HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE (even when you’re tired): balancing classes, work, study sessions, hobbies

— I feel like one of the hardest parts about university that nobody really prepares you for is how exhausting it can be. And I don't just mean physically tired, I mean mentally exhausted, too. Because it's not only classes and assignments, it's waking up early, commuting, discussion posts, labs, readings that never end, group projects, trying to answer emails, trying to stay healthy, trying to keep your room clean, trying to maintain friendships, maybe even working part-time on top of everything else. And somehow you're still expected to stay motivated and productive through all of it. And honestly, I get comments all the time asking me things like, "How do you stay productive after school? Or how do you still have energy to study and do habits when you're tired? " And you guys, I am literally tired all the time. There are so many days where I come home after classes and I just want to lay in bed for the rest of the night and scroll on my phone. Especially during midterm season or when multiple assignments pile up at once, I feel so drained mentally. But one thing I've really learned over the past couple of years is that productivity is not about having endless motivation or waking up every single day excited to work hard. Most of the time, I don't feel motivated at all. I realized that productivity is more about setting your future self up in a way that makes things easier when you are tired. One of the biggest things that helped me so much is planning my day in advance. And I don't mean creating some super unrealistic schedule where every second of my day is planned out because honestly, that just stresses me out more. I just like knowing the main things I want to get done so that I'm not wasting energy later trying to figure everything out. For example, in the morning or the night before, I'll write down finish one assignment, review lecture slides for tomorrow, answer emails, go on a short walk, clean my desk, work on a discussion post, read a few pages of a book before bed. And honestly, even if I don't complete every single thing on the list, it still helps me feel more organized mentally. Because when I don't have a plan, I end up procrastinating way more. I'll sit there feeling overwhelmed because I have so much to do, but I don't actually know where to start. Something else that really helps me is deciding when I'm going to do certain tasks ahead of time. Because if I tell myself I'll study later, most of the time that later never comes. So instead, I'll say something like right after dinner, I'm reviewing lecture slides for 30 minutes or after my class tomorrow, I'm going straight to the library before going home. I've also learned that when I get home after classes, I cannot sit down immediately if I still need to be productive because the second I sit on my bed for 5 minutes, it's genuinely over for me. Somehow 5 minutes turns into scrolling on TikTok for 2 hours and suddenly it's 10:00 p. m. and I haven't done anything. So now, I try really hard to keep the momentum going when I get home even if I'm exhausted. I'll start with something small right away. Maybe I unpack my bag, clean my desk a little, refill my water bottle, make a coffee, answer one email, or open my laptop and start one assignment. Usually once I start, it becomes so much easier to keep going. And honestly, movement helps way more than people think it does. Whenever I'm mentally exhausted from studying all day, the last thing I feel like doing is moving my body, but every single time I go out for a walk, stretch, clean my room, or even just go outside for a little bit, I feel so much better afterwards. It gives me this little reset mentally and helps me feel less stuck. Another thing that has completely changed my mindset is realizing that habits do not need to be perfect to still count. I used to think that if I didn't have enough time to do the ideal version of a habit, then there was no point in doing it at all. Like if I couldn't study for 3 hours, then I just wouldn't study or if I didn't have time for a full workout, then I wouldn't move my body at all. But now I've realized that the small version of a habit is still so much better than not doing it at all. You don't need to study for 5 hours. Maybe you study for 30 minutes. You don't need to read an entire chapter. Maybe you read three pages. You don't need to clean your entire room. Maybe you just clean your desk. You don't need to journal for 20 minutes. Maybe you just write down one thought. Those small habits still add up over time and I think we underestimate how much consistency matters more than perfection. Something else I've noticed during university is that things usually don't take as long as we convince ourselves they will. I will procrastinate an entire assignment all day because in my head it feels impossible and exhausting. And then I finally sit down and realize I finished half of it in less than an hour. Sometimes starting is genuinely the hardest part. I also think social media can make productivity feel so unrealistic sometimes. We see these perfect routines online where people wake up at 5:00 a. m., go to Pilates, journal, make aesthetic breakfast, study for hours, and somehow never seem tired. Meanwhile, most university students are exhausted, stressed, behind on readings, and trying their best to survive the and honestly your routines do not need to look perfect to still improve your life. Your productive day can literally just be going to class, submitting one assignment, drinking enough water, reviewing one lecture, going to bed earlier. That still counts. You're still showing up for yourself. But I think the biggest thing that helps me stay disciplined when I'm tired is remembering why I'm doing all of this in the first place because motivation disappears really fast when you're exhausted. There are going to be so many days where you don't feel like studying or doing anything productive and that's why you need something deeper than motivation. Maybe your why is wanting a stable future. Maybe it's wanting to make your family proud. get into grad school. Maybe it's wanting financial freedom someday. Maybe it's wanting to prove to yourself that you can actually do hard things. Maybe it's wanting to build a

life that feels peaceful and fulfilling. Whatever your reason is, remembering the bigger picture helps so much on the days where you feel exhausted and unmotivated. And I also just want to remind you guys that some days your best is going to look different. Some days being productive might mean spending hours studying at the library and getting everything done. Other days your best might just be attending class, answering one email, and taking care of yourself. Both still count. Anyways, if you're currently feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, burnt out, or struggling to stay motivated during university, I promise you are definitely not alone. You do not need to have your whole life figured out right now and you don't need to be productive 24/7 to still be making progress.