Staying Organized and Having Fun: a de-stressing strategy
Last week the rest of the crew posted about mental wellness and their posts were all super awesome. My mental wellness week post is a bit late but A for effort right?
Wellness for me is about taking care of your whole self: sometimes that means that I make myself eat vegetables (although I often feel like Ori), while other times it means just taking a break from school stress and having fun with my friends.
My main way to keep myself from turning into a big ball of stress is to stay organized. I'm pretty type-A so i have list upon list that keeps me on track. What I've found really helpful is a tactic that I've done since first year: putting my schedule in the calendar app on my computer/phone/iPad like so
doing this helps me see what free time I have and lets me look up the readings for each week without having to go into the syllabus every time. Having my due dates in a bright colour helps me easily visualize when everything is due.I remember the week of the 9th-15th, assignment free bliss
In addition to this I have a weekly planner that I write assignments in, a big sticky note with all my assignment due dates, and a running to do list app on my phone and laptop.
This was a pretty light to do list as I did most of my readings on Friday. Setting myself a reasonable amount of work everyday helps me get it all done and makes me feel good when I see everything crossed off.
The second way I take care of myself is by taking breaks and having fun with my friends.After finishing the readings for two classes on Friday I took a break to read some blogs (this article in Vogue about Jony Ive was such a great read, and I really liked these pictures of flowers on vintage photos) and listen to records before starting to study for a test I had on Monday.
This little break, sitting on my window seat, looking at my plants, and hearing the lovely songs from Camelot helped me recharge from a busy morning and helped me study better; since I had already caught up with the internet I wasn't tempted to take breaks after every 3 pages. By setting a specific to do list, I was able to keep myself up to date with my readings and pace myself, knowing I only had one more thing to do today helped me feel okay about taking a much needed break.
On Saturday I knew I had to go out for brunch for a friend's birthday, participate in a panel for fall open house, review for a test, and do a few housekeeping things.
Community crew shenanigans post fall open house panel knowing I only had a little bit of studying to do that afternoon meant I had time to frolic in the leaves with these goons.
Going out for brunch for a friend's birthday on Saturday was another great way to relax, I mean, food is a necessity of life and hanging out with friends is a great way to start the day. After brunch and the panel I buckled down and did some review before having a fun disney movie marathon that night.
Those are my strategies for keeping myself from getting too stressed but whatever strategy works for you is best! The important thing to remember is that a little bit of stress is healthy and keeps you motivated but if you feel you need help, there are a ton of resources availible at U of T (most of them were outlined in the crew's posts from the last week).
After finishing the readings for two classes on Friday I took a break to read some blogs (this article in Vogue about Jony Ive was such a great read, and I really liked these pictures of flowers on vintage photos) and listen to records before starting to study for a test I had on Monday.
This little break, sitting on my window seat, looking at my plants, and hearing the lovely songs from Camelot helped me recharge from a busy morning and helped me study better; since I had already caught up with the internet I wasn't tempted to take breaks after every 3 pages. By setting a specific to do list, I was able to keep myself up to date with my readings and pace myself, knowing I only had one more thing to do today helped me feel okay about taking a much needed break.
On Saturday I knew I had to go out for brunch for a friend's birthday, participate in a panel for fall open house, review for a test, and do a few housekeeping things.
Those are my strategies for keeping myself from getting too stressed but whatever strategy works for you is best! The important thing to remember is that a little bit of stress is healthy and keeps you motivated but if you feel you need help, there are a ton of resources availible at U of T (most of them were outlined in the crew's posts from the last week).
0 comments on “Staying Organized and Having Fun: a de-stressing strategy”