Being an online student can be a challenge in more ways than one! From the social isolation that comes with studying remotely to remaining personally accountable disciplined and committed to your study commitment – it can often be easy to forget to prioritize your health and well-being.
Let’s explore ways to reduce stress and burnout and stay healthy and happy while studying online at home.
Get Organized: Familiarize Yourself with Your Course Syllabus
An important element to maintaining a positive and healthy mindset when studying remotely is ensuring you are organized! Take the time to get comfortable with your course syllabus as well as the key learning outcomes and the assessment guidelines before commencing your study period.
For nursing students completing online FNP programs in Texas for instance the course program or syllabus is usually made available to download once the student has enrolled in the course. Many online students would argue that it is essential to have a good understanding of the study program before even opening their textbooks. That way students can be aware of the schedule of assessments assignment submission dates and course learning outcomes ahead of time. Of course students can also refer back to the course program throughout the study period to ensure they are staying on track with their study commitments. Despite this familiarizing oneself with the syllabus early on can help online students manage their time and prioritize tasks that will need to be submitted for assessment throughout the course.
Create a Positive Study Environment: Make Your Space Inviting Uplifting and Inspiring
Creating an environment that is conducive to productivity is essential when studying from home. Make your study space as inviting welcoming and uplifting as possible by creating an environment that is clean uncluttered and that you feel you can sit comfortably in for hours at a time.
Ensuring that your study setup – that is to say your desk and chair – is comfortable supportive and ergonomically safe is a big part of this! Just as important however is making the space as pleasant and welcoming as possible. Set the tone with warm lighting ambient music and perhaps even a home fragrance. This will make the task of studying at home as appealing as possible and can even help you stop procrastinating!
Manage Your Time: Schedule Your Study Sessions (and Breaks!)
Another essential component of staying healthy while studying at home is to ensure that you effectively manage your time. A great way to do this is to set up what is commonly known as a Study Schedule. This means actively blocking out set periods during which you focus solely on your studies. Scheduling dedicated study sessions can enable students to minimize distractions be more productive and avoid procrastination! It can also help to use productivity apps (such as Asana Monday or Structured for example) to schedule study blocks. Other effective time management tools can include using visual diaries or calendars to mark out important course requirements and assignment submission dates as they occur throughout the study period.
The best part about effectively managing your time and scheduling your study sessions? By committing to this process online students can also make time for other activities! Prioritizing rest recovery and self-care is another very important factor in terms of looking after oneself and staying healthy while studying remotely.
Look after Yourself: Prioritize Rest Recovery and Self-Care
Studying remotely can be extremely socially isolating for many online students. That is why it is essential to also make time for other activities! Be sure to schedule quality time with friends and loved ones and also take time to prioritize your self-care.
Of course an online study commitment can also be quite overwhelming – even when we have made the effort to set up a study schedule and familiarize ourselves with the course requirements ahead of time. For this reason online students need to learn how to relax reduce stress and minimize the potential for burnout. Practicing meditation can be an excellent way to unwind and physical exercise can also help to ease the mind. Try low-impact exercises such as a walk in nature a yoga class or even pilates. Another central element of self-care is to maintain a balanced diet to ensure that you are getting all the nutrients you need to stay healthy.
Staying healthy while studying at home is often easier said than done. With the challenges that remote study brings – social isolation an overwhelming schedule of assessments and assignments and the need to stay personally accountable to your study commitment – it can be hard to remember to also look after yourself.
However prioritizing your self-care managing your time effectively and making your at-home study space as pleasant as possible are some of the best ways to ensure that your mental and physical health stays on point as an online student.