We are already approaching the middle of November, meaning it’s two months into school and I can only assume that many other people are in the same boat as me when it comes to productivity and motivation and the lack of both. Most high school students had a year and a half of online school where the curriculums were significantly easier, and the transition to a full school day and eight classes of homework has been a big change students aren’t used to. I wanted to do some research to help students reduce their lack of motivation and find skills to increase productivity.

One thing I found was that essential oils are scientifically proven to help with productivity. The scientific background around diffusers and how they work is a little tricky but it starts with the scent of the essential oil entering your nose and stimulating your cell receptors. From there the cell receptors will send messages to the part of the brain that controls emotions. The message that the receptors send depends on the scent, such as peppermint, which stimulates alertness. Some of the beneficial scents are lavender, peppermint, sandalwood, and sage. Diffusers and essential oils can be found at Target or Amazon for as cheap as $10. You should put the diffuser in the room where you plan to study and make sure it is at least two feet above the ground to optimize the moisture. Then, fill up the tank inside until the fill line. When it comes to the amount of oil you should add, it is up to how strong you want it. According to my research, you generally add three to 15 drops for a 100-milliliter diffuser, but can experiment to get the right amount.

Setting little goals with rewards can help you keep going to complete your work even if you don’t want to. This could help give you a boost of energy that will help you be productive for longer. Starting with your most important tasks can help to make sure you get through your to-do list by eliminating the biggest challenge first. A website created by CEOs and successful business men and women called Hive said that “Early in the day, you generally have the highest energy and the least distractions, making it easier to focus on difficult tasks. It also sets a positive tone for the day having tackled your hardest task first.”

Putting your phone across the room will help you with distractions, and ensure that you won’t be tempted to check Snapchat or Instagram. It doesn’t mean that you can’t be on your phone at all, but if it is sitting next to you it is easier to give in to the temptation. Not only do phones reduce productivity, but they also negatively impact your sleep, which can make it harder for you to have focus while getting your work done.

It is easy to get caught up in to-do lists and the amount of stuff you still have left to do that day, but that isn’t what is going to help you to keep being productive. Instead you need to appreciate the things you have accomplished and respect the time it takes to complete a task. making sure you are setting goals for yourself that can be reached in your time frame allows you to have an idea of what you need to do, and that you don’t have too much on your plate at one time. This will also prevent that feeling of being unaccomplished when you have a lot unfinished of the stuff you need to get done. Instead of rushing through the tasks just to be able to cross them off, put your full effort into them and do them to the best of your abilities, because in my opinion I would rather have less work submitted but I tried my hardest, than work turned in but it is not high quality.

I hope you are able to use these ideas to increase your motivation and productivity when it comes to school!