• If you get distracted online…

    1. Try downloading the Mindful Browsing extension for google chrome! This lets you add in websites you know you can get easily distracted by, and will ask you if you really want to visit them. It also reminds you every 10 minutes that there might be something more important than scrolling through your favorite sites. You can try the SelfControl app if you have a Mac or Apple computer.
    2. Set up a work space for yourself. Learning and working from your bedroom, or bed, is VERY unlike a normal classroom. The best way to get yourself to learn and participate is to make remote learning feel as much like school as possible, even if it isn’t.
    3. Do you usually have your phone with you during class time? There’s a good chance that you are checking your phone more often than you realize! Try leaving your phone in a space far away from where you are completing your schoolwork. You can give yourself breaks, like during lunch, to check it - just like would happen in normal classrooms.

     

    If you have trouble with time management…

    1. Try the Pomodoro Technique! This asks you to work on one single task for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break. It involves setting a timer, and having an even balance between the things you want to do, and have to do. You’ll be surprised at how much you accomplish in a small amount of time if you focus!
    2. If you feel like you are working literally all day but still not getting enough done, try planning your day out hourly, and sticking to it. You can even use the time slots to schedule snack breaks or brain breaks for yourself! You can use this type of a template: Hourly Schedule

     

    If you are feeling overwhelmed…

    1. Remember that DONE is better than perfect. Ask your teachers, your counselors, and your parents for help. Start with the small things, and work through them one at a time. If you are constantly looking at the big picture, or the whole list of things that must get done, you will never start.
    2. Make use of an agenda, planner or notebook to keep track of your past and future assignments, and your upcoming tests and quizzes. Make up your own system for how to organize everything, and mark down what you’ve completed and are still working on. If you are in need of a notebook, let us know!

     

    If you are feeling anxious or stressed…

    1. Think about how you begin your day. What if you were to wake up 5 or 10 minutes earlier than normal to set up how you want to tackle your schoolwork, set up a workstation, or think about things you are grateful for or excited about.
    2. Take a break during the day to spend some time outside! You have about an hour break for lunch. You might be surprised at how different you feel after stepping outside, without your electronics, to take a walk around your neighborhood to clear your mind.
    3. Talk to someone who you trust about how you are feeling.



    Parental advice…

    Parental Advice Cue Cards