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It's not easy during the pandemic, here are some helpful tips!

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1. Get out of bed! Staying in bed might make you more tired, since you associate it with sleep. Find a comfortable spot other than your bed to do homework and attend online lectures.

2. Change out of your pajamas (even if you just change into leggings and a tank top). It can be a good motivator to get you out of bed.

3. Organize your inbox with labels to avoid missing any important emails/deadlines. Make sure to also check your email at least twice a day (It should be the first thing you do in the mornings and the last thing you do before going to sleep).

4. Keep a clean desk space. This might motivate you to study in that particular spot.

5. Before class or video conferences with professors, place your phone where you can't see or reach it (like you hopefully would for an in-person session). This might curve the temptation to surf the web or scroll through Instagram while your professor is sharing pertinent information. Preserve a focused time and space for your courses and be careful about how you divide your attention.

6. Make a to-do list. This will help you keep track of all school work. (Bonus tip: Put due dates next to the task(s) you need to complete; this will help you with prioritization.)

7. Get some sunshine. It might help you wake up! If you can, try opening your window while doing your homework to let some natural light in.

8. Stay active! This may be walking around the house, going for a walk, running, or taking your pets out, among other things. (Make sure you are adhering to social distancing rules though!).

9. Put a timer on any activities to avoid spending more time than you should on them. Setting a timer can also prevent burnout and may help you stay more focused during select times. On the other hand, be honest with yourself; if you know you have an essay due at midnight, do not set the alarm for 11 p.m.

10. Keep a healthy sleep schedule. Try not to sleep in or stay up too late. Even if you don't have a class on that particular day, waking up at about the same time every day can help your body build a natural clock and can also help avoid fatigue.

We hope this helps!

The Academic Services Center (ASC) is as busy as ever and, if you haven't already heard, we have transitioned all of our tutoring services to online consultations. Please contact Grant Kittrell ( gkittrell@randolphcollege.edu) or Tamlyn Austin ( taustin@randolphcollege.edu) with any questions or concerns about securing assistance during these unusual times.

We have a number of resources on studying, organization, time management, and goal setting (among other things), so do not hesitate to reach out.

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10 tips to preserve your sanity while keeping up with school work during quarantine - News and Events

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Get out of bed! Staying in bed might make you more tired, since you associate it with sleep. Find a comfortable spot other than your bed to do homework and attend online lectures. Change out of your pajamas (even if you just change into leggings and a tank top).

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Feeling overwhelmed with clutter?

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Chaos to Order - Chicago Professional Organizing Experts for Home and Office

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Our lives have all been changed in some way recently. Working from home and E-learning has thrown our daily routines into a tailspin. Managing home, work, and family is more complicated than ever. Here are some tips to keep you organized through the chaos.
Utilize Your Calendar
Scheduling time, including meetings, projects, personal time, and even downtime, is the best way to make the most of every day.
Create a Routine
We all do better with a routine in place. Look at your day (and the kids), take notice of patterns, and do what you can to establish clear daily/weekly habits. Read more...
Purge What You Can
Clutter can accumulate even faster when you're spending more time at home. Keep a donation box handy. When in doubt, toss it out! Read more...
Plan Ahead
Planning in advance will help you get through busy times more efficiently. Think about the coming months now. Beware that the holidays are looming around the corner :-/
Chaos To Order Can Help
Our expert organizers can help with everything from time management and move coordination to organization of any room from attic to basement. Remember, our expert organizers all follow strict CDC COVID-19 protocols.

About the author

Monica Friel is president and founder of Chaos to Order. Monica manages and trains a staff of professional organizers who specialize in everything from household clutter to corporate chaos. She also represents brands and speaks publicly as an expert in the field of organizing. Learn more about Monica and Chaos to Order and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+.

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Staying Organized During The Pandemic - Chaos to Order - Chicago Professional Organizing Experts for Home and Office

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Our lives have all been changed in some way recently. Working from home and E-learning has thrown our daily routines into a tailspin. Managing home, work, and family is more complicated than ever. Here are some tips to keep you organized through the chaos. Utilize Your Calendar Scheduling time, including meetings, projects, personal time, and...

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Quarantine is the new "College 15lbs" but here's how to beat it!

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process.

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed our relationship with food in major ways.

Between the stress of potential exposure to the new coronavirus at grocery stores, shortages of essential household items and foods, and stay-at-home orders putting us in proximity to a pantry full of snacks, the pandemic has created new challenges when it comes to eating healthy.

We've partnered with Noom to take a closer look at how grocery shopping has changed this year and provide some tips on ways to eat healthier amid the "new normal."

Researchers have noticed some big changes in what people are buying and how they're shopping since COVID-19 hit the United States. Here are a few recent shopping trends:

Citrus gets snapped up

Produce sales have spiked in recent months. Year-to-date fresh produce sales were up more than 11 percent in August compared with the same time period last year, reports Blue Book Services.

But the real standout in the produce section during the pandemic has been oranges. Sales of fresh oranges jumped a whopping 73 percent in May 2020 compared with the same month in 2019.

Meat sales soar

People have been buying meat at unprecedented levels while quarantining or isolating at home.

Meat sales have climbed nearly 35 percent during the pandemic, largely driven by an increase in beef consumption, according to the midyear Power of Meat study.

What's more, almost half of Americans say they've purchased more meat while forced to cook and eat at home.

Freezers fill up

Frozen foods have also been a hot item during the pandemic. During the week of March 22, 2020, frozen foods saw a 94 percent spike compared with the same week in 2019, according to the Frozen Food Institute.

The figure included a range of frozen foods, including meats, pizzas, and chicken nuggets.

Safer shopping habits

Shoppers have been doing their part to make grocery shopping safer for themselves and others.

Data collected by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) in April and May 2020 shows that around half of people have been making less frequent grocery runs.

While at the store, more than 50 percent of shoppers have been wearing a mask and trying not to touch surfaces. Others have been avoiding the store altogether, with around 1 in 4 people relying on online grocery shopping.

Shelves empty out

The IFIC report also found that 40 percent of people were worried about being able to find products they usually buy early on the pandemic.

Their concerns are not unfounded - a combination of supply chain disruptions and panic-buying behavior have left many supermarket shelves bare.

Shoppers reported challenges finding toilet paper, cleaning supplies, tofu, paper towels, laundry detergent, soda, canned soup, hand soap, and many other products.

Big changes at the grocery store don't have to mean that a nutritious diet goes out the window. Here are some ways to eat healthy while stuck at home.

1. Snack the right way

Are you grazing more often lately? You're not alone.

At least 1 in 3 people say they've been snacking more during the pandemic, according to IFIC. While snacking on autopilot can put you on the fast track to overeating, taking a more mindful approach can make the habit much healthier.

Focus on foods that have high protein and healthy fats, such as hummus or Greek yogurt, which can keep you feeling full. Portioning out snacks ahead of time, rather than reaching directly into the package, can also help you avoid eating more than you intended.

Noom, an app that offers a Healthy Weight program, including daily content, food logging, and virtual support, can help you shift your mindset and adopt new eating habits.

2. Understand portion sizes

Portion control can be tricky at home, when second and third helpings are often within reach.

Understanding the appropriate portion sizes of different foods can not only stretch your groceries further, but it can also reduce excess calories in your diet and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Fortunately, you don't need to weigh and measure everything. Your hand can actually be a helpful portion guide. Here's how:

Protein. One serving of meat, poultry, fish, beans, or another protein should be about the size of your palm.

Vegetables. Aim for one fist-size portion of veggies or salads for women, and two fists' worth for men.

Carbs. Cap your grains and starches to about one cupped-hand portion for women, and two for men.

Fats. Fatty foods, like nuts, butter, and oils, should be no more than one or two thumb-size portions for women and men, respectively.

Don't forget that portion sizes also change based on your age, body size, and physical activity level, so your palm isn't always the best way to estimate how much you should be eating.

Consider talking to your doctor for more information about portion sizes.

3. Stock up on frozen vegetables and fruits

If your supermarket's produce section isn't stocked as well as usual, try looking for frozen bags of your favorite fruits and vegetables.

Food producers freeze fruits and vegetables within hours at their peak ripeness to preserve their nutrients and flavor, making them a healthy alternative to fresh produce, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Plus, frozen foods make it easier to keep nutritious ingredients on hand when you're trying not to go to the grocery store as often. Just make sure you peek at the nutrition label to make sure there's no added sugar, fat, or salt.

4. Try shopping from a distance

It can be hard to stock up on a couple of weeks' worth of food on a supermarket run if you've got a lot of mouths to feed at home. Fortunately, a number of modern conveniences can help keep your pantry brimming with healthy foods for everyone.

Consider ordering groceries online or using curbside pickup at your local supermarket to stay stocked up while maintaining plenty of physical distance.

5. Enjoy meals with others

Bonding with the people you live with over a meal can be healthy for both your body and your mind.

Cooking and eating together can help reduce stress and feelings of isolation that may otherwise drive us to turn to less healthy food for comfort.

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Eating Healthy During Quarantine: Tips, Trends, and More

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process. The COVID-19 outbreak has changed our relationship with food in major ways.