From the first week of the semester to the end of finals week, the academic calendar at Manipal is packed with assignments, exams, activities, and college fests, one after another. In the midst of being a part of this round-the-clock activity, we often forget about our mental and physical well-being. As important as acing that test and climbing to the top of your student club is, maintaining a healthy mind and body deters burnout and improves the quality of your overall college experience. There are a few things here from my experience that might just help you with that!
For the longest time, I wished I could press a refresh button whenever I felt that there were too many tabs open in my brain. Raised as a city girl, I have finally found it in Manipal’s natural beauty. Walking through the unfrequented paths on campus, towards the football field or the Venugopal Temple and even taking yourself out to End Point on a quiet morning is the perfect way to reset your mind and body. There is scientific evidence supporting my not-so-isolated realization; it has been demonstrated in studies that exposure to nature has positive effects on your cognitive performance. (One of these studies also mentions how connecting with nature improves how we treat our environment and choose to sustain the well-being of our planet, a very exciting prospect to explore.)
Adding to that, the positive effects of exercise are well known; in addition to improving your physical health, it enhances your mood, memory (which will help with the exams!), and concentration. Engaging in your sport at the fancy facilities on campus and the gym is great, but even if you’re not one to ‘play it hard’ at the Marena, stretch out those muscles with a little yoga in your room. Short exercise routines make it easier to follow them and maybe in the future it could help you shape a more rigorous routine.
On a different note, after a long day, a tidy and personalized space is blissful to come back to and it also helps you stay more organized, otherwise, a well-observed fact is that if you’re constantly distracted by your environment, it will not only have a detrimental effect on your productivity but also your mental health. Get inspired by the ‘decor’ page or my favourite article on personalizing your college room. This goes for your digital space as well, change your lock screen to a quote that inspires you and follow positive Instagram accounts (read: follow cute dogs).
In the end, life at college is a constantly changing environment and if you were to make a Venn diagram, the intersection between your comfort zone and your college activities will possibly be nil. A very simple and innate way of dealing with this is calling a friend, finding familiarity in the little things by re-reading a book that motivates you or ordering a box of barfis for yourself (the latter has been put to the test and proven to be extremely helpful). While you know what works for you best and however you choose to do it, remember to take time out for self-care and de-stressing before the next set of tests begin or after or whenever it suits you, as many times as you need.