When I was in high school, I felt like everything came to me so easily. Schoolwork was easier, my whole day was structured for me, and I had no real-life responsibilities. Schoolwork was just copying and pasting the textbook, and it all really felt like busy work. I had my designated practice at the end of the school day, and then I would come home to my mom’s dinner.
Because everyone worked around a single schedule, there wasn’t really much of an issue when searching for a time to do an errand or when trying to schedule appointments. Life was just simple. As I counted down the days until I got to college, I excitedly imagined a life of freedom and independence where I would finally be able to do everything on my own account.
However, it never occurred to me how tiring independence really was. During my freshman year of college, I lived in a more sheltered sense of independence. I really only had to make time to go to class and do my laundry. I got a part-time job, but it wasn’t really much of a commitment either.
This year, when I moved into my apartment, I suddenly unlocked a whole new level of independence that while fun to explore, felt draining to accomplish. I had a whole apartment that needed to be kept, laundry that needed to be done, myself to cook and grocery shop for, and club meetings and events that I had to attend, all while I juggled my classes, going to the gym, and having work.
I found myself getting burnt out very easily, and my mental health declined. So, I decided I needed to gain control back into this new chapter of my life. My goal was to organize my life, and not just give up on aspects of my life, especially the aspects that contributed to my well-being and mental health.
I began my journey by developing better time management skills, researching helpful apps, and learning how to take much-needed breaks. The goal of this wasn’t to do as much as possible but to just give me structure and improve my productivity.
Here are the best apps that helped me accomplish this:
1) Google Calendar
This helps me plan out my day down to the minute and is a great way to avoid double-booking or just keep track of upcoming events.
2) Goodnotes
I use this app for everything. It’s where I upload my readings, write my notes, fill in my planner, and journal.
3) Notion
I use this app like another planner as well and more. I keep track of deadlines, typed notes, meal planning, grocery list, gym schedule, and a weekly to-do list.
4) The Reminders app on my phone
However, technology could only help so much. The reality was that building this routine required strong mental well-being. One of my bad habits is that I make plans, but as the event begins to grow closer, I feel myself begin to bail out and go to the safe space of procrastination. As I continued this journey, I realized that self-care was important because I needed to be in the correct mental state to persevere through my everyday tasks without having an overwhelming sense of burnout after one day.
These are the self-care tips I found to be the most effective:
Journaling
Reflecting on my days, and months, and putting my feelings into words helped me not only express them but also explore them. As I wrote out my feelings of being overwhelmed and anxious about my life, I was able to dig deeper and find the root of the cause, as well as explore effective techniques to help me find relief from my anxieties.
Hanging out with friends
Taking a break from my academic and professional life by making plans with my friends was one of the most effective ways I found self-care. I feel like I thrive when I am around people I care about and whose company I genuinely enjoy. I can just unwind and destress by going out or staying in. Doing tasks with friends, such as going grocery shopping, studying, or going to the gym, also make accomplishing my goals feel much more enjoyable and less of an obligation.
Putting up boundaries
I am a very involved person, and I love engaging with my Cal community, however, putting up boundaries for club obligations, tasks, and communication is key to a less stressful workload. It’s important to me to keep my personal life separate from my academic/professional life because I need my personal life to be a breakroom for my brain. So, now I only take on roles I know I will be able to manage, and I remind myself constantly of the importance of not making one single organization my entire life.
Working out
The gym, being one of the most draining places, is also one of my favorite places. When I’m at the gym, my only focus is performing at my best, and it distracts me from everything else. When I’m at the gym, being present is the only thing that really matters. As I move up through the weights, I feel more accomplished, empowered, and genuinely unstoppable. As I walk home from the gym, although I may feel physically gross, my mind and my soul feel refreshed and productive.
It is now February 2023, and I began this journey around late September 2022. Though I admit that I still haven’t exactly mastered the skills of time management, organization, and self-care, I would say that I have definitely improved. I’m proud of how far I have come, and while everyone is different, I believe we have the power to take control of our routines and improve them in whatever way we can. It’s also important to remember that it’s okay to take breaks and do absolutely nothing sometimes because that counts as self-care too.