Well collegiates, it’s reached that point of the semester where the library is open 24/7. Like many of you, I’ve found myself making use of the extra hours. With four term papers to write, among other assignments to complete, I struggled with some MAJOR writer’s block. It wasn’t just that, Overall, I found myself in an uninspired place, and was extremely unmotivated about academics in general. To make things worse, I ended up catching the flu, which set me back on all the tasks on my to do list. Thankfully, that’s where woe-is-me anecdote ends!
In the depth of my cold, and many Halls later, the packaging of the soothing cough candy caught my attention. Printed on the wrapper, I saw “Get through it”, “Impress yourself today”, and “Nothing you can’t handle”. I don’t know if you guys have ever noticed these encouraging notes before. Surprisingly, these little pep talks genuinely resonated with me. As crazy as it may be, (a Halls wrapper of all things) it allowed me to realized that all my troubles were temporary stresses that I would eventually get through. Despite still feeling under the weather, I finally gathered enough motivation and attention to get writing on It made me realize that writing the paper, or having a cold was not something foreign to me.
Running from one task to the next or creating huge mental lists that must be checked off is overwhelming. Even worse, it doesn’t allocate time to recognize ways that life can constantly be inspiring. We often wait until plans change, and you get sick like me, to slow down and seek encouragement.
I think it’s valuable to recognize that sometimes we should look for the simple pleasures in life. The Halls wrapper taught me that if I keep my eyes open, it’s possible to gain inspiration from anywhere! Especially in university, we’re always working towards a bigger goal. It’s great to think about graduation, finding a job, or completing activities to expand our resume’s, however we become numb to being content with small achievements. We are always told to “dream big” and to “work hard”, but we aren’t always told to stop and smell the roses on the way. Constantly pushing yourself to be driven is hard work. In fact, it’s exhausting. The key to sustaining this drive is to allow yourself to be exposed to the many hidden gems of inspiration that the world has to offer. What’s excellent is that they’re so many avenues of inspo out in there!
1. Engage in meaningful conversation with friends or those around you. Often time I can be inspired by just listening to what others are experiencing.
2. Enjoy your company. It may be a movie or a GNO on a Friday night. Either way find time to spend time with those closest to you.
3. Follow motivational quote accounts on Instagram and Twitter. @levoleauge is one of my favourites, (and you can never go wrong with @hercampussfu either).
4. Read an old book that you’re fond of. Maybe it’s the Harry Potter series that you cherished as a child.
5. Listen to your favorite songs, or branch out and find a new one to encourage you. One of my recent favourites is “How Far I’ll Go” by the lovely Alessia Cara.
6. Take the time to enjoy a nice meal or maybe indulge in a nice holiday drink.
7. Get moving or get outside. There’s nothing like a nice walk, hike, or sometimes at the gym to help you feel good.
Transform mundane tasks into new learning experiences. If I hadn’t taken the time to look at the Halls wrapper last week, I may still be fighting my papers during my semester slump. Just remember, don’t look past the little things because they are just as valuable as the big goals in life too.