cozy
- Designate a space in your room where you can unwind and destress for a while before falling asleep. I like to put fluffy pillows and blankets in a corner of my bed, and curl up while watching TV when I get home. It's so relaxing after a long day, and it helps me to fall asleep faster.
Even though it can be pretty difficult, try and get a good night's sleep. You'll be so much more alert, and your focus will definitely improve!
Stay Organized
Look, I get it. With summer break just around the corner, it's tough to stay focused on schoolwork, or school at all actually. And I'm all for being organized, but I've found that around this time every year, my planner finds a nice little home in my backpack, and doesn't really come out very often. I find myself starting to care less, and so I become unorganized, and then I'm all kinds of confused. Here's what I've found has been helping me so far this year!
Use a Planner
- As tedious as it is, just using a planner to write down what you have going on each day, along with the assignments and things that you have to get done is so impactful.
Setting Goals
- Set short-term goals for yourself. They don't necessarily have to be school-related, but giving yourself something to focus on and breaking down your tasks into smaller, manageable goals for each week or day makes the workload feel much more doable.
- I like to go on Canva and make a tracker for all of my goals for the current month and year, and then print it out.
Clean Your Bedroom
- Make it a practice to clean your room every day before you sleep. You'll wake up feeling fresh and clean, and you won't have to take time cleaning it in the morning.
Schedule Your Week Properly
- Time block your days! You don't have to make it super specific, but just a little effort makes a huge impact.
To-Do Lists
- Make to-do lists and find a way to organize them. I like to write mine in a journal, but you could make a Google Doc, or make a checklist in your Notes app, or whatever else you find helpful.
Create a Countdown
I create a countdown every year. In fact, the countdown above this is when I get out of school. It helps me to visualize the time left until summer break. Seeing how many days are left always helps me to stay focused and reminds me that the end is near!
Set Up Your Countdown
- There are so many different ways to create your countdown! I love making mine on my phone so that I can look at it whenever I feel like it. I use this app called Countdown that has all my events listed and how many days left until each one (I'll attach a picture below.)
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Make It Interactive
- Get creative with your countdown! For example, you could make a physical countdown, using magnets or stickers to represent each day, moving one off the screen/board at the end of the day. Or, if you have a digital countdown, try changing the color or adding something new. I know it sounds silly, but honestly, it's really motivating and helps me stay focused.
So, my lovelies, I hope you take these tips and incorporate them in your own life especially if you're feeling just as antsy for summer as I am. We've got this! :)