Creating
healthy
habits:
deadline
edition

Goal setting

It is essential to set yourself clear goals to manage workload. Have you separated your assignment into milestones or organised a clear revision timetable? This will help you use your time effectively. Clear your schedule for fun activities and rest periods too! There’s often social pressure to see friends and visit family, so remember it’s okay to say no if you need some time for yourself instead.

Eat a well-balanced diet

Food is the key to feeling more agile and motivated. It can also help reduce stress during deadline seasons. With less time available, it can be easy to gravitate towards junk food but remember you want to be feeling awake when pulling those all-nighters in the library. Consider these easy food alternatives:

•    Ditch the frozen pizza for the warming winter soup
•    Prepare a nutritious mead instead of opting for the takeaway
•    Swap the chocolate to super study snacks, like berries and nuts

Go to sleep

It can be easy to get wrapped up in the fun of student life and forget about the upcoming stress of deadlines. Too many nights staying up late to binge watch films? Lack of rest can reduce concentration levels, and creativity which are key qualities needed to produce high-standard work. So, maybe it’s time to put down the next movie and get some much-needed sleep.

Consume uplifting media

Do you find yourself listening to the same sad song on repeat when the assignment isn’t going to plan – or is that just me? Media can have the power to influence your mood, so use it as a force for good. Consider listening to a fun song to uplift your mood before revisiting that assignment or watching a feel-good film to unwind after a study session.

Remember to take breaks

It is important to pace yourself with university work. Regular study breaks are found to increase productivity. Form some distance between yourself and your devices to regain focus and recharge those creative batteries. Try washing the dishes, doing a short yoga video, or making a cup of coffee. Have you heard of the Pomodoro technique? It encourages users to take regular five-minute breaks to separate intense twenty-five-minute study periods. There are plenty of time management study techniques out there, so do some research and find what works best for you.

Limit unproductive screentime

On a similar point, try reducing your screentime. This can be hard to do as technology is heavily involved in all aspects of our lives. It’ll just be watching one TikTok video, that inevitably turns into three hours of scrolling. Consider using time limiting apps to control your phone usage. Remember to put your phone down and live more in the moment.

Let us know @DerbyUni what techniques you’ve developed to regulate your time between enjoying yourself and completing high-standard university work that makes the deadline!