Lauren O’Malley, Blogs Editor
@lomalleycourant
The spread of COVID-19 has fostered an entirely new academic environment for many students. We are now living and learning in entirely new ways. From working at home to wearing masks during school, there are many new challenges this year to overcome. So, it’s important to know what works best for you to help keep you learning during the school day. Here are some products and apps to help keep you focused this year during E-learning:
5. Essential Oil Diffuser: To work, add one to two ounces of water mixed with a couple of drops of oil. It’s very simple and leaves any room smelling wonderful! The best part is that you can pick whichever oils you like and mix multiple scents together making for a calmer more productive environment. This is much better than a candle because it’s not dangerous and it’s very low Maintainance.
4. Headspace: This awesome app talks you through meditation and mindfulness. There are many ways the app can help you meditate, including sleep casts and grounding your thinking, so this app is definitely a must-have. Just a quick five minutes in between classes or during a mask break can help calm your mind and prepare you to focus on your assignments.
3. Fidget Toys: These small toys are extremely useful when you need to focus your attention on something other than school. There are various types of fidget toys out on the internet for purchase, but this marble in chinese handcuffs is a personal favorite. It doesn’t make a mess and it’s small enough that no one would ever know you were using it. Although it can be distracting, I also find that it’s a way to focus my energy at the end of the day when I’m getting antsy from solely sitting in a chair.
2. Coloring Book: Another app I fell in love with over the course of elearning is called Happy Color. It is essentially a coloring book on your phone, all you have to do is color by number. It’s a great app for winding down and it doesn’t require a lot of brainpower. I find this app kind of like a reset button, so I can go into my next class refreshed and calm.
1. Planner: A calendar/ notebook is one of the best things to help you stay focused during your day. Writing down your schedule for the day along with any upcoming assessments helps to keep you organized and prepared. Although it is one of the simplest things you can do in your day, it can help dramatically with overall production when you can see what you have to do and make a plan.
