In the middle of the spring semester, many college students are feeling burnt out and unmotivated. Being a college student in a pandemic is already difficult enough, but the cancellation of spring break is causing many lots of stress and anxiety. Last semester, I found myself spending most of my time mindlessly staring at a computer screen and every day consisted of the same mind-numbing routine. Life felt boring and without purpose, so I decided to hit the reset button and make a change.
Although we are a few months into the new year, there is never a bad time to start self-improvement. You might think I am telling you that you need to drastically change every aspect of your life, but truly all you probably need to do is make a few tweaks. Here are four habits I added into my life that have helped me get unstuck from the rut I was in.
Plan out Your Days
Personally, I only have two classes on Zoom, and the classes that have Zoom don’t even require attendance. My days were pretty much open for me to do whatever I pleased, which included mostly me napping and scrolling through TikTok. It became a vicious cycle; every day I would get up around 10 a.m. and would not even start doing anything remotely productive until the afternoon. I bought a planner last month and it might have been one of my most useful Target purchases ever. It sounds silly, but I try and plan out every hour of my day, even if it means that I allow some time for watching a New Girl episode or two.
Getting Out of Your Room (seriously… you cannot stay in your bed 24/7)
I tried the whole doing your homework in your bed thing last semester. From my experience, you will not finish the essay that is due at midnight while sitting in your bed. For everyone who lives in Tallahassee, I recommend going to the tables outside of Strozier or a local coffee shop like Paper Fox. Lately, I have been bringing a towel to Landis Green so I can lay out in the sun while watching lectures. Going on campus to study also gives me an excuse to buy coffee at the Starbucks in Strozier. Unfortunately, I have to reload more money onto my FSU Card due to the large amount of vanilla sweet cream cold brews that I’ve ordered.
Prioritize Your Self Care
Self-Care might look different for each person, but it is something that every person needs to practice. When you prioritize yourself, you also must be prepared to lose people along the way. Some might not understand why you are not responding to a Snapchat within a minute, but those people are probably not your true friends. Taking a break from social media is not selfish. Everyone should be able to have time to themselves, away from social media and the negativity that sometimes lies online.
Set Goals and Stick To Them
It is difficult to know your purpose right away in college, but you can start living a more meaningful life when you set goals. Setting goals gives me something to strive for and to look forward to. For example, I decided I wanted to start going to the gym five times a week, as it is something I enjoy doing and it also benefits my health. Each gym session, I get excited when I see progress, whether it is in the weight that I’m lifting or my body’s appearance. Of course, your goal does not have to be fitness-related but find something that you are passionate about. I promise you will be surprised at all the motivation you have.
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