Tag Archives: stress

The Week I Dropped the Ball and Everything Fell Apart

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The week after reading week, A.K.A, the week everything was due. And I have yet to meet all the deadlines and the week is now long over. Yep, I dropped the ball. Not because I am a lazy or irresponsible student, but because I just had so much going on outside of school that I just couldn’t focus enough to perform my duties as a student. The last month has been full of hospital hopping, loooooonger hospital shifts and many setbacks in my dad’s recovery. And I don’t know how to explain to my profs that sometimes I just can’t come to class or finish an assignment on time because of reasons I hate having to give again and again.

I can’t tell a prof that the reason I couldn’t finish this assignment was because I’ve been having nightmares and flashbacks which have been hindering my ability to focus. They will think I’m a pity case or am always making excuses. I can’t just tell a prof that I was in the building of the class at the time of the class but just couldn’t come to class because my heart was beating louder and faster than it should and a two-hour discussion was something I could not endure. I can’t tell fellow club executives that I feel overwhelmed with all of my extracurricular commitments because that would be letting them down. And I can’t tell my employers that the reason  I’ve been MIA is that I feel like my life is falling apart and that I’m slipping through the cracks. I just can’t. Even if I do, they won’t be able to understand the kind of pressures involved in my situation. And I hate asking for help, making excuses and being such a flake.

And I don’t want to share such personal details with the my professors, employers and colleagues but I have to in order to explain to them my flakiness. Sometimes I just want to scream LEAVE ME ALONE, you’ll get the assignment when you get it, I don’t care about the late penalties. And I did that for a bit by ignoring emails, assignment deadlines and running from myself. But I know how irresponsible that is and I really need to prioritize my grades and commitments again.

I think what I need to do is speak to my registrar again and ask for accommodation. Suffering in silence got me nowhere. I’m also going to start communicating my needs better to my profs, employers and colleagues and stop feeling so guilty about my situation. And Im also seriously considering moving my graduation date to November 2013.  I don’t know how but somehow I’m going to get through this. I’ll figure it out. I always do.

All I have to say to you this week is: Don’t suffer in silence, U of T.

I did that for a week. And it just made everything a bigger mess. There are people here who care! And even if they don’t totally understand your situation, if you tell them, or communicate to them what kind of help you need, then they can locate better-suited accommodations for your situation. Don’t be ashamed of your baggage.

-Sarah

How the snow thawed my brain…

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I have a whole lot of stuff due this week and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Speaking of icebergs…

This weekend I had a ridiculous amount of work due, but I still managed to find time to for procrastination hiking. I enjoyed the snow day last week, but I hadn’t gotten a chance to get out in the white stuff and play. I was stuck inside studying. I forced myself out of the house on Sunday and I’m so glad I did.

I recently moved to an area that is ripe with rock formations and waterfalls…if you are even vaguely aware of Ontario’s topography and you consider the fact that I study at the St. George a campus, then you could probably guess where it is I live. That mental game will give you a few minutes of needed distraction.

So like I was saying, I finally got out into the snow and it was magical…really it was. An hour of fresh cold air, the invigorating sensation of cold snow in your boots, the adrenaline rush when you almost slip five feet into an icy cold stream…it was all good.

After hiking to a nearby ravine I was face to face with a, icy twenty five foot waterfall. We spent about an hour playing in the snow, just being I awe of the natural beauty that surrounded us.

Before I went outside I was feeling really defeated, with a bad case of writer’s block. I was struggling to get any words down on paper and I was frustrated.

I’m not sure if I had just been in a waking sleep all day and the winter air just woke me up, but whatever biological or mental process that occurred during my winter hike cured my writer’s block!

So I really killed a few birds with one stone.  I got some exercise, I spent some quality time with my kids, I enjoyed what may be the last snowfall of the season (if Wiarton Willy is right) and I expelled all the stress from my system.  I was able to sit down at my computer after my hike and hammer out six sold pages of writing.

If you’re suffering from a writer’s block like I was, try a nice winter walk or some other form of exercise. I guess the experts are right it does really help!

-Lori

 

joy at U of T

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Since I’ve joined the Community Crew this year, we’ve come across a few students expressing shock at the fact that we are real people. Perhaps they thought we were professional models hired by the university. I would love it if I was a professional model, but alas I am not. I am a full time student like the rest of you.  I’m guessing the reason people think we aren’t real people is that they see the Community Crew as an attempt by the university to make everything peachy and nice. My response to that is a) I’m not an android and b) I’m on a student union — I realize not everything is peachy.

That being said, last week I was scrolling down my Facebook feed and discovered all these curious U of T pages on Facebook. I don’t have to mention the specific page names, these are the pages where you share anonymous thoughts and feelings and I noticed a collective sadness. A lot of people feel lonely, disconnected, lost in what seems to be a vast campus of faceless individuals. It can be disheartening.  Admittedly, for myself in first year, during exams especially there were times where I felt anxiety and frustration with my situation.  I think every student goes through this.  I have had friends go through worse, dealing with depression, panic attacks, anxiety disorders. My question is: if we can share these feelings and support each other online, why can’t we feel like we can do so in real life? Clearly, we have a problem. So how do we address it? There is no simple answer, but I think there are a few things we can do. This month, the Office of Student Life is launching a new campaign called joy at U of T. It’s about collectively expressing what we as students take joy in at U of T.  This campaign about supporting each other as students and helping us find the brighter side of the campus. Because, sometimes on a big campus, it’s easy to get lost in the negative and forget about the positive. My #joyatuoft is relaxing in the Junior Common Room, or having a good time with fellow students at an event. Cooperating and having a good time during our BIO220 labs. Starting a FB group for classmates to collaborate on understanding course material.

I think there are things we can do as students to make our campus better. Interact with each other! I am making a more concious effort to introduce myself to people in my lab section, engage in friendly conversation with people who walk into the ASSU office and just generally project an image of positivity. This doesn’t mean we have to be Pippi Longstocking all the time — just, collectively, we have to be more open to each other. Smiles, holding the door for people, listening to what students have to say. These are small things that we can do to make our campus better.

But admittedly, there are some things that seem like they are out of our control. So, we resort to wallowing in our collective sadness and complaining on the internet about our problems. But, my friends – collectively, we can do something.  Each of us has a voice and I urge you to share it with your fellow students.  Not just to complain, but to write to the Varsity, get involved in town halls, and student union commissions. Become part of the dialogue, have your grievances recognized and move towards a solution.  Things may seem hopeless, but remember progress is possible. This is the campus where Robarts Library used to be restricted to undergrads, until the collective action of students reversed the decision. Now, I’m not saying go occupy the Presidents’ office.  But, what I am saying is that we as students, need to work together with administration, with faculty to make this campus a better place. U of T is great and we can make it even better for each other, and that brings me joy.

The Art of Forgiving Yourself

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“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

We’ve all heard the expression “forgive and forget.”  For most people, it seems, that expression only applies to other people. We’re supposed to give loved ones, whether they be friends, family members, partners, or others, second chances. And that can be a struggle, especially when we have been wronged.  But I’ve learned that one of the hardest things to do is to forgive yourself for mistakes that you’ve made.

My first year was my worst.  Hands-down.  UofT intimidated me.  I can still remember walking into Con Hall and thinking “there are more students in this one class than in my entire high school.”  I lived in residence but homesickness took over within a few weeks. I struggled through my courses and felt a little lost on campus.  It wasn’t until the end of Year 1 that I decided to talk to someone.

I booked an appointment with my registrar’s office and walked my advisor through my issues.  I asked her to fix my situation. To make it right.  I wanted her to give me a step-by-step solution to all my troubles.  I wanted her to turn back time.

What she said to me completely through me off because it was so unexpected and seemed so irrelevant.  She looked me in the eye and asked me “If your best friend came to you with this issue, what would be the first thing that you say?”

I wasn’t really sure where this was going but I said “I’d tell her not to give up.”

“Oh?”

“Well yeah. I’d tell her to cut herself some slack.  Everyone makes mistakes.  And she’s resourceful enough to recover from a setback.”

And then she said “So why can’t you say that to yourself?  Why doesn’t that apply to you?”

I think that was one of the first times I realized that it’s okay to make mistakes.  To not have everything figured out.  Forgiving yourself doesn’t mean that you don’t have to deal with the consequences of your actions (and yes, there will be consequences).  It just means that those consequences don’t have to include shame, guilt, or depression.

I remember asking my advisor “if I’m not hard on myself, won’t people think that I’m not taking my situation seriously?”

She pointed out “do you think that your loved ones want you to be moping around?  Or do you think they’d prefer it if you were resourceful and found a way to rectify your situation?”

“Maybe I should change my study habits.”

“And you will. But before you can do that, you need to move on.  And the only way to do that is to forgive yourself.”

I remember walking out of the registrar’s office with a sense of relief.  I didn’t have a step-by-step solution to my problem like I’d hoped.  But I figured out a way to re-channel my time and energy to improving my situation instead of beating myself up over it.

I think, in the midst of the expectations that others have for us and those that we have for ourselves, we forget that we are human. That we fail.  And that presents one of the biggest barriers to letting go of the past and moving on.  Reminding ourselves that we are worthy of forgiveness is half the battle.

Till next time,

Ishita

Student Burn Out — Stressful Times Call For Simple Measures

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Most of us have days when we feel overloaded, overwhelmed, and underappreciated. When the dozen or so balls we keep in the air aren’t manageable. When dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. It’s called burn out. If the “lacklusterness” of school or my day-to-day routine lasts for over a month, I consider myself burnt out. But it helps in knowing that I’m not alone and that it’s not permanent. I’ve even found that it is possible to feel content and stimulated with a full course load! All it requires is a little bit of organization and a whole lot of motivation. Burn out may visit from time-to-time but it definitely doesn’t have to stay!

This school year, I have experienced greater levels of burnout than I normally do. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve entered my senior years of university and have to start making concrete decisions about the rest of my life or if it’s because the stress of the past several years has built to the point of overflowing. In any case, the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that I have felt the first few months of the academic year have rendered my problems insurmountable.

I suppose that the stress of managing 5 courses, 3 on-campus jobs, and a handful of personal and professional relationships was bound to take its toll sooner or later. This past semester, every day was a bad day. The negative effects of my burn out spilled into other aspects of my life. To top it off, I was sick with headaches, stomachaches, toothaches, body aches (you get the picture!) for most of the semester.

Thankfully, after several sessions of personal reflection, I’ve been able to reassess my priorities and regain my footing. When I finally accepted it for what it was, I decided to simplify my daily activities to regain control of them. I started taking regular breaks while studying. I stopped thinking about Tasks 3, 4, or 5 when I wasn’t even done Task 1. I changed what I ate to spice things up. And I wrote. I wrote down my frustrations on a piece of paper and read them out loud. Then I ripped up the piece of paper into as many pieces as I possibly could. I can’t describe how liberating it felt. And over time, the burnout faded away.

Since then, I’ve taken several steps to prevent another burnout from becoming a full-blown breakdown:

1) Lately, I’ve been starting every day with a relaxing ritual. Rather than jumping out of bed the moment I wake up, I spend at least fifteen minutes every morning meditating, reading, or day dreaming. I’ve realized that stress-free mornings translate into stress-free days.

2) I’ve set boundaries, which has probably been one of the smartest things that I’ve done during my undergrad years. I’ve started to say “no” to requests that demand my time and willpower. Saying “no” to certain requests has allowed me to say “yes” to the tasks I truly want to accomplish.

3) I’ve resolved to take a daily break from technology. Once a day, for at least half an hour (better than nothing!), I completely disconnect – shut off my computer and turn off my phone. Somehow, I find it strangely comforting when I can’t be contacted for short periods of time.

Experiencing burn out, whether or not it’s full-blown, is a risk of being a student (especially at UofT!) Some months look bleaker than others and that’s okay. It’s important to remind ourselves, however, that the best part about burn out is that it’s temporary.

Stay healthy,

Ishita

Goals That I Probably Will/Might/Probably-Won’t-But-Like-To-Tell-Myself-I-Will Accomplish This Year

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Hello bloggies!

I hope you enjoyed your holidays!

I feel like I haven’t posted since last year. (Ha, see what I did there?)  I’ve spent the past few days trying to actively pull myself out of Holiday Mode (somewhat unsuccessfully I may add).  I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions because I forget what I resolved to do come January the 2nd.  But in an attempt to remind myself that I can’t lie in bed forever, I wrote up a list of goals that I probably will/might/probably-won’t-but-like-to-tell-myself-I-will accomplish this year:

1) Express my appreciation to family and friends: We live in a fast-paced world and it seems that saying “thank you” has become underrated. And so, despite having a “Go! Go! Go!” mentality, I want to spend 2013 slowing down and smelling the roses.

2) Try new things: I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I don’t like change.  I prefer predictability.  I’m used to ordering the same thing at a restaurant, shopping at the same stores, and watching the same shows.  Needless to say, my world can get somewhat repetitive and uninteresting. In 2013, I am determined to try the strangest dish on the menu the next time I go out.  Or shop at the small vintage clothing store between the bank and the bakery.  Or watch the slightly questionable T.V. show that all my friends are crazy about. I’ll mention the new things I try in a follow-up post! Stay tuned!

3) Get my G2…finally: I realize that most 20-year olds have a driver’s license by now.  But I have an excuse, I promise!  When I was 16, the “I can finally drive now” realization didn’t hit me as hard as it hit some of my friends.  And when I entered university, the subway was more practical than a car, so it became very easy to put off my driving test. But it’s probably time to get on that.

4) Watch a football game: A friend of mine is football-obsessed. Truly. He actually schedules his classes according to game timings. (I know!)   He’s been begging me to watch a game since I’ve met him.  And because I’m athletically-challenged, I’ve been avoiding it as long as I possibly can.  But sitting through a game would be the perfect way to achieve Goals 1 and 2 (see above).  So I hereby decree that I will force myself to watch 22 sweaty men chasing an inanimate object football at least once this year ;-) .  If I’m honest, though, this is one of the goals that I probably-won’t-but-like-to-tell-myself-I-will accomplish in 2013.

5) Complete all readings for my courses in the week that they are assigned: Seems like the easiest way to avoid procrastination, right?

6) Fit in fitness: Have you ever noticed that laziness gives rise to more laziness?  I always seem to get more accomplished when I am swamped.  I recently found a mobile app called MyFitnessPal that calculates your caloric intake based on food choices and activity level (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/).  I’m planning on using it to track my diet and exercise.  It’s not about losing weight.  I’m just hoping that keeping a “Fitness Journal” of sorts will reduce the amount of junk food I eat!  Maybe adding regular exercise/fitness to my schedule will increase my productivity ten-fold!  Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Looking at my list, I’m proud to say that many of my goals seem doable and realistic.  I might actually achieve them!  If I do, I’ll let you know. And if I don’t, please remind me!

Good luck with your goals this semester! I hope 2013 is your best year yet!

Till next week,

Ishita

I’ve found my escape. What’s yours?

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I love keeping myself busy with things I love doing, but sometimes living the 100-mile-an-hour student life takes its toll. I have this tendency to over-analyze and worry WAY too much about everything… so when there’s a whole bunch of things going on all at once, I inevitably start feeling strained. But I know that there is one thing I can turn to in order to release any negative energy. I’ve discovered an outlet through which I can burn away my stress, clear my thoughts, and just put life on hold for a while.

Ever since I took up cross-country running in my first year of high school, I’ve kept at it. It’s been two years since I’ve actually raced, but it was never really about that for me. I didn’t care about winning or being the fastest. Over the years, running has become my escape from the stresses of everyday life. On days when it feels like nothing is going my way, I’ll go for a run. When I’m angry, frustrated, or completely distraught about something, I’ll take my mind off of it by running. And when I’ve re-read the same sentence five times and the computer screen starts to get blurry, well, there’s not much left for me to do but lace up and hit the road.

I’ve come realize that it’s MOST important to make time for an “escape” when I’m so busy/stressed that I feel like I don’t have time for it. I had FIVE exams in FOUR days last week, so leading up to that my life was a blur of eating, sleeping, and studying like mad. But I also made sure to fit running into the picture, especially since it has been so mild out lately. Even if I only got outside for a bit, I always came back feeling refreshed, re-energized, and glad that I took the time out of my busy day for it.

As exams wrap up and the holidays approach, the whirlwind of festivities can be stressful too. So I encourage you to find an activity that makes you feel alive and can help you get through a bad day. It doesn’t have to be running. Maybe you are heading back home to snowy mountains, and can’t wait to hit the slopes. Or perhaps simply heading outside for a walk to see the Christmas lights lets you clear your mind. Yoga, Zumba, the elliptical – it doesn’t matter what it is. The important thing is to find something that gets your body moving, something to fall back on whenever you need to get away from all the stress and worries of the day.

If you’re looking for more ideas, then check out the MoveU crew’s awesome tips! Already got a favourite sport that you turn to as your escape? Planning a fun activity for the holidays? I’d love to hear about it!

-Lesia

 

The Next Step: Finding a Solution

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A couple of weeks ago, amidst my blurry week of examhaustion and essay-frenzy, I had hit the caffeine ceiling with my intake, and the results were far from pretty. After accepting the fact that it had become an issue, it was time to figure out how to fix it before Pike Place Roast became my permanent IV.

Baby steps involved not cutting caffeine out entirely, which had just placed me in a sleepy and grumpy funk for the whole day. I found it easiest to first eliminate drinking it into the night, preferably before the 4pm mark, and then tackle the quantity cup by cup until it was at a level of two to three cups max.

Believing or at least trying to believe that water and an apple could suffice instead was what it took to keep it down three and not an unlimited amount of cups. Sometimes, we all need a little placebo. When trying to push back my caffiene hours, I had relied on both of these things. (I’m pretty sure I’m on the dining hall’s most wanted fruit bandit list…but sometimes you’ve got to make use of your pockets!)

Breaking the habit was another thing I found that helped, but more specifically, replacing the habit. I had become so used to having something warm with me while I reviewed notes, that replacing that with decaffeinated tea helped my habituation.

The same goes with exercise. Since sweating it out for 30 minutes is more than likely to help you feel just as alert, and just as tired during the hours you should be asleep, it’s the perfect medium. Not to mention that getting your heart going everyday puts you in the same dapper mood that a cup of joe could, but without the shakes or nerves.

From the days of Frosh to the darker days of your upper years, you do hear all of the right kind of things to do. I for one feel like it’s practically drilled into me; 8 glasses of water a day, 30 minutes of exercise a day, 7-8 hours of sleep…and yet I rarely seem to follow any of it. Hm, second semester…challenge accepted.

-Vahini

How to manage post-exam stress

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As we all know, exams are stressful. They take a semester’s worth of knowledge and cram it all into a two or three hour session. For someone like me who isn’t particularly fond of examinations (I much rather write final papers/assignments, as it gives me a higher degree of control over my work) the endeavour of preparing for an exam is highly stressful.

“Are my notes good enough?”
“Do I have time to do the readings I skipped during the term?”
“Do I have time to do these readings well?”

…these are the questions I end up asking myself. The fear of inadequacy in your own exam preparation — as well as the prospect of facing the unknown of what your professor is going to test you on in an exam worth half of your grade — is something we all deal with.

There is, however, another form of exam stress that doesn’t get recognized as much in general discussion on this topic and it is this which I want to touch on today. I’m talking about the exam stress that comes after you have written the test and those seeds of doubt in your ability prop  back up when it is ultimately too late to do anything about it.

December, AKA ‘the most wonderful time of the year!’

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts I recommend you follow after writing your final exams for the semester:

DON’T — Search your notes after an exam looking for answers:

We’ve all done it. You finish a particularly rough exam and, in a desperate bid to console yourself that you knew what the hell you were writing about, you immediately begin searching your notes to see if you got the test questions correct. Doing this is risky as it almost always leads to heartbreak. Either you A) got the question completely wrong, or B) you answered most of the question correctly but perhaps missed one or two points a more comprehensive answer would have had. In both instances, you will be left fretting about how you wrote the exam until the class’s final grades get posted on ROSI. After you write your exam it is simply too late to change your answers, therefore worrying about them is wasted stress. ‘Ignorance is bliss,’ as they say.

DO — Use your holiday break to do something you enjoy:

This point may seem obvious to some, but the holiday break should be used as a break. At the outset of your break, the beginning of the Spring term may seem like a long way away but it will come quickly, trust me, and then it’s back to the good ol’ undergraduate grind. Also, the holiday ‘break’ only accounts for an academic break, the rest of your life doesn’t go on break and it’s easy to lose your time off to other stresses: work, family, and yes, shopping and other holiday ‘obligations’, to name a few. Furthermore, while this time of year is generally branded by advertising agencies as the ‘most wonderful time’ of all times, the fact is that for many people  the holidays are not always particularly pleasant. Try and use your time off during the holiday break to engage in something fun that you’ve neglected over the Fall term. ‘Me time’ is important in coping with student stress (and all stresses, really).

DON’T — Lose trust in your ability:

Writing a bad exam can be a deflating experience, especially if you feel like you put in a more than adequate effort in preparing for it. Keep in mind, however, that there are a myriad of factors that can lead to you writing a bad test beyond your comprehension of the course material. Perhaps you focused on the wrong material, or weren’t studying as effectively as you thought you were, or fell ill the day before — these are all plausible situations. Try to learn from your bad exam experience and use it to more effectively prepare for future tests. No one said learning was easy and there will inevitably be some roadblocks to you attaining that pristine 4.0 GPA.

DO — Resume (or begin as would be my case) routine exercise:

During the final weeks of the semester many of us are scrambling for time to get everything we need to get accomplished finished. In doing so we tend to neglect certain other important parts of our lives (loved ones, pets, video games) and exercise is often one of them. Physical activity is a good stress-buster and with all your exams completed for the semester, the four to six odd weeks you have prior to the beginning of the Spring term is an ideal time to try and get back into a semblance of an exercise routine (this advice is also doubly beneficial given that the holiday season is not really conducive to healthy eating habits).

DON’T — Talk to your classmates about the test you just wrote:

In a similar vein to that of my above “Don’t” — talking with your classmates about their test answers can be highly stressful if they responded to the exam questions differently than you did. This is especially true for multiple choice tests in which more than one possible answer seemed plausible. The risk is that your classmates — especially if they’re your friends — may be good at persuading you that an answer you chose that you thought was correct (and very well might be) was in fact incorrect as they chose something different. Trust in your own ability and talk to your friends about something other than school!

DO — Be productive!:

Somewhat contradictory with the above “DO” — the holiday break is an excellent time for you to catch-up/get ahead of your workload. Have a year-long class in which you neglected to do 75 per cent of the readings for in the Fall term? The break offers the perfect time to catch up. The more academically productive you are over the break will inevitably result in your Spring term being a little less stressful. Pre-emptive stress busting is a form of stress busting, so if you feel as though the second half of your year is going to be particularly difficult and busy, there’s no harm in preparing ahead of time!

So what are some of your DOs and DON’Ts when it comes to post-exam stress? Let me know in the comments below!

- Matteo

It’s Exam Time, So Take Care of Yourself!

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It’s December!  And we all know what that means… winter break! Yay!

However, there’s just one small thing to do first …

Exams.

Yes, it makes me cringe every time I think about it.  For most of us, exams are the only thing standing between us and a much-needed school break.  And so we throw ourselves into powering through the last few weeks. The marked increase in people studying at Robarts is an indication of the incredible intensity of the exam period.

I find that in my own drive to get my exams done and over with, I fail to take as good care of myself, both mentally and physically, as I usually do.  A recent article in the Globe & Mail suggested that I’m not alone in ignoring my own health and wellness while trying to cope with the stress of end-of-term exams.

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But wait, where does it say that I can’t give myself a little self-care AND get through all my exams and papers successfully?  Self-care and exams aren’t mutually exclusive.  And, it’s especially during these stressful times that I need to take a little time for myself.  I’m certainly not studying every single minute of every single day; therefore, self-care may not be as elusive as I initially assumed.

And yet, there isn’t always time to take an entire day off.  But there are always those little things that can help us get through the day.  Here’s a list of things that have worked for me over the years:

5. Reading something I want to read

When I’m tired of staring at a blank Word document or trying to sift through a 30-page reading, I set it aside and give my mind a mental break by picking up a leisure book or a magazine; just a short break, but just enough to allow me to regroup and refocus on the task at hand.

 

4. Drop-in classes at Hart House

I recently started going to a weekly drop-in fitness class at Hart House.  Although it’s a grueling workout that leaves my muscles feeling like jelly, the physical exercise is definitely a welcome change from sitting in a chair most of the day.

 

3. Taking a shower

Some of my best ideas come to me in the shower; I think it has something to do with the soothing feeling of the hot water and just letting my mind wander.  And, after a shower, both my mind and body feel alert and ready to tackle the next thing.

 

2. Talking to my parents

When I lived at home, our family’s tradition was to have dinner together every night.  It was a chance for us to just talk about anything and everything.  Although I’m currently living in residence I still talk to my parents regularly.  Their support is always a great mental booster.

 

1. Sleep

On Facebook, I’ve listed sleeping as one of my favourite hobbies.  Yet, when exams come around, I’m always tempted to ignore this very important aspect of my life.  Past experience, however, has taught me the value of getting a decent amount of sleep on a regular basis.  Sleep deprivation doesn’t help my brain perform the critical thinking and analysis needed to write my exams.  Now when I find myself feeling really sleepy, I listen to my body and head to bed.  That way, I can wake up in the morning refreshed and able to process things much quicker.

Studying for exams can be a harrowing time for many students and it certainly isn’t realistic to expect to be stress-free.  And, we all need a little stress to give us that edge to focus. But, the exam period doesn’t need to wreak havoc on our mental and physical health.

Most importantly, while I definitely know that every minute that goes by is a minute that can be spent studying, it’s important to not feel guilty about taking occasional breaks to regroup, refresh, and re-energize.  Even the energizer bunny’s batteries have to be changed every so often, so I figure we’re entitled to breaks to make sure that our bodies and minds are getting at least as much attention as our books.

Do you have something you do to inject a little self-care into your study schedule?

Happy (and I really mean this) studying!

Vivian