The thoughts of summer might include pictures of time on the beach or lazy days of escaping the heat by going to the mall. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced an enhanced community quarantine across Luzon, the largest island in the country, to contain the spread of the virus.
That’s why instead of having a “normal” summer break, thousands of Filipino students are forced to stay inside their homes. For some, not having to go outside and visit the beach is a struggle. But do know that it’s perfectly possible to have a great summer vacation indoors. In fact, it’s the perfect opportunity to stay productive and work
Curious how? Check out these 8 ways to stay productive during summer break that can be just as fun and relaxing.
How to Stay Productive: 8 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Summer Break
1. Try Decluttering
Now that school’s suspended until further notice, you’re probably tempted to lie down in your bed all day long.
However, before doing so, look around your room first. With the limited space you have for all your stuff, you’re starting to notice that you just place and put your belongings all over the area.
Try cleaning your closet in order to maximize your cramped bedroom. Start by pulling all your clothes out of the drawer and laying them on your bed. Separate the ones that still fit you and those that don’t. You can also segregate the clothes that you don’t wear as often.
Put the disregarded clothes in a big bag then keep it tucked away in one corner of your room. You can wait until the quarantine lifts and donate them later on or earn some cash by selling them online!
Tip: Aside from your closet, you may also want to organize your study table. Sort through all your exam papers and throw unnecessary ones away. You can also place your school supplies in one handy desk organizer.
2. Catch Up on Reading
Remember those books that you kept on your reading list for so long? Or perhaps the books that you’ve bought from past book fairs? Now is the time to read all through them. You’ll get to finally cross off your to-read list and effectively kill time—a win-win situation.
Aside from reading already-purchased books, you may also want to learn more about other topics. Looking up blogs and other online publications is the best way to do this. Who knows, you may come across a topic that you’ll be interested in studying in the future.
Tip: Tempted to reach out to your mobile phone? It’s best to install a productivity app that would restrict you from accessing social media sites.
3. Enroll in an Online Class
As a student, you may frown upon this option. After all, the point of summer is to enjoy and unwind from stress. But before you completely say “no” to online classes, know that it would not only help you with your weaker areas in academics such as math and science but it would also support you in developing new skills like coding and graphics design.
Learning shouldn’t always be boring or tedious. You may even find it surprising that online classes are much more interactive than classes in a physical school. And if you’re worried about having to spend money on tuition fees, you don’t have to be as there are tons of free online courses you can take!
4. Look for an Online Job
Prefer to earn money instead? Then you can start looking for online jobs on the Internet.
If you excel in one school subject or more, you can try tutoring younger children online. In fact, knowing English would be enough to land you an ESL teaching gig.
For art-inclined students, you can consider freelance jobs based on your sets of skills, whether it’s sketching, digital painting, photo editing, or video editing.
Overall, no matter which abilities you have, it’s best to take advantage of it in order to earn great money this summer break.
5. Learn a New Language
If you’ve always wanted to learn a new language, now is the perfect opportunity to do so!
Start by setting realistic goals for yourself—know that it’s nearly impossible to learn both German and Korean at the same time. In fact, the reason why many people get intimidated in learning a new language is due to the sheer number of words one has to learn. English, for instance, contains up to 1 million words but only 1,000 are used to make up English texts.
That’s why it’s best to research the “top” words in the language of your choice and limit your learning to those words. This would also help you learn the language faster.
Tip: For a less complicated way to learn a new language, you can try changing your Facebook language settings then begin at that. You can also read online magazines in another language—you’ll be surprised at how easy it would be to pick up on some phrases.
6. Take Up a New Hobby
You can also learn a new hobby while school is out and suspended. Whether there’s something you’ve always wanted to do (gardening, knitting, or playing an instrument) or something that you used to love but stopped doing, summer break is the perfect time to learn new hobbies!
After all, they are important for everyone’s well being from helping you better structure out your time to coping with the stress of everyday life.
7. Binge-Watch Documentaries
Instead of watching hit-shows on Netflix or HOOQ, you can binge-watch documentaries instead. It’s a very effective way of learning about something new. It keeps your brain active and would help you come up with quality conversation topics with your family.
8. Make Some Lifestyle Changes
During school break, you have all the time in the world! As such, this is a great opportunity for making several healthy lifestyle choices like sleeping early, eating healthy, and exercising regularly.
All of these don’t have to be upfront drastic changes though. It’s perfectly fine to start slowly then work your way up for betterment. For instance, in your diet, you don’t have to completely ditch sweets—you can opt to eat fruits or edible flowers daily for proper nutrition. When it comes to exercising, it’s the same notion—begin by doing 5-10 minute workouts every day then increasing their duration as the weeks go on.
You might have been looking forward to an exciting summer break for this year—days out in the sun and exploring new sights. However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, people are forced to stay home in order to control the spread of the disease. On the bright side of things, you can still perfectly have fun at the comforts of your own home this summer. Just remember these 8 productive ways!
Liked this post? Check our blog for similar articles.
