Mental Health during Reading Week

Why Reading Week is Essential for Students | Brock University Student  Bloggers
If only we could

Last year, Reading Week for me was all about taking a break from the new, scary and incredibly exhausting journey that university was seeming to be. ​Reading ​Week is officially defined as a week, usually midway through a university term, during which there are no classes or lectures, intended for students to concentrate on reading or research. Unfortunately for me, there’s very little reading or research happening at the moment.

There always seems to be a bit of a mismatch in the timings of the Reading Week between the fall and winter terms. It seems like it comes too late in the fall(eight weeks in) and too early in the winter(five weeks in) which makes the fall term especially exhausting and the reading week a little extra unproductive because most students are just trying to relax and rejuvenate themselves enough for the rest of the term. A lot of students, myself included, experience burnout by the time Reading Week rolls around and all we want to do is relax and catch up on sleep. Unfortunately, this time around, I come back from Reading Week to a host of assignments and midterms and even though my productivity is at an all time low, I can’t allow myself to completely relax because there is just too much to be done and catch up on.

I’m fairly certain, there are others in my position as well and I would like to gently remind them that your mental health comes first. I’m aware that it can get very difficult to actually take a break because there's work to be done and since you're burned out, your productivity is low and it's taking a long time to get work done leaving you with no time to exclusively dedicate towards a well-deserved break. But in situations like these, it becomes all the more important to take care of your mental health. Do whatever it is that allows you to unwind and rejuvenate yourself so that you can come back to classes with renewed energy that will help you get through the last few weeks of the term productively. Take a stroll through the park if you’re a nature person or spend some time with your favourite pets, go for a meal with your friends or go catch the latest movie in the theatres. You can relax with other students and take a yoga class or play board games.

How can I get more involved on campus? - Arts & Science - U of T Whether you are into sports or art, or board games, there are countless opportunities for you to get involved on campus.sidneysmithcommons.artsci.utoronto.ca
There is something for everyone to try at UofT: https://sidneysmithcommons.artsci.utoronto.ca/how-can-i-get-more-involved-on-campus/

And if you want to talk to someone or if you notice anyone experiencing symptoms of any mental health issue, redirect yourself or your friend to the following resources that are always available to UofT students:-

https://mentalhealth.utoronto.ca/find-support-and-services/https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/task/support-when-you-feel-distressed/

Have a great reading week everyone! And please take time out to relax and rejuvenate to avoid the burnout.

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