Over the past few years, students haven’t had a solid routine due to Covid and distance learning. However, having a schedule is paramount in a student’s life. Simple tasks can become much more complicated and stressful than they have to be when an organized schedule is not in place. Here are some ways students can get back into a regular and healthy routine. 

Use a planner: Needing to complete multiple tasks can be difficult to keep track of in students’ busy lives. To make things easier, using a planner is beneficial to stay organized when creating a routine. David Stradling, teacher at Saugus High School, recommends that “students need to have a calendar of some sort. It can be a paper one, or on their phone. This will help them remember due dates and important events.” Sometimes schools may provide free planners for students. If this is not the case, students can purchase one from https://www.bestproducts.com/. If students are more interested in organizing tasks digitally, they can find a digital planner on the website https://calendly.com/. 

List tasks and estimate how long they will take to complete: When students wake up, it is comforting to know that they have a scheduled day. Create a list of tasks and times. Include any school and extracurricular activities throughout the day. Being more precise and punctual can greatly improve students’ anxiety. Schedules may vary according to the day of the week. If this is the case then students can create schedules accruing to the day. By creating a timed schedule, students can determine when they need to get certain things done and when they have time to relax.

Take mental breaks in between activities: Consistently working for long periods of time can be draining, taking a toll on one’s mental health if reviving breaks are not taken. There are many ways to give one’s brain a rest, but it is strongly recommended that  spending it by completing other challenging tasks is avoided. Stradling states: “I play simple game apps that don’t take much time or brain power. I also golf a lot.” Doing things that aren’t time consuming or hard can be highly beneficial in one’s routine. 

Make responsible choices: While academics are very important, sometimes other priorities come first. However, it is up to students to determine what these priorities are. Stradling emphasizes that, “Excuse making should be kept to a minimum. Everything in life is about choices.” For example, if a student gets invited to a party but they know they have to study for a huge test the next morning, the responsible choice would be to stay home and study. If the student really wanted to go to this party, being organized and efficient with time might make the party possible to attend.  Again, like Stradling says, “Everything in life is about choices.” 

While having a routine is very beneficial, sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan. If this happens, students should prioritize and remove some tasks from their schedule. There are many ways to deal with stress, but creating a routine is just one way to make one’s life a little easier.