This time of year is truly the worst. Between the weather, school, and anticipation for summer, it feels like I’m just slowly trudging along from week to week waiting for the semester to end.
As I come back from break, professors are cramming in assignments and as much information as they can. The due dates I thought were so far away are creeping closer, and I have yet to make the moves I need to on them. I have so much work but no motivation to do it. It seems like I put my all into the first half of the semester, as well as the fall semester, so now I want all the work to be done with. Maintaining grades right now is crucial, because even though I feel burnt out from the semester, finals are approaching. When you’re finally done with midterms, it’s time to start preparing for finals.
The weather in Boston right now is also not ideal. I feel like at this time everyone is really excited for it to be summer, so any warm weather is cherished. After months of freezing cold windy walks to class, any sign of being able to leave my coat behind is truly a blessing. While it is nice for a couple of days, it typically turns back into its typical snowy/windy/rainy conditions.
Just when you think summer has started, the temperature drops along with my hopes.
Self-care tends to fall by the wayside at this time, as it becomes more about taking care of the grades than taking care of myself. I’ve been trying to get back into knitting recently, and although I can’t do much besides the basic stitch, I still feel calm and mindful. I set reminders on my phone for meals, as well as make sure I’m getting enough sleep. It was important for me to recognize the ways in which I cope negatively with stress in order to best create a routine that worked. For some people that may mean going to the gym, doing a face mask, or journaling. With all of the stress this time of year brings, I find it more important now than ever that I implement a self-care routine. There are many different ways you can practice self-care, and it’s important to evaluate what works and what doesn’t for you individually.