Sincerely, I won’t classify myself as a super hardworking or terribly lazy person. Let’s just say I am somewhere in the middle. Okay, let’s be real guys………..on some days we work like we are high and vice versa (Lazy)………

Being a full-time student and a scientist with a crazy schedule of classes, lab work, seminars etc, I needed to find a coping strategy in order to keep my sanity. Below are the tips that I found to work for me.

1. Prepare the night before

I am not a morning person or a coffee drinker, who is quiet and lay-back in the mornings until 11am when I begin to open up and smile…….. So, I prep the night before; I lay out my clothes for the next day, fill my water bottle, pack my bag, pack my lunch from dinner leftover, clean my shoe and set my alarm. This strategy makes me look well-organised and prepares me for the day.

2. Write down your daily plan:

I was never a planner. Most of the time, I just go with the flow and do what I remember, but after suffering the consequences particularly financial losses, I began to look for ways to help myself and I got tired of saying ‘I am sorry’ due to my negligence. I write down my plans for the day in a diary I keep in my bag as they come up, and a calendar I keep open on my work desk (it is the first thing that stares at me in the morning ). Immediately I accomplish a task, I tick it off.

3. Eat Lunch

Personally, I skip breakfast often because I wake up 45minutes before I leave the house, giving me no time to eat. I DONT SKIP LUNCH. Food is very important. Also, I realised that lunch keeps me energised and my brain active throughout the day. This helps to increase my productivity and reduce exhaustion.

4. Prioritise and do not procrastinate

For example, on some days, I don’t feel like walking over to the administrative building because it is freaking far, and the thought of dressing up; winter jacket and beanie kills my productive spirit. I engage in a self-pep talk to keep me focused. Also, I arrange my ‘sitting tasks’ on one day and ‘walking and travelling tasks on another day. I try not to run myself crazy or grow weaker by trying to do all my ‘chores’ in one day, I solve them based on the deadline.