Your Bedroom and Office Cannot Be the Same Space!: By Emily Kruger

    Quarantine and isolation were foreign concepts among the teenagers of Sparta High School until March of 2020 introduced a global pandemic. Our student body went from running laps on the lacrosse fields, getting ready for prom, and attending school with our friends every day to laying in bed staring at our computers. We instantly became locked behind our computer screens and had to finish out the school year with not much closure. As we all start a new school year, the quick lockdown of March seems to be repeating itself, and new problems are arising for us all. 

    Take a moment to think about where you live. That's right. Imagine the place where you eat, sleep, relax, workout, watch movies, etc. Do you do most of these things in your bedroom? Most teenagers including myself could say they do a vast majority of their everyday activities in their room. While doing homework in bed sounds comfortable and relaxing, this is actually very unhealthy. According to info.achs.edu, studying in the same place that you relax can reduce your productivity and even hurt your sleep. When all cozy in a place of relaxation, it could be extremely difficult to focus on the assignment you need to complete, or the class you are attending. This could also decrease productivity because your room or your bed is not a place that your brain associates with work. Lastly, studying in bed can even hurt your sleep. If your brain starts to associate your room with a place of work, focus, and ultimately stress...you will never be able to relax and sleep! 

    Personally, I can account for this issue. When our school quickly went virtual in the spring, I did all my work at a desk in my room. I would attend class in my room and lay on my bed to complete assignments. When school was over, I would stay on my bed to study my bible, then relax and watch Netflix in the same place. My room, a place that I loved, turned into a place I dreaded going and could not find relaxation in. I was spending too much time in there! With much consideration and hard work, I have created an office space in my basement that I can now attend school. I am turning a little room that we never used into my personalized office. I have already taken down wallpaper in there, and painting is my next step! There is a folding table set up where I am already doing my school work. 

    If you have space and facilities available to you to study anywhere besides your room, take advantage of that opportunity right away. This will impact the way you focus, the way you work, and even the way you relax!