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“How To Maximize Productivity on a School Day Off”
Introduction
Those days that we have no school are one of the biggest blessings to exist for any student. We have school for around 75% (or more) of the entire year, and thus aren’t able to enjoy much time to ourselves, especially during the school year.
For that reason, you should learn how to make the most of the time that you’re offered whenever you have a day off or when you just felt like staying home.
In this article, we’ll dive into what you can, and what you should do, as well as diving into some small (others big) habits that you can start practicing now to not only make you a better student, but mold you into a better person overall.
Ready?
POV: You’re Staying Home
Let’s tell a little story before we start. Imagine this.
You went to sleep the night prior, thinking that the next day would just be an ordinary day of school, and that you would go about your day as usual. You’d attend class, complete classwork, turn in homework, and come back home with a lot of new material and -probably- useless knowledge that won’t ever serve you except for the test that’s in a week.
However, when you did wake up, something was different. You check your phone, and find an e-mail notification telling all students and parents that school is cancelled – whatever the reason be. Or, if school wasn’t cancelled, and you just didn’t feel like attending (which happens to the best of us, don’t worry, it’s not just you); which, if true, then you’ve probably been haven’t wanting to go since last night.
Present Moment
Well, now you’re here. Your parents are off to work, your siblings (if you have any) are currently in class as you’re reading this, and you’re here, at home – probably spending time terribly.
If that’s the case, then I can imagine the thoughts that are spinning through your head. This sure feels awesome, but still, I have got no clue as to what I should do.
Be Aware
If you’re staying home because you didn’t originally feel well, and legitimately couldn’t go to school, you might want to reconsider doing anything at all.
Of course, if you’re the type that hates sitting around doing nothing, then feel free to let your curiosity wander and maximize your productivity with the abundance of time at your disposal.
“Staying Home” Images – Unsplash.com
What You Could Do
You have two options: you can either waste all the time you have through video games, movies, digital content, or just sitting around asking yourself what you should do. Those are all time-wasters. The only difference between each one is that they are their own forms of dopamine. You choose the cheap food that your brain feeds from.
You could just sit at home, doing nothing, and just wasting every single minute that is offered to you. After all, nothing is stopping you from actually doing so.
So, just stop what you’re doing right now. Forget reading this post. Go back to finishing the match of yours, or that movie of yours, or that series which only has 5 episodes left.
Go do so.
What You Should Do
Good. You’re still here. If you are still reading, then you were strong enough to know that whatever you were doing before wasn’t good and that you can’t keep continuing. You can spend your time better.
And that realization is good. It’s important to be aware of whether or not you’re appropriately or inappropriately spending your time. The choices you make will always come at a cost. Eating that sandwich will ruin your health. Eating that salad will be the opposite of enjoyable. Similar to how finish the last hour of that movie will have your regretting all your life choices once it’s over.
Do you really want that?
Well then, how should I spend my time?
Good thing that you’re asking. The general rule with free time is to use it well. But, how?
What you should generally aim for is to get work done. And no, this isn’t typical busy work. It’s actual work with value and meaning. For example, if you have an upcoming assignment that’s due by the end of the week, and it’s currently a Tuesday, spend a bit of time working on it (unless you wish to complete all of it entirely). Another example could be a test that you have to study for; in which case, you could prioritize a time block of 1-2 hours in the day studying for it.
Otherwise, if you have no work to get done, focus on improving yourself (as we discussed before). This could include reading a book, learning a new language, developing/harnessing/refining a new or old skill, meditating, exercising, going out for a walk, journaling, doing house chores, whatever – you get the point.
My Suggestions
I want you to leave this post knowing exactly what you’re going to do next. I want you to leave knowing what you plan on doing, when, and for how long you’ll be doing it. Don’t leave here today without knowing that.
For that exact reason, I’ll be providing you all with three lists: one with small habits, one with big habits, and the other with general self-help habits. The goal is to keep your mind busy, while also preserving it with healthy activity that doesn’t over-relax your brain.
#1: Small, Daily, Practical Habits
- Read a book
- Meditating
- Exercise
- Journaling
- Completing general work
- Going for a walk
- Stretching
- Spending 10-15 minutes refining your vocabulary with a proficient language of yours
- Learning a new language (briefly)
- Going outside
- Trying arts and crafts
- Completing non-negotiables (making your bed, washing dishes, taking out the trash, walking a pet, etc.)
- Trying a new cooking recipe
- Drinking water
- Learning something new
- Practicing gratitude
- Reflecting
- Taking power naps
The small habits above are -by all means- not intended to keep you occupied throughout the entire day. Their sole purpose is to slowly and gradually craft you into a better person, day-by-day. Where things get serious is when we take a look at the list of big, more long-term habits.
#2: Major, Occupying Habits
- Writing and brainstorming big ideas for anything of your choice
- Running a marathon
- Conducting in-depth research on a topic of interest and value (e.g. artificial photosynthesis)
- Learning to play a musical instrument
- Drafting new business ideas for a startup
- Dedicating a few hours to learning a new programming language
- Completing a large-scale art project
- Learning an entirely new valuable skill (e.g. learning to say no)
- Studying for a professional certification exam
- Dedicating a few hours to completing an online course
- Developing a comprehensive financial investment strategy
- Investing in new stocks/choosing new companies or stocks to invest in
- Writing and rehearsing a full-length theatrical production
- Training for a competitive sports event
- Edit and post a long-form video
- Developing a personalized skin-care and/or hair-care routine
- Planning and executing a long-distance hiking or backpacking trip
- Learning and mastering advanced techniques in a martial art or combat sport
- Writing and publishing a full-length non-fiction book or academic thesis
- Writing an essay
- Complete a large and upcoming school project
- Studying for the SAT, ACT, or any large-scale exam
- Freelancing/offering a service online in return for a form of monetary compensation
- + any others that you may come up with
The list above is huge, and is technically never-ending. This is because there are millions, billions of major habits that you can practice every single day that will not only leave you feeling productive, but also occupied. These aren’t your typical daily habits that’ll take a few minutes to complete at best. No, these will (or should) take hours to complete.
#3: Self-Improvement Habits
- Practicing daily gratitude journaling
- Setting and reviewing personal goals regularly
- Engaging in daily physical exercise
- Taking a cold shower in the morning
- Reading a self-help book/article
- Learning a new skill/hobby
- Networking and building relationships with others in your field
- Seeking feedback and constructive criticism to grow
- Limiting screen time and digital distractions
- Practicing time management and prioritization techniques
- Volunteering or giving back to the community
- Seeking out mentorship or coaching
- Developing a personalized skin-care and/or hair-care routine
- Learn how to develop a mind of steel, that is invincible to hatred
- Practice #looksmaxxing
- Seeking out opportunities for continuous learning and growth
- Practicing emotional intelligence and empathy in relationships
- Taking regular breaks and prioritizing self-care
- Celebrating successes and progress, no matter how small
- Eliminate a bad habit every day
- Learn to train your mind how to avoid feeding off of dopamine as a source, and instead creating dopamine yourself
Some of the habits or practices above may be unfamiliar to you, so be sure to conduct any necessary research and build familiarity and knowledge. Your goal is to build up the knowledge inside your brain, and make it smarter and more aware of its environment.
“Progress” Images – Unsplash.com
Which Habits To Practice
The ways in which you can spend your time productively is limitless. However, you must choose the habits that you prioritize.
To do this, you need to see what you need improvement on. Is it something physical, mental, emotional, or social?
For example, if you suck at dealing with your emotions and keep on getting angry at things that you really shouldn’t be getting angry over, you might want to consider learning emotional intelligence. Or maybe you suck at doing even 20 push ups, thus if true, you need to prioritize physical exercise and getting your body and heart active.
Point is, you need to do what’s right for you, and not anyone else. Don’t blindly follow the advice of someone on the internet, but instead, take time to really think about it and seeing if it suits you. Be smart and be knowledgeable.
For How Long To Practice Each
Now that you have a list of habits that you’ll be practicing, you need to know how much time you’ll be dedicating.
My general guideline? Start and continue until it’s finished. If you just started an essay, finish it. If you started editing a video, finish it. The purpose here is to get your brain to start it, and to get it to finish it – right here, right now.
Conclusion
Hopefully you walked away from this post with an idea of what you want to prioritize the time you have at home doing, and for how long. Good.
Never forget the value of every minute gifted to you. Once you spend or waste it, you can’t get it back. It’s gone. Good luck doing anything about it.
