Ishita Tenjerla
Hey !
Here are 40 ideas for you to try when you feel bored or catch yourself scrolling through your phone for long.
The video for this post is on my youtube channel here:
All images are copyright of mytakeontheworld.in
Being stuck at home during the pandemic has opened up new possibilities and doorways. We are now adapting to the changes around us and tend to turn towards lifehacks or creative solutions to solve everyday problems by ourselves.
One thing that hasn’t changed much is our struggle to be motivated to complete our work.
Let’s put aside conventional methods of motivation and try something outside the box.
Sports teams show much better results in terms of efficiency and success because of one simple underlining formula –The buddy system
The formal term for it being: Accountability.
When you are accountable to someone – to show up on time ,to complete a project or to simply show your work -your mindset shifts.
The simple act of telling your friend, family or siblings the work you plan on doing today or this upcoming week is a good start to implementing this.
What is a Lifebook?
It’s a written document describing everything you want to accomplish in life.
This is a place where you can design your life the way you want it to be.
It answers questions like :
These are important questions to answer and write down in your Lifebook.
When you’re done designing it – take a step back and look at it.
Ask yourself this : What can I do today to be one step closer to achieving my goal?
Vision boards began booming a few years ago.
And not just because Oprah uses them.
Vision boards are renowned for their simplistic goal: to be able to actually visualize what you want.
It includes: people’s lives you admire, quotes that keep you motivated, questions that gets your thinking cap on and everything else in between.
By seeing what you want to accomplish every single day – you just have to learn to take decisions and to implement those into your day.
You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.
Your hunt for inspiration should never stop.
Go read book , watch movies and find quotes that inspire you. Find places where you can seek for inspiration. And them pick out things that will constantly inspire you.
For a writer like me – reading books and research is a source of inspiration that often boosts motivation.
So try the unconventional method of motivating yourself – the next time you find yourself in a slump.
Thank you for reading !
I highly appreciate your support and would love to hear from you!
Drop me a message in the comments below!
See you in the next one.
Toodles!
Hi there ! Do check out my guest blog post for the Documentary Film Festival :
A Canvas of Lies I would like to believe that I am a good judge of character and not easily deceived, but this was really different, since my two close friends ended up stabbing me in the back. Museums, paintings and culture were said to be things of the rich, the uber wealthy. It was…
History is all about preserving moments in time , being able to revisit them and take a closer look.
Documenting your day is a way to give you a chance to press pause on your day and record it.That way you can visit it back years later and still remember how you felt or what you saw the first time that you did.
Egyptian scrolls to the diary of Anne Frank – all these are great examples of people documenting their life.
What is it:
The act of documenting your day refers to capturing moments of your day and having these memories to look back to anytime.It gives you a chance to freeze time .
Why you should do it:
Documenting your day allows you tell a story.Soon , sometime in the future it becomes a source of inspiration.
Follow me on my journey of learning to document my day,lessons I’ve learnt and the different ways you can do it.
When I started my documentation journey- I did everything in bits and pieces.
I used digital ,switched to a physical diary and jumped back.Most days I don’t have the willpower to do it.Sometimes it feels like to much of an effort.
It’s a process of trial and error.Try to figure out the best method that works for you and fits right into your day.
Reduce the friction it takes to document your day – make it something to look forward to instead of a chore.
Document your true authentic self.
Not just the moments that are:
But also the
moments of your day.
This way you are documenting for yourself.You never have to show this anyone.Making it specially yours.
Every lifestyle guru recommends starting a journal.And within good reason too.Journal entries are perfect to help you pen down your thoughts,emotions and deal with stress.Grab a blank notebook and all the stationary you have.Use pictures, Washi tape or try calligraphy.
Use this journal to jot down anything and everything that comes up.Happy moments,moments of distress.You can use it “brain dump” all the stress and negative emotions you may have.
Use this journal to document your journey.
You know how employees of a company need to log in and out of their work day ?Their entries get time stamped.
That’s the idea behind this.If you want a more organised approach of documenting your day then you should try doing a log entry.
Here is a basic sample
| TIME SLOT | EVENT |
| 9 am | Wake up |
| 10 am to 12 pm | Read book |
| 12 pm to 12:30 pm | Lunch |
| – | And so on |
If writing is not your thing – this snapshot diary is perfect.
The idea: To take pictures of various events during of your day – no matter how big or small.
Take pictures of the book you’re currently reading,the tv show you are watching or a quote you saw online.Document your day using pictures captured with your lens.
Then you can leave them timestamped in your gallery or put them into any note taking app and write a few lines describing each picture.
Vlogs or a video log.Literally every single Youtuber has them up online.
Vlogs rage in various themes and are super fun to make and experiment with at home.All you need is your phone and a tripod (if you have one.)
Different formats of vlogs include :
Use the videocamera to record moments of your day.Take it up as a project and have fun with it !
Set up a phone or a camera on a tripod and record yourself speaking to the camera.It’s similar to a journal entry but only talking instead of writing down your thoughts and emotions.You can date stamp them to easily open up the video diary for any day you want.
And that’s it!
Experiment with various styles and have fun.See what you can easily manage to do in your day and go for it !
The “Sunday Market” as the locals at Hyderabad of the Hemanagar district call it, is something unique to the culture of the place. Overnight, the deserted blazing hot street turns into a bustling crowded market. Over Saturday evening, stall vendors would lug their goods from all over the district and set up their wares…
Ever miss the sounds of the library ?The turning of books?
Miss the sounds of the café ?With people bustling and coffee frothing?
Many people attribute their focus and productivity to the sounds around them. So, during the pandemic ASMR had begun replacing the real-life experience of libraries, cafes and offices. YouTube has been booming with ASMR videos helping people focus, improve productivity and relieve anxiety.
So, what is ASMR?
ASMR or autonomous sensory meridian response are a range of sounds and visuals. They range from page turning, to keyboard tapping, pen scratching on paper, crinkling and even rain drops. These ASMR sounds have taken up place in people’s lives even helping some deal with depression and improve productivity.
Although there hasn’t been intensive research on ASMR – a study conducted by the University of Sheffield found that, compared to non-ASMR participants, those who experience ASMR reported increased levels of calmness and decreased levels of stress and sadness.
ASMR may be the technique that people are looking for to become more productive.
Some common ASMR types
For some ASMR is a hindrance – making them lose their focus. But for others it often helps stimulate their creativity helping them get more work done.
So, the next down you sit down to work – try it out and see if it works. If it does, you’re looking towards many focused work sessions
PICTURE CREDIT:
Photo by Shunya Koide on Unsplash
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Drinking coffee before a nap? Sounds a little counterintuitive, doesn’t it?
Caffeine naps are the latest evolution. When you feel drowsy and your eyelids begin to close right after that heavy lunch – instead of gulping down a cup of coffee or taking a regular 20-minute power nap – try a caffeine nap. ( AKA the coffee nap )
The concept?
To drink a cup of coffee and then take a 20-minute nap. It takes at least 20 minutes for the caffeine to kick into your system – giving you enough time to boos your energy with a quick 20-minute nap.
Why does this work?
Well, when the caffeine enters your system, it takes at least 20 minutes for its effects to start showing. When you feel tired – your body produces adenosine. When you sleep – your body begins getting rid of this adenosine – and gulping down a cup of coffee before this helps boost your energy levels.
According to research conducted in the 1990s, drinking a cup of coffee after a midday nap can increase concentration, performance skills, and cognition compared to taking a nap alone.
In their conclusion, the researchers stated that “the combination of a nap and caffeine was more effective in maintaining alertness and performance than was the nap alone.”
Hence by using both the components of a power nap and a coffee kick you wake up energised.
Photo by Gregory Pappas on Unsplash
Gimme your thoughts in the comments below !
College and school brings to mind images of loose sheets of papers, multiple notebooks, notes scribbled in the margins of a textbook, a flurry of assignments and club activities. Note taking.Keeping track of deadlines. Following up on assignments. Finishing up project work and the list of academic and extracurricular activities goes on. Staying organised will…
All images are copyright of Ishita Tenjerla. They may not be used or reproduced. Poem : Whispering Waves by Edel T. Copeland
The sound of pages being turned. The smell of old books. Coming home to a bookshelf full of new books to escape into. Discovering new authors. Pulling out favourite quotes. These are landmark moments in every reader’s journey. But our journey of diving into a book begins from the purchase of the book. We walk…
Here are some quotes that grabbed my attention while flipping through the pages of this book. Hope you enjoyed reading this post Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below. Stay connected: Keep reading:
Jeffery Archer has a knack for the art of storytelling and his books have been bestsellers for years. One unique feature about his short story collections is the twist in the ending of a story. A reader does not know what Archer really means to tell us until the very end. Today I’ll be looking…
All images are copyright of Ishita Tenjerla. They may not be used or reproduced.
All images are copyright of Ishita Tenjerla (They may not be reproduced)
Before you throw your hands up in the air with an exasperated sigh and say “ routines are not my thing” or “ I don’t wanna live a monotonous life “
Hear me out.
You wake up and go to bed the same time every day.
Now what would happen if you were to mess up your sleep schedule? If you were to get 8 hours of disturbed sleep or if you tried to wake up at the crack of dawn when you’re a night owl.
You would be ok for a day or two and then you would hit a slump.
Because your body has a rhythm it has adapted to.
A routine. So you follow it.Unquestioned.
Let’s say you’re an artist,a student ,a professor, a startup entrepreneur or someone looking to crush your goals.
When you’re shooting for the stars – the first and most important step is to build a routine.
All our great scientists,artists and successful CEO’s have one thing in common – a routine. A ritual. Structure to their day.
Take Darwin,Beethoven or Sundar Pichai for example.
This quote by Paula Coelho beautiful summarizes everything I want to say :
If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is lethal.
Paulo Coelho
Routines give your mind immense freedom.Freedom to workout .To study. To write your book. To build your business.
It declutters your mind. Gives you a new profound clarity.
It reduces anxiety and stress. It gives you more control over your day allowing you to accomplish everything you have set out to. It helps you stay motivated and on top of your work.
So how do you build a routine?
2 simple methods often talked about are :
Time blocking simply needs you to allot or set time slots for different tasks during the day.
For eg :
6 am to 7 am : Morning jog
7 am to 8 am: Catch up on the daily news + Breakfast
8 am to 9 am : Tick 3 things of to do list
And so, on
This focuses on stacking one habit over the other. The end of one habit signifies the start of another.
For eg:
Eat breakfast
After I have a healthy breakfast, I will go on my morning jog
After my morning jog I will catch up on the daily news.
And so, on
As a writer, creativity is my fuel. And routine helps me keep my tank full.
We all had plans for 2022 that we either A) began and then quit or B) didn’t even start.Building a study routine was one of my goals – and I fall into the second category. Anyway , we are here 2 months into the new year so I figured it’s a good time to start…
Hello everyone ! This is a photobook experimenting with light and shadows. So go ahead and click this button right here.
Time is funny.When working on a long boring assignment , it can seem to move very slowly.But when watching your favourite web series….BAM ! There goes 3 hours of your day. But why does time work like that ? Let me introduce to you Parkinson’s law of time management.It simply states that : This is…
Hi everyone ! I hope this post finds you in good spirits for the upcoming new year. I’m back after a hiatus and really hope to post regularly again. I’ve always loved a good minimalistic planner – specially printable ones. So I went ahead and I designed my own academic planner for 2022 ! Get…
My portfolio building process from scratch Colleges need sooo much more than just your marks and merit.So do companies offering internships and more. Having a portfolio in hand put’s you on the fast track for more opportunities. Here I take you through my process of building a portfolio- as an 18 year old college applicant.…
When the shutter clicks and the machinery whirs – your camera has essentially captured the scene around you into a small frame. From weddings to a cousin’s reunion. From an evening out to beach trip. Capturing the food, people and the scenery around us has become a way of life for some of us. And…
Most things which are urgent are not important, and most things which are important are not urgent.Eisenhower Sounds like a real mind bender, doesn’t it? But this is what led Eisenhower to research and develop the famous Eisenhower Matrix. At any given point of time we have tasks to do that should have been done…
SIGN UP FOR THE EMAIL LIST HERE AND NEVER MISS A POST ! Notes and note taking play a major role irrespective of whether you are a student, a professional or a teacher. My notes are often look like this : Lots of bullet points, random irrelevant doodles and maybe even some glitter. In short:…
At home,everytime the Wi-Fi router starts acting up or acts all funny ,I simply turn it off and reset the whole thing.
And magically like a whole orchestra coming together the Wi-Fi router begins to function as smoothly as before.
Your brain is just like that.
It has too much to handle and begins lagging behind. You’re falling behind on deadlines. You can’t seem to remember the last time you took some time off. You simply can’t get anything done.
All you need is a quick reset.
1
When you can’t pinpoint that one thing that is really making you feel this way and nothing seems interesting to you anymore.
2
You feel overwhelmed and simply can’t figure out what to do about it.
3
You keep switching up your tasks and leave everything unfinished.
Me for example? I picked up my textbook after which I decided to make a mocha coffee ( check back later) and then finally just sat down and jotted this blog post.
4
When was the last time you got out of bed excited for something to look forward to ?
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Aim for a 100 % and pat yourself on the back if you get 70 % done.
Doesn’t seem like a lot at one go .But do that everyday and you will be much more efficient over time.
Or don’t.But make your space lively and clean
Clean up your room.
Do a digital detox.
Hang up some fairy lights.
Make your workstation somewhere you want to come at sit at everyday
Get back to your drawing board and start re-planning things.
Ask yourself these 2 questions :
What do I want to get done everyday ?
And how much am I really able to accomplish ?
Use these two questions as a guideline and plan your new routine.
Something you need to remember when your day feels sluggish and slow
A new day means a new start.A fresh start.One full of new chances.
Use that and seize the day.
If you know you are stuck in a mental rut right now -begin planning for your next day.
Plan your new routine. Sign up for a few fun classes. Clean up and get yourself ready to tackle a new day.
Vent.Cry.Scream into a pillow.
Draw or go out on a run
Whatever fits your niche.
If you enjoyed reading this post do let me know in the comments below. Your comments motivate me to write every single day.
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8 months into 2020 and it has been a whirlwind so far. Phew!
Settling into our new roles and getting adjusting to the unfamiliar space of work/school from home did take some time.
By now we’ve mastered to take control over our day and set up a system for the lockdown period.
But now we are stuck finding ways to spend our free time at home without having to rely on the telly as our only source of entertainment.
All this free time being cooped up inside can soon lead to boredom and frustration. So here are 25 things you can do!
1.TED talks and podcasts
These are fun to listen in to and really ignite your thinking cap! So plug in your earphones and listen to a few podcasts on topics you want to pursue.
PODCASTS I’M CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -Paradox of efficiency, Cost of work stress & The puzzle of personality
2.DIY’S
Since you’re in your room all day why not mix things up a little and make it more lively?
Pinterest and YouTube are abundant with so many different room decor ideas and DIY’s to make online school a breeze.
3.Catch up on your movie /documentary list
Remember when you told yourself you would watch that movie or documentary as soon as you got a free weekend? Well, its time to pop open that list and get watching!
MY LIST: Air Force One, The President’s Bodyguard
4.Rekindle an old habit you loved
For me, it was reading. Being unable to visit bookstores and actually feel the presence of books put me into a reading slump for the better half of this year.
So try making some changes and rekindle an old habit by finding alternatives.
5.Scrapbook
You don’t have to use glue, paper and pictures for this but instead, can look at different ways to preserve your memories.
You could try: Vlogging or videography, Writing or journaling, Making a collage online
6.Try your hand at calligraphy
7.Mandalas and Art
Doodling mandalas (or even zentagles ) are a fun way to destress and get in touch with your artistic side.
Pottery, canvas painting, sketching are some others you could try.
8.Workout
9.Call up a friend or a relative and check-in
10.Take care of your mental health
Take a break. Try yoga, meditation or whatever fits your niche.
11.Learn to experiment
Lockdown has taught me that change is constant. And things would be easier if I simply learnt to be flexible to the change and adapt to it.
This has helped me learn to experiment with different things.
Experiment with your routine, your workout, your meals or your work method
12.Register for webinars or competitions
13. Declutter your room
14.Pick up a new skill
Udemy and Coursera are offering free courses for this lockdown period.
15. Arrange your bookshelf
It will finally give you a chance to tackle your TBR
16.Plan ahead
Plan for your upcoming assignments or goals you want to accomplish this month.
17.Pick up 3 daily habits
3 small habits that you can dedicate 15 -30 minutes every day
18.Get some peace and calm.
When was the last time you actually stopped during your day and sat down for a few quiet moments?
19.Tackle your to-do list
I just crossed one off my list.
Finish writing blog post
20.Pick up a challenge
It could be a 30-day art challenge or a 15-day reading challenge.
21.Put things into perspective by journaling
Pause for a moment and look at your day. What are you currently doing? What do you dislike? What would you like to incorporate into your day? What can you change?
22.Go net surfing
You could pick up a topic or two you would love to learn more about and read up all you can about it.
WHAT I’M RESEARCHING RIGHT NOW: Ancient Egypt, KonMari
23. Organise your workspace.
Our workstations are in constant use throughout the day. So why not make it lively with a few desk organizers and a little decluttering.
Place a calendar, your routine and sticky notes to jot things down as they come and go.
24.Cook something for yourself or for someone else
A salad or a brownie -your choice!
25.Watch /Read something that makes you smile.
Smile.
Do read other posts in the “Quarantine Diaries” series
Do leave a comment and tell me what you liked the most.
Until next time
Ishita Tenjerla
99takeontheworld
365 DAYS.
It’s time to let go of 2020
Read them all on the blog
my take on the world 