Once in a while, I notice that I need a change of scenery when I’m working.
Looking back at freshman year, I had around three spots where I studied: the common room, my dorm room, and the kitchen. The place I studied depended on my mood. If I wanted to work in a place that was more private and focus solely on work, I would study in my room. If I wanted a spot where I could study with my friends and relax at the same time, then I chose the common room. If I got tired of the common room sofas because my back began to hurt or I wanted more space, I would go to the kitchen where there were tables and chairs. Out of all these places, my go-to was the common room.
However, in all three spaces, at times, my body and mind felt as if it was trapped in a box or de-energized and restless when I was midway or done with school work. I needed a breather and that could be anything from going to CVS, to walking to Chinatown for milk tea, or going as far as Copley Square for the farmer’s market, which I’ve been to once.
Before the COVID-19 storm interrupted and changed our lives, during the spring semester, there were a few days where my friends and I sat down in the Boston Common to study. The sun was out and there was this cool breeze. I looked around, saw people on the streets shuffling on the crosswalk and squirrels running across the grass. It was a refreshing change of scenery and my mind didn’t feel clouded by my thoughts.
Now, I change up my studying spots in my house. One spot that I particularly enjoy, but don’t go too often but should, is the lanai. If it isn’t raining, too hot, or there aren’t too many insects, I will open the sliding door, letting the cool wind blow past me. But if not, I still love looking outside, seeing the grass and trees, the pink and white Bougainvilleas and the bright red Bird of Paradise, as well as listening to the high-pitched yet glass-like voices of the birds. There are times where I do catch myself, during my online flute or voice lessons, looking out the window and noticing the simplicity of life while I am warming up. Whether it be looking at the leaves and the grass or the sky changing colors while dusk turns to night.
Something in me changes whenever I take a peek at nature. It changes my mood and the ambiance. It puts me at ease. When my hectic schedule turns into a whirlwind and can be too much to handle, I think nature can fix that.
When work and nature come together, I think it makes everything better. I find calm, peace, and ease if I take a glance outside, and I can combine it with work that I love but still find stressful. Those relaxed emotions overtake and lift all that stress. I go with the flow and it makes me forget the worries and remind myself that what happens, happens. “Let it be” as the Beatles would say. My mind feels clearer and allows me to see things that I might miss when I am focusing too much on one thing.
Apart from this, it can give that little push that I have to sometimes dig deep to find on overwhelming occasions. It’s like a stop sign that says, “Stop! Get in the right mindset and be mindful about where you are right now.” At the same time, it can inspire me, spark that artistic side of myself that allows me to create something unique.
As individuals, we have to create a space that allows us to feel motivated and joyful when we are studying or finishing work for an internship or organization we are part of. Stress will always find a way to seep in, we all experience it in different ways, so we have to find that niche that allows us to breathe and makes us energized every day.
We may not do this all the time, myself included, but when we find ourselves extremely overwhelmed by everything that’s going on around us, it’s a reminder to just calm down. Take a minute or a second to take a peek outside your window, listen and observe nature, or grab your mask and take a quick stroll. Maybe you’ll get a glimpse of something beautiful and find that release you were looking for that can help you get through the rest of your day.