1.PREPARATIONS

Give yourself a reason to want to get up to start your day, for example I prepare breakfast the evening before by filling the kettle and put coffee in my cafetiere so all I need to do is press and pour. I will also make myself overnight oats, so I have to make as little effort as possible to join the waking world.

2. HELPFUL APPS AND TOOLS

Apps that I have found useful,  "Forest" is an app design to help you put your phone down and focus but setting timers to grow trees for your little phone forest and if you use your phone within the time set your tree withers. It's a cute visual way to set out time for being productive and I have used it through my whole uni career (it's also free to use).

"Tasks Todo" is my favourite to-do list app, its easy to make your daily/weekly to-do lists and is very basic and visually pleasing. •

   

   

3. TAKE A BREAK

This one is obvious but take a break - I am dyslexic and have ADHD so my attention span is very short, and I struggle to focus for extended periods of time so the best advice I have ever received is to set timers (this is where the forest app comes in for me) even if it is for as little as 10-15 minutes to just focus on the work you need to do and then take a break for a few minutes and repeat the process. Obviously if your problems with staying focused are not as prevalent as mine you can probably work for much longer periods of time but if you continue to ignore your brains need to take a break your productivity with just continue to decrease - whereas if you take 10 minutes to "recharge" and then go back to it you it will be incredibly beneficial to the quality of your work and just your attitude towards work.

4. DON'T PUT PRESSURE ON YOURSELF

It is also worth noting that you cannot expect yourself to work at the exact same pace at all times, sometimes you are tired and drained and need to take more breaks than usual especially when you are stuck at home staring at the same four walls, give yourself a break.

   

   

5. GO OUTSIDE

Go Outside– get fresh air at some point in the day, even if your are just walking around the block or just to take the bins out or even sit next to an open window clear your brain fog with fresh air.