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Hello Readers,

There are a few things you need to think about when tackling your procrastination. A supplemental article I read, written by MindTools.com, “How to Stop Procrastinating”, helped me define and understand where my procrastination was stemming from, and what things to do in order to start being more efficient and effective with my time. According to the article, there are four steps in overcoming your procrastination;

1. Recognize your procrastination
2. Find the reason why you are procrastinating
3. Develop strategies you can use to overcome your procrastination
4. Form rewards for yourself, for when you complete tasks

Lets go through this step by step. What are you doing to avoid doing things that you need to be doing? For example, I tend to avoid things by going on my phone, or putting other tasks such as cleaning and laundry ahead of the more important and time sensitive tasks. I do this all week; until Sunday comes around and I then have to spend all day working on homework that is due by 11:59 pm. All week I did things that were not in my best interest, long term. I used less hard and more enjoyable tasks as reasons why I couldn’t start my homework. So take a second and think about what you do that delays or prevents you from completing things.

Next, you want to think deep and find out why you really are procrastinating. For me, I procrastinate because what I have to do is not something I desire to do. You may procrastinate because you do not find the task enjoyable, are scared to fail or succeed, or maybe you are an extreme perfectionist and you do not want to do something you are not perfect at. Whatever the reason, you need to remember that procrastination is simply just another habit. Habits can be broken and you can overcome this.

In order to change your habit of procrastination into a habit of efficiency, you are going to have to explore different strategies to find one that works for you. The MindTools article states, “Studies show that self-forgiveness can help you to feel more positive about yourself and reduce the likelihood of procrastination in the future.” First, it is important to forgive yourself for all those times you waited until the last minute, and the time you have wasted in order to avoid your priorities. Do not get down on yourself because that will only lead to anxiety, depression and even more avoidance. I often struggle with those feelings and I find it important to remind myself that, yes I created this problem and am the reason for it, but I am also the person that is going to fix this habit and strive to be better. The way you react to a problem that you recognize is really what defines you.

After you forgive yourself, it is time to start implementing things that can help you move forward. Turn your ways for procrastinating into rewards. For example, I enjoy scrolling through social media. So I put 30 minutes on a timer to complete a certain task, and after that 30 minutes I get a 10 minute break. During that break I get to do whatever I want to do, guilt free. This strategy helps me “see the end” of a task. I like knowing that I tried hard and focused, and the breaks keep me from burning out. If your excessive screen time is your cause of procrastination, implement timers. On Instagram, you can set a daily reminder for when you reach your time limit of being on the app. When I reach my daily limit of 30 minutes, a giant pop up comes on my screen to let me know. Also, if you have an iphone, you can view your weekly screen time broken up into the different apps you spend your time on and your weekly total hour usage as well. It lets you know if you spent less time on your phone compared to the week before. It is definitely an eye opener and a good starting point.

Another way to get started, is to track your time. In a previous course, I spent a week tracking our time using a spreadsheet in 30 minute increments. After you see how you spend your time, you can interchange your time wasting activities with priorities. Even spending 30 minutes to an hour a day on a task that is due in a week can save you from procrastinating. You can even implement a calendar to help you with time tracking. I have used Google Calendar, which I find to be the most effective way in avoiding procrastination. I can put in all my activities for the week and even set aside specific time for homework. This prevents me from letting other things get in the way, since they are already pre-scheduled.

One last thing you can do to avoid being overwhelmed, is to preview all of your modules and assignments in the beginning of the school week so you know what is ahead and how much time you need to complete each task. Break those tasks up into smaller tasks, so you can spend small bursts of time on a project to keep yourself motivated and focused. Remember to reward yourself for completing tasks.

There are so many different resources and things to do and try when battling your procrastination. Do not overwhelm yourself with all these options, but instead implement one thing at a time. Spend a week trying one way, and another week trying another in order to pick the strategy that works best for you.

I hope my tips can help you.

-Bridgette Ricco-

If you would like to read the full article by MindTools, click the link below:

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_96.htm

Hello Readers,

I want to talk about how to focus and maintain concentration while completing homework or important tasks. You may have trouble with completing tasks efficiently because your mind goes on a journey in the middle of you working. Or maybe you get distracted by things that are around you, like the atmosphere you surround yourself with while you are completing important tasks. No need to worry, because I have some tips for you.

In my ESLTECH 2011 course, we went over the topic of studying and the different strategies that can be used in order to help make the most out of your time. I watched a video called “5 ways to Build Focus and Concentration” by Thomas Frank on YouTube; which helped me understand what I can do to avoid distractions and maintain focus while completing tasks. I want to reiterate some of the points mentioned in the video and also add some tips of my own.

In the video, Thomas Frank shares these five tips:

1. Precommit to your tasks
2. Use a distraction sheet
3. Try an App to help you focus (Forest)
4. Practice meditation once a day
5. Eliminate distractions before they happen

Pre-committing to your tasks is important so you avoid distractions during your study or homework time. This can keep you from being worried about other tasks you may have to complete. In order to pre-commit to your tasks, you can use a website such as google calendar, that will allow you to plan your whole day. You can insert your task as a blocked out time in your calendar, so you know that this is exactly what you are doing during that time. Instead of being vague and saying “from 4-6 I will complete tasks” , you can be more specific and say “from 4-4:30 I will be working on my discussion post for ESLTECH 2011”. This will prevent your need to multitask, because all of your tasks have specific time periods cut out for them in your schedule. This will ensure you have the time to complete the task today.

Removing your ability to do other things will help you from getting distracted. If you know that your phone is a problem, consider doing things that will make your phone unavailable to you. Whether that be to turn it off, leave it in a different room or even install an app that will keep you from using it during your duration of studying. This app was recommended in the video by Thomas Frank, but it also an app that I have used in the past. I found it very helpful when keeping me off my phone and I recommend you try it as well. With the app you can set the timer for the amount of time you want to stay off your phone. During that time a seed of a tree will be planted and start growing. By the end of your focus time, the tree will be fully grown and you get to add it to your forest. In there will be all the tree’s you have earned from being and staying focused. If you go on your phone during the time you are to be focused, your tree will die. In the video, Thomas Frank states “Getting immediate tangible and quantifiable results for something is a great way to built good habits.” Rewarding yourself is important to form a good habit. This app makes focusing more exciting because you do get that reward. You can also reward yourself with TV time or a new shirt, or anything else that motivates you to get your stuff done and stay focused while doing it. Other technology that can be used to ensure concentration are websites that can block certain sites for specific times like Stay Focused. This allows you to block certain websites so you cannot visit them while completing things online or on your phone.

The last thing I want to talk about is a distraction sheet. As Thomas mentioned in his video, a distraction sheet is a piece of paper that you write down everything that would typically distract you during your time of focus. You can look at this sheet whenever you start wondering off with your thoughts, in order to catch yourself from losing total concentration. Something I do is write a purpose post-it. I write on a post-it note what I am doing during this specific time and I stick it to where I can see it. When I feel like my mind is wondering, I look at it in order to enforce what I am supposed to be doing. This can help you build your attention span over time. You will eventually need to look at your purpose post-it less and less.

These strategies should help you stay focused and better your focus and concentration during your online class tasks.

-Bridgette Ricco-

If you would like to watch the video by Thomas Frank, click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-KCZ1sghLY

Link to the Forest App:

https://www.forestapp.cc/

Link to Stay Focused:

http://www.stayfocusd.com/

Hello Readers,

I want to discuss communicating and collaborating in an online course. A lot of you may be scared and tend to steer away from any communication beyond the required amount of discussion responses you must make. I am going to share some tips I recently learned that will bring your anxiety level down when communicating online, spruce up your discussion posts, and hopefully encourage you to really get involved beyond the requirements.

Lets start will “netiquette”. It is important to make sure you are using proper grammar so whomever you are speaking too clearly understands what you are trying to say. Keep your fingers off that caps lock button since we would not want anyone to think we are yelling at them. Keep all your communication simple and easy to understand; avoiding any type of slang or jokes. Not everyone will understand what you are trying to say, and it is best to treat discussion forums as a professional setting.

Now that we understand some communication basics, it is time to move on to the content of discussion posts. I recently read a supplemental article written by Heather Russino that helped me understand the basics of writing a discussion post. I read it when I was gearing up to take a few online classes this semester. It was very easy to understand and I would like to share some tips with you. One point that really jumped out at me was to always make connections from your readings to your real life. Russino states, “Immerse yourself in the readings so when you’re ready to begin writing, you’ll be fully prepared to present an authentic, meaningful response”. In order to have a good discussion it is important to bring first hand knowledge. If you are willing to make personal connections or even made up scenarios to fully understand the information, your posts can become an open forum that will attract multiple students responses. The more you understand the subject at hand, the more easy it will be to type out a response. If you do not understand the subject after reading the lesson and supplemental materials provided, branch out to the internet to research some more. I often do this when I feel my posts are not as informative as I would like them to be. Instead of typing the same thing as the 23 students have before me about the subject, I would rather bring new information that can help students build off of what they already know. This can start a great comment section, since my post has information that other’s do not have. Make sure to post a link, picture, or video of any supplemental material you use; so other student’s can find it if they want further explanation on the subject. This method has turned my discussion posts from being repetitive to other students posts, to being informative and a way to continue the conversation.

Once you implement these tips, you will find it easier and less stressful to write about topics in a discussion forum. Maybe you will encourage others to think outside of the box (information given), and bring new information to talk about. In result, this will help give you more concepts to respond too.

-Bridgette Ricco-

If you would like to read the full article by Russino, click the link below:

https://blog.tesu.edu/6-essential-things-for-writing-a-brilliant-online-discussion-post