During these past few weeks of quarantine, it has become increasingly more challenging to get out of bed in the morning and have a day full of productivity. Many people have been advising that “creating a routine” helps pass the time, but how do you create one? Many routines we have are for going to school, for work, a shower routine, and things that we might do daily. But now that we have endless time on our hands, what should we do with it? Personally, during the first week of our two weeks off from school, I did nothing but stay in my bed all day watching Netflix and movies. The days felt long, and by the end of it, I had barely anything to show for it. I knew I needed to change my habits, so by the end of our break. I wouldn’t have felt like I did absolutely nothing. I knew I needed to start a new routine.

Luckily, now that online learning has started, I have picked up my regular school routine, like getting up early in the morning and getting ready for the day and eating breakfast. However, I have noticed this isn’t the case for everyone, so if you still have a hard time creating a routine for staying inside of your house every day, here are some tips to help you get started.

Gwen Egan, a senior, says “that for [her] setting a routine starts in the morning. It’s important for [her] to start [her] day normally by making coffee and breakfast (that’s not just dry toast).” She has also started working out for about 30 minutes every day, as well as having frequent conversations with friends, so she doesn’t lose touch.

 Kessiah McGoey, junior, says, “making a goal for each day such as going outside, exercising, or getting a project done” helps her during these strange times. Even if your goal is as small as taking a walk with your dog or cleaning your room, you are still more productive than if you were to be lazy all day.

 Now that gyms, pools and other establishments to work out in are closed, it is still important to get exercise at least five days a week. Lael Burgess, junior, says that she “goes outside at least once a day” so that she is not cooped up in her house every day. 

The real question is, how do you start. And the answer is simple. You don’t need to accomplish one million things to feel productive. Start with the small stuff. Make your bed in the morning!

I know this one is difficult because many of us want to lay in our bed all day long, but as soon as your eyes open, getting up and making your bed is an excellent start to your day and you will be less inclined to sleep all day long. 

• Clean your environment.

Whatever space you might be stuck in for the next couple of weeks can get pretty messy by cleaning your area, whether it is your room, living room, basement, etc. I find myself wanting to stay in it. If we all are going to be quarantined for the next unknown amount of time, we might as well enjoy the space we are in!

• Make food

Get out of bed in the morning to make yourself breakfast. Take a break during the middle of the day to make yourself lunch. Learn some new skills by making a meal for your family during the evening.

• Go on walks 

If you can take walks around your neighborhood or a close trail, go for it! As long as there are not a lot of people there, it is safe! There is a difference between going to the beach or a park where there might be a large number of people and a walk around your neighborhood with your dog. It’s a great way to get some fresh air, maybe exercise a little bit and get out of your house without getting anyone sick. 

• Get all of your work done before a specific time, so you have more free time later

Having school has been a nice part of my day, but one thing that makes the day more enjoyable is to finish all of your work before a specific time. For this new concept of online school, it seems harder to do your work if there isn’t a live group chat or anything to keep you on task. This leads to a lot of distraction and before you know it, the day is already done. One thing I have been doing is if a teacher assigned something due to a couple of days after, I’ll try to get it done as soon as possible so I don’t forget about it, and then I can do something else I want to do after. There are a lot of things to manage when it comes to online school. Pretend that the 1:30-3:00 time after school for ‘office hours’ is the equivalent to Advisory. You don’t have to ‘go’ to any of your teachers if you don’t have any questions, but it is the perfect time to finish all of your assignments. 

With these tips and suggestions on how to create a routine, I hope you will be able to accomplish more during your day as well as feel more productive. By creating a routine, I think these never-ending days of quarantine may be fun and you will be able to feel proud of the day you had and the work you accomplished.