If, like many, you are struggling to stay motivated with schoolwork, then this article is for you. I hope to help those with too much work, those with too little, and those in the middle, by providing tips and advice for self-schooling. Keeping the balance of relaxation and busyness can be a real struggle - if you are somebody who has found themselves overwhelmed with work, stress or maybe both, then here are some tips to help you unwind a little and get your work under control:

Structure your day. Everybody has a different approach to work, but many find that structure helps them to focus. Since we are no longer regulated by school bells and timetables it’s easy to either not do your work or continue to do it for too long. By creating a timetable, you can organise your thoughts and work according to it. It doesn’t have to be extremely strict, just by making a starting point and an ending point to your day, you can bring back a little normality. Just make sure to leave time for a bit of relaxation!

Do some yoga. Yes, I said yoga. I don’t mean that we all have to do hours of it a day! Just try doing a couple of simple poses every morning to wake you up. You may feel a bit silly and undignified but soon you will see an improvement in your flexibility and hopefully it will help you to relax. Try doing it with your family, you’ll have a good laugh and it will help to prevent sore backs from sitting down a lot.

Make a plan. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work at the start of the week. Make a plan of what you are going to do each day and stick to it! This will make the mound of work seem smaller, and you’ll feel very satisfied at the end of the day when you have finished the day’s work.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who have little work, and a lot of free time. You may be content with Netflix, some chocolate and a blanket, but if you are feeling at a bit of a loose end then here are some tips to help with the boredom:

Find an online schooling website. There are thousands of free, excellent online schooling websites online. One of my favourites is Khan Academy, an amazing website that provides courses in Computing, Maths and Science. The courses are well structured and supportive as well as being beginner friendly. You can choose how little or how much you do per day which is very helpful.

Learn a language. There are many great resources that can help you pick up the basics of a new tongue. I recommend Duolingo as it lets you hear the pronunciation of words as well as see how they are written. Although you won’t be able to show off your linguistic skills abroad for quite some time, knowing another language is always a great skill.

Write an article for The Curious Times! If there is something that you feel passionate about then writing an article could be the perfect way to express yourself and flex your English skills. And if you don’t feel like writing an article there are still lots of fun activities to keep you occupied in our Battling Boredom section!