What are your goals for the year? Have you broken it down into months, or do you have a weekly goal campaign? Whatever your method is, make sure you have a way of tracking your success along the way, and having a follow-up to ensure they get done.

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Have you caught yourself staring at the computer screen lately, mind a blur, drool dribbling down your chin, and papers strewn everywhere? Do you know the signs of burnout when you see them, because if you don’t you may be headed for a widespsread circuit combustion if you’re not careful.

Like a computer, the more items running in the background the slower the computer. When you over extend yourself you get burned out quicker, and the projects you’re working on for school can suffer in terms of quality. Make sure to check your internal “task manager” to see where your energy usage is being spent, it could help you out in the long run.

Here’s a great list of energy zappers from Sherrie Bourg Carter, Psy.D. via High Octane Women:

• Wearing tight clothes
• Sporting high heels
• Clutter
• Working straight through without breaking
• Negative people
• Heavy lunches and junk food

Most online students work from the comfort of their couch or home office, so the heels may not be applicable, but uncomfortable clothing could be. Wear sweats, or slightly looser clothing when you’re powering through a big term paper. As for clutter, it causes anxiety, and gives you something else to be distracted about. If you don’t have time to tidy up a certain area move to a different part of the house with minimal distractions.

[related: 4 Tips for Succeeding in an Online College Course]

Working straight through can be very daunting, and puts a lot of pressure on yourself to finish by a certain time. Space out the work, and don’t put it off!

Last but not least, negative people and food. If your friends or family have nothing positive to say at a time of high stress, tell them (politely) you’ll talk later and leave it at that. And junk food, while tasty it’s a wreck on our bodies. The heavier the meal the more sluggish you’ll feel, and motivation will take a rest with you.

If you’ve felt like you’re on hyper speed lately then you probably need to slow down a bit. Take the time to prioritize what you’re working on, and find a happy medium that fits with your class schedule and time constraints.

By: J. Mason

Instead of wasting trees to jot down notes (as an online student you’re already cutting back on your eco footprint) turn your desk into a dry erase board.  

[related: It Can Be Easy Being Green]

There is this awesome paint made by Rust-Oleum, where you can turn wood, metal and other surfaces into a dry erase board; most people use this for their kids room, or their home office. The paint allows you to turn the smallest of objects, or large ones, into a canvas for those smelly markers we love to use. Be crafty by turning a paper sized part of your desk into a “sketch pad”. Or, if you have more room on your desk you’re willing to sacrifice cover a bigger portion for big sketches and mind maps for class.

The price for the paint is about a half tank of gas, maybe less, but the outcome is pretty amazing. Consider switching up how you write out your ideas or topics for class.

What DIY projects have you tried in your home office that help you focus for school? Share your ideas below.

By: J. Mason

Having a hard time absorbing the material? Exercise may help you retain those tiny details you can’t seem to remember.

Recently a cognitive psychologist spoke about sparking your memory by exercising. It has been proven in the past that getting out of the chair and taking a walk, or even a break encourage healthy blood flow and can spark creativity. Your brain is a muscle, so it’s only fitting that exercising can encourage “growth” when studying new material.

Wendy Suzuki suggests intense physical movements, like kickboxing or aerobics, paired with positive affirmations. With studying you can try your kickboxing routine, and every time you punch or kick yell out a theory from the chapter you’re on. Or if you have to memorize a scientific process, say them out loud with every step you take. It might feel strange doing it, but the “motions” of the exercise along with stretching the hippocampus (part of your brain that holds long term memory) will help in creating a memory and possible better understanding of the topic.

[related: Mission Motivation: How Organization Can Motivate Success in an Online Setting]

So, if you’re reading the latest from your history class today go ahead and shout out the latest battle scene and major players of that time along with a good kick.

By: J. Mason