These past few weeks I have found myself sitting at my computer for four to five hours a day doing online school work. This can be stressful and tiring which is why I have some tips and tricks on how to manage the workload while operating from home. 

Organization is a very important part of successfully managing your workload. I find that when my work is clearly laid out for me, I am less stressed and more productive. 

Study hall teacher Tamar Gasko and junior Naama Ben-Dor agree that making lists is a great way to manage your tasks. Ben-Dor recommends that students “write everything you need to do down in a to-do list, and then you can do all the things you are most excited to do first.”  

Gasko says color coding is another great way to make your list visually appealing and organized. She also says to take breaks throughout the day so you are as productive as possible. 

“I take three breaks throughout the day,” Gasko said. “I’ll take a half-hour break if I’ve been sitting too long, … an hour break for lunch and if I’m not being productive, then I take a 5-minute break.”

Ben-Dor tends to procrastinate her work but handles this by setting a routine for herself. 

“Pre-corona [virus], I would try and do all my work at school,” Ben-Dor said. “[Now,] I try to do my work as soon as I wake up because, otherwise, I put it off, and I like to have the rest of the day for myself.” 

Similar to Ben-Dor, I like to do the easiest assignments first so that I get in a productive mindset and can check more items off of my to-do list. 

Middle School Assistant Principal Rabbi Janet Ozur Bass recommends having an accountability partner, who is someone that can help you reach a specific common goal, keep you on task and give you feedback. 

“The organic meeting up with someone in the hallway to ask a question just isn’t there,” Ozur Bass said. “So an accountability partner will help you with being more deliberate and planful.”

Since most people are socially distancing right now and cannot see their friends, Gasko recommends that students “FaceTime their friends not even to talk, just to work side by side.”  

I am a very social person and one of the only things getting me through quarantine is Facetiming my friends so I can have some time with others. I think that Facetiming friends is a great way to connect with others and have fun during these stressful times. 

It is important to set some time for yourself to relax or do something that you enjoy with the stress of a new learning schedule. 

Freshman Aidan Kempner’s favorite ways to destress are to play outside with his brother, play video games with friends, go on runs and play guitar. 

“Definitely play an instrument, it helps your mind calm down and it makes you feel better,” Kempner said.