To reduce the spread of the Coronavirus we have all been forced to make significant  changes in our day to day living as most states have implemented stay at home orders.  With so many changes it can be overwhelming to make sense of how to organize your time.  The in-person meetings, social commitments, events and programs that once provided structure to the day have fallen away.  Now more than ever it is important to take the time to create a schedule and routine that will provide order to an otherwise chaotic time.  Developing new structured routines will keep you motivated and engaged.  Structured schedules can help you focus, provide purpose,  prevent procrastination, and protect you from burnout.  If you don’t already keep a weekly or daily calendar now is a great time to start.  Here are some suggestions about what to include in your schedule and how to approach your day so that you stay engaged, organized and healthy: 

• Get ready for the day as if you are going to class, try not to stay in your PJs all day 
• Set small goals for each day, keep yourself accountable and moving forward daily  
• Organize your day around your class schedule, Fixed meetings provide structure 
• Build in a time to exercise daily, working-out is a great outlet for stress  
• Set regular study hours, block chunks of time to focus on project and assignments 
• Take time for breaks, go for a walk, get outside, give yourself some downtime 
• Set designated mealtimes, don’t mindlessly snack throughout the day 
• Find time for self-care, mindfulness & meditation can help reduce stress & anxiety  
• Make time to connect with friends & family, zoom, text, email, facetime, snapchat  
• Maintain regular sleep cycles, go to sleep & wake at roughly the same time daily 

Now that you have some tips and ideas about how to create a schedule and build routine  into your day you can get started in creating what will work for you.  To create your schedule and daily to do list you can use online scheduling tools and apps, a paper planner or even the most basic supplies will work, a blank page from your notebook. Sometimes keeping things simple is best.