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Lisa Hoheisel

EPY 150

Essay 2

2/21/2019
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As a student, I have to work nights at my job to accommodate my school schedule.

During this time period, three to four nights a week, I work all night and sleep most of the day.

The other half of the week I am awake during the day and sleep at night. Thus, creating a viable

schedule is a challenge for me. Depending on what day it is during the week, I have to flip-flop

my daily tasks to accommodate this schedule. This in itself is one reason why I chose to take

this class. I am hoping to learn better time management skills that will accommodate my

schedule. In this essay, I will discuss some of my good and bad personal habits, how I can

change my bad habits, and how this change can affect my time management.

To begin with, I have more personal bad habits than I do good habits. Some of these bad

habits are easily seen in my time monitor plan that I completed for class. I noticed that I spend

well over five hours a day watching television. I also, do not do any positive things for myself

during this time, like working out. I find that watching television is a good way to escape my

daily stressors. Another bad habit I have is, as I have stated earlier, I do not work out. I know it

is a way to destress and keep myself healthy. However, television watching does not take any

effort to do. As far as good personal habits, I try and spend time with my Mom. She lives alone,

has major health issues, and she just recently lost her partner. He died in his sleep a couple of

nights ago. He was to turn ninety years old next week.

I have read that it takes two weeks to change a bad habit. I have made many attempts in

my life to change bad habits. I was successful in quitting smoking. I was also successful in

loosing over thirty pounds a couple of years ago. However, when my work schedule changed to

night-shift, I began to put my weight back on. When I gained my thirty pounds back plus an

extra fifteen pounds, I began to walk around my very small work space. I even purchased a

fitness band that tells me how many steps I have done each day. I also began making and
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drinking fruit and vegetable smoothies most days. As far as limiting my television watching, I

am still failing at that. Mostly because I do not like being outside in the cold and snow.

However, I just found some videos on YouTube that are virtual walks through forests. I have

just begun utilizing those videos; it is something to get me moving. Once the weather gets

better, I will take my dogs on long walks. I even will go on some hikes with my little dog,

Angus.

These changes can positively affect my current issues with time management by spending

less time watching television. Thus, making more time for me and my studies. I also find when

I am mentally alert through better nutrition and exercise, I do far better in my classes.

In summary, even though I have a challenging work and school schedule, I need to utilize

better personal habits to improve my time management skills. This can be done by being

creative with my time monitor plan. This may even mean making two different plans. One plan

that accommodates my work schedule. While another plan that would accommodate my school

and days off schedule. Even if I utilize these plans, I will still need to spend less time watching

television while at the same time spending more time for me and my studies.