Seven Tips For Helping Your Child Increase Drive & Productivity In This Unprecedented Time

Seven Tips For Helping Your Child Increase Drive & Productivity In This Unprecedented Time
Cathy Mannheimer

As Sparhawk's Upper School counselor, a common theme that I am hearing from the students this week is one of low energy and a feeling of being less than productive. Our students are reporting that they are experiencing decreased motivation and increased procrastination. They are feeling easily distracted and have a sense that their parents and teachers are "on" them to do more. They are grieving the loss of their normal routine and experiencing a lack of incentive and, in turn, a loss of motivation. This can make it challenging for them to maintain healthy habits and adhere to a daily schedule. As they struggle to accomplish tasks and address responsibilities, they are also expressing frustration that they are not doing things as efficiently, or effectively, as they think they “should” be.

 It is to be expected that they will experience ebbs and flows in energy and productivity during such an unpredictable time. So what do I suggest? 

1. Help with sticking to a routine. Establishing a routine during this time is one of the most important things we can do to stay motivated. Too much ‘downtime’ can be detrimental when times are uncertain, and sticking to a routine will help us to maintain a sense of control. Wake up and go to sleep at consistent times, eat healthy meals, get some exercise, keep to the set school hours, and make time to relax.

2. Suggest avoiding electronics when first waking up. We might normally check our phone, review our email, or look at social media first thing in the morning. Instead, I suggest we focus on our physical and mental health when we first wake up. Take time to breathe, stretch and be calm. This can positively impact our mindset and enhance our overall sense of well-being. A healthy breakfast is always a good idea too!

3. Recommend getting dressed. It might be tempting for us to stay in our pajamas all day but getting dressed allows us to create structure and stick to our schedule. And, as they say, look good, feel good!

4. Support with taking breaks. Make time for breaks. Throughout the day we will inevitably get bored or distracted, and it is a good idea to take short breaks. If you need to remind yourself to get back to work, set a timer.

5. Assistance with creating a dedicated workspace. If we do not have a separate study space in our home, it's important to let our family members know that when we are working on the computer or sitting at our desk we should not be disturbed.  Avoid lounging around on the couch or lying in bed with your laptop. The goal is to create a routine, and part of maintaining motivation is to have a dedicated place and time for school work. This also helps us to mentally separate from our studies at the end of the school day.

6. Support with taking turns. Balance is important. We all have daily household responsibilities that need to be done. We should have a plan that while one person is working, another can walk the dog, or clean up the kitchen, for example. We all tend to feel better when we contribute to the common good!

7. Help with planning the day.  It can help us to take just 5-10 minutes each morning (or the night before) to plan out our day. It can be surprising that we may actually get significantly more out of each day when we map it out. 

With April break next week, these suggestions might be most helpful with getting students back on track when that Monday morning after vacation arrives!

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Questions?

Email Cathy Mannheimer | Cmannheimer@Sparhawkschool.com

Schedule a tele-counseling session with Cathy or another member of the Counseling team here.