I’m not sure how we’re in the middle of February, but I’m glad we’ve made it this far. With school, work and commitments all starting to blur together (or is it the blue light from my laptop that’s doing that?), here’s what’s helping me stay as on top of things as possible and what would probably help if I actually did it.
- Zoom Study Sessions
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I know, I know — study sessions? Over Zoom? Hear me out, it gets better, I promise. I’ve started having Zoom study sessions with a friend on Sunday nights, and it’s become one of my most productive nights of the week. Maybe it’s not having a friend literally next to me to goof off with, or maybe it’s just the fact that I know she’s working too, but meeting up with a friend and chatting over Zoom, setting a certain time to work and taking a break to catch back up and start all over makes studying doable. Messing around with Zoom backgrounds before going into a study session can be fun as well! There’s something about surrounding yourself with a virtual library background that makes you work harder.
- YouTube Playlists
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I will go ahead and say it — I have almost given up on Spotify. It’s done absolutely nothing wrong, and it’s still there for me when I need it, but there’s something intriguing about the mystery and surprise that is YouTube’s algorithm. Instead of listening to study or movie soundtrack playlists on Spotify while doing homework, I’ve come to explore the dark academia aesthetic compilations on my reccommended page on YouTube and read the night away accompanied by waltzes, symphonies and aesthetic-y pictures of cathedrals or dresses whenever I pause the music. Despite their length, most compilations only have one or two advertisements max, which can be skipped at the three-second mark — a major plus for students like me who don’t have Spotify premium. While I recommend oliviaalee, who creates brilliant and specific playlists for every moody academic vibe, I also recommend just typing in any aesthetic that strikes your fancy and seeing where that takes you. You might find that there are whole symphonies you really enjoy (or maybe that really good classical song whose name you’ve forgotten)! If all else fails, listen to 2CELLOS for your classical/pop/study music fix. They’re absolutely brilliant.
- Late-Night Dance Sessions
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About a few weeks ago, my psychology teacher told the class about how exercise can wake you up “better” than naps can, something I had always thought was the other way around. I decided to take her up on that late on a Tuesday night and dance in my bedroom to the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song, and it worked. Even though it wasn’t a full workout, it had my heart rate going for a few minutes, which was enough to wake me back up (instead of making me more tired and sleepy). I would think the same principle goes for a workout in general, but it’s something I haven’t tried out yet. For now, I’ll stick to jumping to “Does He Know” by One Direction to get my energy back up.
- Phone Calls With Friends
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I think we can all agree that Zoom fatigue is real, and that seeing friends face-to-face is harder that in was in pre-covid times. This being said, just like how writing letters and sending them through the mail has been making a comeback in this past year, I’m thinking that maybe phone calls should be a thing again too. There’s something about just hearing someone’s voice or laughter over the phone that has made me realize what I’ve started to miss. Not seeing the other person really makes you concentrate on what they’re saying. So, while I’ll still be on Zoom for classes, commitments and the occasional meetup (and study session!), catch me calling friends up by phone old school (or maybe not so old school) style.
- Spending Less Time on Social Media
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Ah yes, the classic resolution that, more often times than not, I’ve ended up breaking over the years. There’s something about mindlessly scrolling through social media that’s comforting, even if it’s actually making me more tired. Even when I’m on social media for a purpose, I always find myself sidetracked twenty minutes later down a rabbit hole I didn’t know existed. While social media isn’t inherently bad, it’s needless to say that I’m actively trying to manage my time in how I use it. One thing I’m turning to instead of social media are newsletters — Haley Nahman’s Maybe Baby is one my favorites. Her insight turns ordinary things beautiful and strange and new, and her column of a number of things she’s consumed throughout the week is filled with lovely recommendations (like Window Swap, where you can see out someone else’s window from another part of the world virtually)!
- Spending More Time With Those Around Me
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Spending more time with those around me is something that’s important and that I always appreciate doing even if it’s not as much as I’d like. If anything, these weird times have shown me to not take good times with good people for granted, and that quality time is something that’s worth putting in the effort for.
- Rest
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Rest is underrated. Although I think we’ve gotten slightly better about accepting it as something we need to function properly, I feel like it’s one of the first things that I put to the side, despite my best intentions to take care of myself. So I’ll ask this of you as much as I’ll ask it of me: please take time to rest. Rest is important. Rest is good. Rest is necessary — and sometimes it can’t wait.
It’s been rough out here lately, but we can make it.