Creating a Routine When You Don't Have Any Daily Structure
So I know that when I have appointments or classes to hold me accountable, I create a daily/weekly routine in order to help myself get everything done. It works every time and I get things done. However, the moment I don't have classes anymore, when I don't have to do anything.... I don't do anything. I can't get anything done unless I'm told I have to.
This has endlessly frustrated me, because I want to be able to accomplish something on my own terms. I also run out of energy (or "spoons") easily since I have to work around adhd, chronic pain, and other issues.
So what's the solution? How do you become productive on your own terms when you're stuck with executive function issues and addicted to short term satisfaction?
A routine.
I used to hate them, because I could never actually stick to them. I found them boring and a waste of time. But there's a way to do it right.
A Five Step Process to Creating a Proper Routine
1. Sit down and plan it out.
With this, get a piece of paper and a pen or create a document on the computer you can print out. (I know handwriting hurts a lot with carpal tunnel/arthritis). Firstly, we need to be realistic with how much you can get done in a day. How many things can you do comfortably without pushing yourself too hard. Remember, you're doing this during a rest period, meaning you don't want to burn out. If that means it's 5 things such as wake up, shower, dress, cook/eat, and one other thing you want to do, then plan for that. For me, I already know I have enough energy in the day to do all of my daily hygiene and needs and have energy to do more things. So this is my outline:
A. Get ready
B. Write at least one sentence in novel
C. Spend one hour studying target language
D. Clean room
E. Spend time reading/knitting
F. Allow time to meditate or journal mood
And that's my goals for a regular rest day.
2. Prioritize every daily goal
You may end up with other things you have to do during a rest day. That doesn't mean you push yourself to do all of those goals on top of whatever else you have to do. It means that you have to let something else fall by the wayside for a day.
Pick and choose what you find crucial to do in a day, and what you're okay with allowing to skip during a busy day. Then, list it by priority. For me, it looks like this:
A. Get ready
B. Clean room
C. Spend time reading/knitting
D. Allow time to meditate or journal mood
E. Spend one hour studying target language
F. Write at least one sentence in novel
I know that if I was busy during a portion of the day, I'm going to want to prioritize tasks that help center and relax me rather than mentally and physically draining ones. I also care about cleanliness and feeling ready to face the day, so the first two are non-negotiable to me.
3. Organize yourself accordingly
What I mean by this, is that you have to execute this correctly to push yourself to actually do it. This means putting that list somewhere you will struggle to ignore it, and if you have adhd like me, I recommend changing it's position once a week, or it will begin to fade into the background and you will forget about it.
This also means organizing supplies for any hobby or task you will be tackling. I recommend keeping these supplies in a nice stack, pile, or box/jar (that's see through) if you have adhd or somewhere easily accessible if you have chronic pain. For me, I keep trays in the area where that task usually takes place so I can see it, and it doesn't physically drain me to get it.
Lastly, this means recognizing what is getting in your way. What is your biggest time waster? For me, it's a mix of tiktok, ao3, and YouTube. But they all have one thing in common. The internet, and my phone/laptop. I open my phone every morning and waste an hour on tiktok because I wake up in pain and freezing. I open my laptop at lunch and waste time watching YouTube while eating, and before I know it, it's 6 pm! You have to identify what wastes your time and how you are going to minimize that issue. In fact, this was so hard for me that my next step is about how to help combat this.
4. Set reminders/alarms
Setting a phone alarm might seem counter productive to staying off of your phone, but it actually really helps. As someone with adhd, I struggle to stop and start doing tasks. I have to start a new task at the right time (ex. 2:00, 3:15, 4:30) usually at 15 minute or half hour intervals and if I miss it, I procrastinate until the next "correct" interval. This is DUMB but I can't stop my brain from thinking this way so I have to accommodate for that.
So, here's what I do.
Let's say my plan is to stop being on the computer at 2:00 pm everyday. This is realistic for me since I wake up at 10:00 and eat around 12:30. I will then set an alarm for 1:50 pm, because that will warn me that in 10 minutes, I have to change tasks, so I can prepare myself for it. I set another alarm for 1:57, just to help myself stay reminded and give myself time to properly wrap up whatever I was doing online. Set my last alarm for 2:00 pm and make sure to close the laptop as soon as I hear the alarm, before dismissing it.
I'm now free to change mindsets to whatever priority I have next on my list, so I make sure to clean my area, and set up for the next task, such as language learning.
These alarms can be really helpful to help you keep track of time, it forces you to ground yourself in the present moment and make sure you can't lose track of time. However, I understand that people with sensory processing issues may not like a harsh alarm sound, or anything loud.
The alarm can be a pleasant sound that will get your attention as well. I like birds chirping or Chopin as an alarm sound.
5. Be forgiving
You won't immediately make this work. You won't just magically wake up and perfect this routine and become super productive. This is a guideline to help make it easier to begin.
There are plenty of other tips and tricks to help focus and get things done, but this is to help create a Routine. This will work best if you wake up and go to bed at relatively the same time everyday. Which for people with adhd, that can be difficult. If you want more tips on sleep and adhd let me know, or send me an ask.
Don't be angry and give up if it doesn't go perfectly. Just keep trying. Don't expect perfection, expect mediocrity. Mediocrity is fine, or really, great in a routine. It's supposed to be a little flexible, you're supposed to fuck it up sometimes. A guideline doesn't understand exactly how you feel that day, how tired you are, or how stressed you are. Be nice to yourself and just give it a try!
Tl;Dr: An active way of memorizing + understanding what you are studying is translating it, into a 2nd language that you know and feel comfortable with
GUYS I HAVE AN AMAZING STUDYING HACK
IDK HOW IVE NEVER THOUGHT OF IT:
Ok so this hack sadly requires you to know 2+ languages to work
Now usually i would study by reading the material more than 3 times and memorizing it perfectly and just writing it the same exact way it was in the books. But now that im in uni, stuff are harder to memorize, i need more time to study which i never do cuz i suck at managing my time and procrastinate and think that ill have time later
Well instead i found this way of memorizing by understanding, memorizing in simple ways without leaving out keywords and I think its a pretty engaging activity (mostly cuz i love English and am obssesed with english)
The way is to take the thing you need to learn/memorize/ study and translate it into the medt language you feel comfortable with. For example Im studying Culture Nutrient Substrates and in the Greek langauge. so instead i tranlsate it into English.
Now you dont need to translate it perfectly. Also you dont need to translate every single word. especially since some key words are important to remember and you dont wanna forget them in the target language.
So instead I have some keywords that I leave the same and translate very basic parts that wouldnt affect my memorisation this way
Ill put an example:
Original text:Τα θρεπτικά υλικά είναι μείγματα ουσιών που χρειάζονται τα μικρόβια για να αναπτυχθούν και να πολλαπλασιαστούν in vitro
My Translated version: Θρεπτικά are μείγματα ουσιών that are used as food/nutrients for the reproduction and growth of microbes in vitro.
While translating this part, i realized that the important parts to know are what Θρεπτικά υλικά are in Culture Nutrient (nutritional ingredients) and I also realised i didnt know what in vitro was so that lead me to research it instead of just memorizing it and forgetting it later.
I know i wrote a lot but hahaha idk i felt like a genius after i discovered this way and i felt like i was able to hack my brain
A Method to STOP PROCRASTINATION (for those of you who do)
I've realised that one method that helps me with the procrastination is the Pomodoro Method. It's when you set a timer for 25 minutes (this is totally customisable) and then you focus for that entire 25 minutes. Then, you have a 5-minute break and the process repeats.
I've noticed that as a teenager with varied school work, I like using my twist of the Pomodoro Method instead, and I find it better than the original. First, estimate how much time you'd need for a task, and then break it up into manageable chunks. For example, for a 1-hour task, I might split the time into three 20 minute chunks of time, and I do the Pomodoro Method with 20 Minutes.
I find that I focus easier if I don't switch to a new task in the middle of a time period.
Also, word of advice. I started doing the Pomodoro method with an ordinary timer, but I've realised that doing so is very boring, especially when you have to write essays and post stories (no worries with that one, though). Instead of that, I use Sprinto, which is a discord bot.
You can add it to a server and then run a race by typing in _sprint # (# being the number of minutes you want to write for). Then, it’ll give you instructions on how to proceed further.
Thank you for listening to me ramble, and I hope this was helpful for y’all.
23.12.2017 || Merry Christmas Eve Eve everyone! || Just catching up on my Russian Revolution notes (I still have a 3000-word essay to write for history this holiday so that’s going to be ~fun~) I’m probably not going to be posting until the New Year, so enjoy yourselves, have a break, and Merry Christmas!
I haven't done much with this blog since I've created it, but I want that to change. In the past I used it only as an archive of useful language learning posts, but I don't feel like that has actually helped me in the past year. I've always been a knowledge-oriented person, and by that I mean I inevitably become infatuated with learning anything. Even in classes I hate I still love learning the content, because learning is my one true passion.
However, as someone with incredibly pervasive adhd, I have always found it difficult to remain consistently organized and motivated. In the past, adrenaline is what aided my work ethic, not true discipline, and that has only begun to somewhat change this past semester. With the introduction of online classes, I had to actually develop real strategies to hold myself accountable and quit procrastinating. It wasn't perfect, but many of these strategies really helped and I am ready to move to the next step.
With that in mind, I felt that using this normally dormant blog to my advantage would be crucial to this step. I'm going to bring it out of its habitual hibernation and begin to use it hopefully daily.
My strategy is to use this blog to be helpful towards myself and hopefully others. I've developed many tactics to combat adhd and to help learning and studying. As Covid-19 seems to be getting worse in many areas, many upcoming semesters will be online again, mine and my girlfriend's included. Knowing that, I assume many people might benefit from tips and tricks to help study or hold oneself accountable while learning online. I want to give advice to anyone who could benefit from it, as well as become more active in the studyblr community.
Here's to turning over a new leaf! If you liked this post and actually read to the end, thanks! Consider following my blog if:
You're interested based off of this post
You're learning Mandarin Chinese (I am too!)
You have adhd and would like study tips
You're learning online and would like study tips
You like learning languages and would like facts/tips about language acquisition
You have adhd, spd, dyslexia, messy handwriting/carpal tunnel/arthritis, and would like helpful facts or tips about these conditions, and how to successfully study with said conditions (I have all of these issues and have made strategies to myself with all of them)
You just want to interact with another studyblr blog!
Also, if anything piqued your interest, feel free to send me an ask about any of these subjects!
