As exams are approaching, we are hearing and reading a lot about how to prepare for them; study tips, study spots, study, study, study. Yet, recharging after assignments and assessments is just as important as preparing for them! Hence, I thought I would share a few ways in which I reset after a week of deadlines. All these activities can be accomplished in one day, getting you ready to go back to studying in time for assignments – so hear me out.
After assignments, I like to take one day off studying to get myself back into a study-friendly headspace. During this day my aim is to do one thing for my physical health, one thing for my mental health, one thing for my soul and one thing for my personal space.
Physical health
During busy weeks I often find myself neglecting my physical health as I prioritise study over healthy habits, such as cooking for myself or moving my body. Therefore, as soon as my reset day comes along I try to at least get back into one of these habits, so here are a few ideas:
- Cooking myself a nourishing meal: I try to take some time to batch cook meals that I know will make my body feel good so that in the following weeks when I do not feel like putting effort into cooking I have already prepped meals that will make me feel my best.
- Moving my body: depending on how I am feeling this entails a gym session, a walk around town whilst I listen to my favourite podcast or even signing myself up to one of the fitness classes at the gym. I will pick whatever activity sounds best to me on that particular day.
- Self-care night: one of my favourite things to do is treating myself to a face mask from Boots or Superdrug and apply it at night whilst I sit back and watch a comfort movie or read a book.
Mental Health:
Usually after a busy week, my head seems to be all over the place, keeping me from being productive. Thus, on reset days I take the time to ground my mind and allow it to rest so that I can get back into a productive routine as soon as possible. To do so I usually try:
- Meditating: Lately I’ve been trying to get myself into the habit of meditating for at least ten minutes and so far I have noticed that it has really improved my sleep. So I definitely recommend giving it a try.
- Listening to a podcast: I hate to admit this but Emma Chamberlain’s podcasts are definitely a guilty pleasure for me. There is just something about the way she talks that is simply soothing and she has a variety of episodes on very different topics, making her podcast a safe go-to when I need to disconnect my brain from all things academic.
- Journaling: Along with the ‘That Girl’ aesthetic trend came the journaling trend, and believe me when I say that the influencers promoting this trend are onto something. Perhaps writing after spending a whole week working on essays may not sound very appealing, but putting your thoughts down on paper gives them a home outside of your brain, liberating some space in that cramped storage room.
- Socialising: Another alternative to journaling is, of course, communicating with my loved ones. Personally, as an international student, I tend to neglect my parents on weeks when I am a bit busier, so I always try to make some time for them when I have a bit more free time. However, this also applies to friends both abroad and in St Andrews, so I definitely recommend making some room for them too if you have the chance. Talking about something other than uni assignments with people you care about is always a good idea.
Soul Care
Taking care of your soul is something that is not really talked about but it is just as important as your physical and mental health. By taking care of your soul I mean doing things that bring you comfort. For instance:
- Treat yourself: researching a topic and writing a hefty essay is an achievement, so give yourself some credit and reward yourself! Personally, I tend to do this by taking myself out for coffee, because I am a coffee addict, but anything that you would normally not do for yourself also works; perhaps there is a new ice cream flavour at Jannetta’s that you’ve been wanting to try, or a new snack from Tesco you haven’t bought yet—I personally recommend the white chocolate and raspberry cookies.
- Bake: As you may have noticed, I like to show myself some love by making myself nice food, and of course, baking is no exception. I love to make homemade granola and banana bread and what better time to do it than rest day!
- Engage with other people’s stories: a perfect way to disconnect is to engage with other people’s stories. Reading a book or enjoying a comfort movie always helps me disconnect and recharge. Plus, it takes up little energy, making it perfect for weeks when I am especially drained.
Take care of your Personal Space
For me this is one of the hardest things to do because I have yet to discover a way of making these types of activities fun, however, I do have to emphasise that once these tasks are complete, you will feel much better about yourself and about the place you inhabit. And by this I am referring to:
- House chores: I know this sounds like the least appealing activity out of the whole list but believe me when I say it works. Who doesn’t like sleeping in clean sheets? Or putting on a freshly cleaned set of PJs? Walking on a recently vacuumed carpet? Vacuuming, laundry, changing your sheets and throwing out your rubbish, are all tasks I myself hate to do, but on reset day, I really try to get some of these done, as I have noticed that having a clean environment affects my mood positively.
- Isolation: this is not something I recommend doing every single rest day but I thought it was important to highlight that not wanting to be social and wanting some alone time after working hard is completely acceptable. It is okay if celebrating handing in an assignment is not a social event. The whole point of a reset day is to recharge and make yourself feel better. Due to this I often find myself looking for alone time during these days. I find that recharging my social battery is also necessary for maintaining meaningful friendships and ensuring that I can fully recover from a stressful week.
Overall, the essence of a good reset day is taking some time to do you. Whatever feels right for you in that moment, do it, but be thoughtful and meaningful about it. It’s a day off so use it! I hope these ideas are useful and helpful in the upcoming weeks. Good Luck!