1. Determine your relatively inflexible activities.
Sleep: This is important. The less you have of it, the less productive you become in the following days. This lack of sleep will also make you highly susceptible to becoming ill as your body is not as strong.
Class Time: Classes are scheduled for you already. This is, on the face of it, inflexible.
Scheduled Gym Workshops: Certain classes are scheduled at certain times which you may not want to miss if it is your only physical activity.
Commuting Time
2. Set Aside Time for Physical Activity
One of the biggest mistakes law students make is that they cut back on physical exercise. This often leads to an increase in weight, which will likely only continue increasing post-graduation because of the sedentary lifestyle associated with being a lawyer.
Remember, you do not have to necessarily go to the gym. You can do one of the following:
Jogging
Joining a Dance Class
Joining a Karate Class or other related workshops
Walking: you can do this if going grocery shopping, going to the convenient store, if you have a pet, etc.
3. Set Aside Time for the “Big Rocks”
Another common mistake made by law students is the lack of time they give to their old relationships, with family, friends, a significant other, etc. These are the “big rocks” described in the story above. While it may seem “time-consuming” to talk to them on the telephone, these will be the individuals you want to keep in touch with when you want to get away from talking about school and work. They will constantly remind you that you are a person and not just a law student. While it is a great thing to make friends at the law school and within the community, the individuals you have grown up with and known prior to law school are fundamental roots in maintaining a healthy mental lifestyle.
4. Do you have particular hours that you are most productive – set those aside for “study” hours.
Some people study better in the mornings while others study better in the evenings. Try to recognize when you get the most work done and keep that aside as your study time. Remember, there are other things you may also need to tend to, such as laundry, grocery shopping, working, cleaning, and cooking. Recognize whether these can be done on the weekend during certain hours during which you can cook for the next couple of days, etc.
5. Can you reduce time spent on lower priority activities?
There are certain evenings that you may watch shows that you are watching to procrastinate. Recognize which shows you really want to watch.
Socializing is a great way to relieve stress. However, if you are spending every weekend partying because you just finished a draft version of an assignment or finished all of your readings for the following week, this may actually add to your stress as you will be eating away on a good portion of your time partying the night before, waking up late the next morning, etc. It may also become a cycle. This is not to discourage you from going out. It is to help you recognize that there may be other priorities that you should attend to first.
In addition, drinking and partying may be an appealing alternative in order to de-stress. However, overeating, partying, drinking, gambling can become habits that will later on become harder to lose. They will increase physical problems and end up hurting you in the long run.
6. If you work, consider how many hours are necessary “financially speaking” and see if you can cut back accordingly.
Some people say it is impossible for them to cut back on these hours until they receive grades that they are disappointed with.
While working can provide income for staple items and rent, it can also significantly eat away at your study time, which you may compensate for by reducing your sleep (see 1). If this happens, you’ve just fallen into a vicious cycle. Working can help some individuals better manage their time because they realize they have fewer hours to get things done but for others, it can pose a great deal of stress. Recognize the type of individual you are.