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slushiepizza · 11 months ago

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hi slushie (my redacted blog is cashandprizes in case this helps)! saw your post about work stuff and idk if any of this will help but just some ideas. for context i will say I'm also in school and working part time at an office job and can definitely struggle somedays to stay on task!

Category 1: skills/techniques

Organize your stuff - but not how other people tell you, in a way that works for your brain. So many people will tell you to get a planner and if regular journaling/writing doesn't work for you, this probably won't. I will say I make a google calendar for each class and put assignments and reminders in before the semester starts from the syllabus. As for work stuff, honestly I have my basic tasks that I'm always doing and the rest I get five million messages about in the work group chat. But this might not work for your brain! Maybe you're a sticky note person, or maybe you like phone reminders. Maybe you need fun notepads like this. You know your brain best.

Figure out the optimal background noise configuration to make your brain work. Some people put on music, others put on podcasts, some people listen to nature sounds, some people need complete silence (noise-canceling headphones are great for this). If you know you've been most productive in school libraries or coffee shops, find that ambience and play it. I always recommend mynoise because it really helped me during the pandemic and there's so many noise machines (nature sounds, public spaces where people "talk", ambiance, music, etc.) - I find the brain "hacking" (binural beats) are adjustable enough to keep me focused without being too anxious and can be hidden under music. But there's always youtube asmr or lofigirl or any number of other things - again, you're your own best expert

Timing. I'm a major pomodoro fan, because I find the work-break-work-break-work-long break system really helpful for not just keeping me on task but reminding me to get up and stretch. pomfocus allows you to modify the timers and I like it a lot, but you can also use a phone timer. what's useful for me is knowing that there's a set time limit - all things end, and I can keep trying and being unsuccessful but at least i did it for that whole time. idk, works for me, maybe it will work for you. or not, that's okay too!

Reward system. the rewards might be the most important part (might just be me). sometimes motivation is getting to the reward, sometimes it's being done, and if it's getting to the reward you gotta have a fun reward. I have set things to be my rewards that I enjoy (playing five minutes of a phone game, watching a video, scrolling down tumblr) like I made a playlist of shorts and short videos on youtube to watch during breaks. That and stretching out my body helps a lot and reminds me to stay focused when I am working.

Good snacks. I had a professor in undergrad tell me "if you're going to have a meeting with yourself you need a good snack" and she was wrong about a lot of things but not that. sometimes having an easy and yummy snack food and a yummy drink makes the difference when you're working.

Figure out what distracts you and plan for it. the thing is you can't eliminate every distraction, right? but if you plan for how to handle them, that can help. so first figure out what gets you distracted (silent enough to hear your thoughts, hearing other conversations, being cold/hot, uncomfortable chair, etc.) and see if you can manage that or plan for it. for example my office is freezing in the summer and sweltering in the winter, so I dress in layers and keep a snuggie in my desk when I'm on campus because if I don't i will spend all day complaining about the temperature and not working. do i look ridiculous in the snuggie, sure, but i wasn't shivering and got my stuff done.

Category 2: support systems

accountability buddies. if you have friends or coworkers or whoever that you can be like "ok. i am going to do this. if you see me on discord/tumblr please fist fight me" that is so helpful. sometimes when I'm working remotely I will sit in discord vcs to parallel play because I know it keeps me accountable for doing my work. if you can find or make something like that happen, it might help you stay on task or keep you motivated?

friends/supports in general. sometimes it's really nice to just talk about how you're struggling. they can't always fix it, but it can be nice to just be heard and validated. also, if you have coworkers, they might have had similar experiences or you might all be struggling, which could be an indicator that you are not The Drama

talking with supervisors/advisors/etc. definitely daunting, but sometimes talking to supervisors can be helpful - or it can suck. try to figure out their vibes and ask other coworkers first. you might also be able to get resources from your advisor, trusted professors, campus resources, etc. that are worth investigating.

i'll keep it short, but i always feel obligated to ask if you've considered therapy - it's because i'm in therapy school and this is my life sorry. it's not for everyone, but some people find it useful.

wow jesus sorry this was so long. i hope maybe any of this was helpful??? i am sorry you are struggling and i hope you have some good outlets to work through it and some solid friends. i hope things improve!!! wishing you the best (also i love your art not totally related but we praise your art constantly in the discord)

Hi, Lexi. Thank you so much for giving such a detailed explanation omg :")) it definitely helps a lot and it gives me peace of mind to have actionable steps like you've given me, I will try to apply them and hopefully they can help me get back on my feet again. And thank you for the kind words, and for always supporting my art; your kindness gives me the strength to keep doing what I do ^^ To everyone else, I hope these tips can be of use to you too!!

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