It’s February- Christmas and the January Blues are behind us now, love was in the air with Valentine’s Day and everything is on the up…right? Not necessarily, I (and I’m sure many others) have noticed a little slump in morale the last few weeks. The shadow of deadlines is getting bigger and more sinister everyday, the weather is still pretty cold and rainy and I’ve found myself not wanting to do as much, feeling a little sadder and more anxious than usual. With this in mind, I wanted to share with you a few pointers that I use, in fact i’m currently using them to keep positive as they help me get over this little pre-spring bump.
Lighter Nights
It’s nearly spring now, and the nights have already started getting lighter. Even if you’re studying in your room, keeping the curtains open that little bit longer and enjoying that extra bit of natural daylight is sure to give you a little boost and help you feel more productive, getting more out of your day.
Better Weather
Although we still have rainy days, you have to admit that the weather is slowly improving. This combined with lighter nights can allow you to get outside more! Evening walks after tea or between study sessions costs nothing and helps you stop feeling cooped up. A green, open space has been linked to reduced stress levels, so when you feel down go to a local park or even Ashton memorial!
Make Plans
This one is really important! Make plans with people even for menial tasks- meet up for revision, to go to the gym, for a walk, to get food shopping etc. Making plans to do this with other people makes it more likely that you will get things done. Also, meeting up with friends and family, even when doing other things, allows you to catch-up and talk, letting you get things off your chest and stop you feeling isolated.
Plan Ahead
Take time to make a weekly plan on paper, using all sorts of colours and pens, to do something recreational and productive while you’re chilling out on a Sunday night. You can jot in lectures, meetings and other things that you need to remember that week and plan in revision time too. I personally like to split it between the plan and the actual day, so that I can see what I managed to get done and what I need to catch up on. You will usually find, if you do it this way, that you have done something a little extra that planned, even if it’s just an email or a phone call, which is always a plus. Planning in any shape or form helps me to stop feeling overwhelmed; I also like to make little to-do lists in the day, especially when studying so that I don’t get distracted or spend too long on one task alone.
However, if you think that what you’re feeling is more serious than feeling a little overwhelmed, nervous or stressed, the best advice I can give is to speak to someone about it and get help as soon as possible. You shouldn’t be struggling on your own and you don’t have to. For more info see links below;
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611003665
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/student-based-services/wellbeing-counselling-…