Edited by Olivia Spahn-Vieira
With the start of second semester comes not only the home stretch of finishing the school year, but also the winter blues. Now in my fourth year of undergrad, I know the feeling of being overwhelmed, overworked, and over the winter season. I have in the past experienced and I am currently trying to prevent the dreaded second semester burnout. I’ll be the first to admit, I always find getting back into school after the winter break tough; between the cold weather, not having as much to look forward to and a feeling of constantly being behind on schoolwork is tough, but mental health truly matters. While the winter blues mixed with the second semester slump can be disheartening, I am going to tell you a few of the tips my friends and I have learned over our years in university!
- Limiting screen time
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Try to limit your Screen Time, this includes limiting time on social media! I find that personally, the more time I spend on social media, the more I compare myself and my life to what I’m seeing. Especially with lockdowns, COVID restrictions, and even a state of emergency, seeing others in different countries, traveling, and having fun can deteriorate your mental health. I know for me, seeing those things discourages me. I try to stop feeding those insecurities by limiting my time spent on my phone and social media.
Pro tip: Add the Apple Screen Time widget to analyze how much time you spend on your phone. Also, use the feature to set a time limit on how long you can be on certain apps!
- Find Something to Look Forward to
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Whether it be ordering in food, watching a tv show, dedicating half an hour to watch Tik Tok, Face Timing friends, etc. Just find something to make you happy and give you something to look forward to. I know for my Friend Elisa Ham (UToronto 21’), she gets through her workday by incentivizing herself with a reward at the end of the day. For example, on Fridays she always orders sushi, so having that to look forward to helps her from burning out.
- Divide Your Time
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Try to set timelines and delegate work to certain hours of the day. Choose to do one specific task on a certain day and have your goals set the night before or the morning of. But try to be realistic, if you’re feeling overwhelmed (and believe me I know all about feeling overwhelmed), try to take work one step at a time. Try to focus your attention on one specific thing at a time. Even blocking certain hours in your schedule to work on one specific thing that is weighing down on you can help. Plan, and realistically look at your schedule, to help distribute the work evenly. This can help you avoid the feeling of having too many things to do in one day.
- Take Care of Yourself
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Work out, or don’t. Do what truly helps you. If working out is not your thing, try moving your body in some way, maybe try to go for a walk. Try to exercise in any way that helps you and is something you look forward to. Even just try a meditation, guided, or just a self-led; anything to separate your thoughts to prevent overthinking. Also, other things like doing a facemask as a form of self-care are always important. Really, anything from skincare to treating yourself to a coffee once a week can be self-care. Remember to put yourself first!
- Sleep
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I know this sounds mundane, but getting enough sleep is truly the best medicine. For at least one night, get at least 8 hours of sleep. Turn off your phone one hour before you want to fall asleep and try to do something that relaxes you. Truly turn it off. For me, once a week I get into bed at 9:30, set an alarm for 8:30 am, and turn off my phone right away. I do not let myself scroll through social media until I feel tired, I turn my phone off before even lying down. This helps me feel refreshed, recharged, and ready to take on the day due to my restful sleep the night before.