It is that time of year. Winter is coming and it’s the end of term; holiday music is starting to blast in every store and lights are being strung up in a festive cheer. While it means that a long awaited break is on its way, it also means that we are that much closer to exams. It’s hard enough to balance the surge of last month energy into exams, friends, and of course the holidays without throwing mental health in the mix.
With the end of the term on the horizon and finals creeping up on us, now is the best time to start planning, preparing, and above all prioritizing our needs. Easier said than done, trust me I know. So how do we balance our mental health and everything else?. There is no hard and fast answer, especially when we all struggle with different issues BUT lists are a decent place to start. They don’t fix everything but they remind you to slow down and evaluate your time.
1) Look at the big picture
I find it really helpful to look at the time left and look at when I’m going home, when my exams are, what essays are due when. By looking at this bigger picture you can slow down and put the end of term into perspective. Maybe even map things out in a planner or calendar
2) Plan it out
I’m not saying plan out every second of every day, but give yourself tiny deadlines, work in tiny increments every week so that you have still have a life outside of school. Make dates with friends, carve out days where you can rest, watch Netflix, or go out exploring. Nothing has to be set in stone or hard and fast. It’s about creating a reasonable schedule for yourself.
3) Check in with yourself daily
As much as planning is helpful, as much as it is good to have daily goals, if you are not feeling up to it. If your body and mind are asking for rest, for a day off, then you need to give it to yourself. Don’t feel guilty for being unable to work or go out. Reach out to professors, see if you can extend deadlines, or just talk to a friend. But if you need someone to talk to there’s an app called 7 Cups where you can talk to someone if you feel like you need someone to talk through various mental health related things.
4) Find things that make you happy and add it to your day
If you need a break from work create a super cool playlist, find a short show on Netflix, paint your nails, download an app (I like MyOasis and #SelfCare which are like interactive games) or even have a beer. If you’re tired of studying in the same places find a cool café ( I recommend Fuckoffee and Hubbard & Bell). If you’ve done work all day, then go out, go that bar that you’ve been wanting to go to.
5) Have reasonable expectations
Don’t tell yourself you’re going to work on your essay, go out with friends, and finish a different essay the next day. Unless you are some miracle worker, that probably won’t happen. Set reasonable goals for yourself. You want to go out exploring, then pick two main places to go to, don’t tell yourself you’ll see the city. It’s important to give yourself goals you know you can accomplish because nothing is worse than staring at list you haven’t completed.
6) Be disciplined
When you are able, you should commit to your work and try to get to each due date you set yourself to. Being soft with yourself doesn’t mean that you let yourself off the hook for a week, it means that you listen to what you need, but still push yourself to do the best you can.
7) Reach out to friends
This could mean freaking out over the term being mostly over, it could mean going out for a drink, or it could just mean working alongside one another. It’s important to have people to rely on when things just aren’t great.
8) SLEEP
I cannot stress this one enough. It’s amazing how better you can feel after a good night’s rest. It is honestly a game changer. If you struggle going to sleep then creating a nighttime ritual can help get your body ready for bed. Melatonin, exercise (try yoga), and a nice cup a tea are also really great ways to soothe your body and make yourself tired.
Managing a social life and school can be one of the hardest things when your mental health isn’t the best. It becomes this precarious balance that often times can end up hurting you and stressing you out even more. I am totally guilty of exacerbating my mental illness and making everything harder and more painful for myself. Just ask any of my friends who helped during the multiple breakdowns I went through just last year. Facing exams when you struggle with mental health can be debilitating and honestly speaking on of the hardest things to go through.
While what I’m offering here are general little things to help manage your time it’s a good place to start when thinking about balancing things. I find that the most important things are learning to be disciplined, making things as easy for your future self, and carving out time so that you can still have the adventures you want. With patience, care, and a little planning this is end of term season can actually maybe, suck less.