At the end of August and early September, it feels like life has gotten a fresh start and motivation is easy to come by. You have a blank planner, pens and highlighters that aren’t out of ink, and notebooks that haven’t been filled up with notes yet. By week four, however, the effect of all things new has worn off and you have to rely on your own sources of motivation. It can be easy to start slipping into bad habits and old coping mechanisms when things get really stressful, but now is the time to figure out healthy ways to motivate yourself and keep seasonal depression at bay.
One of the main things that keep me going at this point in the semester is taking care of myself day-by-day, rather than week-by-week. To me, this looks like doing small, daily things, that help my mental health instead of letting all of the bad stuff build up and constantly living for the weekend. This includes indulging in simple pleasures such as going to a class at the recreational center, taking a “hot-girl” shower, and reading a book that has nothing to do with any of my classes. Creating the right atmosphere every day in my room is also very important. I love using my fairy lights and salt lamp as my main form of lighting and having some sort of scent, like a candle or essential oils.
Another thing I find helpful is making a to-do list every day on a sticky note, detailing every single thing I have to do for that day. This includes the big stuff, like homework and studying, but also the things I am going to do no matter what, like eating breakfast, washing my face, and making my bed. I find that this helps to keep me organized and focused when assignments build up and I start feeling overwhelmed. Having small tasks gives me more things to check off as well, so even if I don’t get to something, it still feels like I have accomplished a lot in a day.
Giving myself a little treat is a method I use to brighten my day too, even if it is something extremely simple. Some examples include buying myself flowers at Trader Joe’s, going to the farmer’s market on campus after class, and buying myself a pumpkin spice latte in the afternoon. Even if the task is something I am going to do anyway, like watching an episode of Gilmore Girls, I still enjoy telling myself that it is a little treat to make it feel more special.
To find the motivation to do all of my assignments, I find it really helpful to get out of my room and discover new places to do my homework. This might mean going to sit by the campus pond while it is still warm enough (this is great because it forces you to get outside for a while) or just trying a different floor of the library. Having a place to go makes it seem pointless to not do my work if I had already gone all that way to get there, so this technique definitely helps to motivate me.
I hope that this gave you a few tips on how to keep going after the initial few weeks back at college! As we continue through this semester, be sure to make time to do self-care activities and make yourself feel good.
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