Balancing life and studies can be overwhelming and challenging. One would think that there are too many things to accomplish but so little time, alongside the various commitments in our personal lives. This year is a new beginning, and we must know how to navigate the waves without being too hard on ourselves.
Every student knows that it is difficult to have an engaging life with school deadlines, readings, and examinations left and right. Striking a perfect balance in life and school is a test, especially for those who have to work while taking care of a family, a business, and a degree, all at the same time, like me.
Fortunately, there are a lot of things we can do to make ends meet. Here are some of the things I can share that worked well for me in the past year that I’m willing to continue this 2022:
- Keep a Task Tracker or a Calendar
Sometimes, we just cannot trust our brains to remember everything, especially if we are juggling a lot of things—work, school, family. Keeping a task tracker in a traditional notebook or a digital calendar is effective. You may set alarms for the meetings you have to attend and bills’ due dates that you have to pay attention to. Keep a checklist of the chores you need to do..
Google Calendar is the most effective for me. It syncs both important meeting invitations received through your Gmail or UP account.
- Prioritize Wisely
You may think that all the things on your list are urgent. Hence, it becomes overwhelming. However, it is also essential to sit back and breathe, and list down the things you need to do.
Prioritize things according to the schedule when they are in dire need. Do not be afraid of the thought that you will not be as productive as people want you to be. Just take it one step at a time.
- Schedule Social Networking
Social media has become a part of our lives. Gone are the days when we send messages mostly via SMS or make phone calls through a regular mobile phone or telephone. Today, we usually contact our co-workers, family, and friends through social media or messaging applications with the use of the internet.
If you want to accomplish more of your school tasks, house chores, and errands, schedule your social networking activities. It is quite impossible to eliminate it as there are also advantages to using it. However, you must be able to control your use of it or it will control you.
Create an amenable schedule for your downtime. I usually check my social media accounts at the end of the day after all my tasks for the day are done. I hope it works for you, too.
- Ask for Help
One thing that I realized in life is that asking for help is okay and can even bring you closer to people. Sometimes, we think that we can accomplish everything on our own and all at once, thinking that we know everything we must do. Sure, this can happen, but of course at our expense, too.
There is nothing wrong with asking for help, especially if needed. Spark conversation with people by asking them about things you do not know.
- Be Kind to Yourself
Our end goal is to finish all our tasks. It should not be at the expense of our mental or physical health. We must know when and how to pause and continue again. I learned to not procrastinate with the things I must accomplish, so I can also enjoy pauses and not worry while doing them.
May we all be productive and successful and, at the same time, find fun and joy in living. Although there will be much to do, may we all remain unafraid of the challenges that await us.
UP Open University 
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