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Hello collegiettes™!
Today, I’d like to use this blog post to educate everyone on a serious and often fatal illness that affects collegiettes™ of the class of 2011: senioritis.
Symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Lack of motivation
- Decrease in academic performance
- Procrastination
- “Coasting” through the final weeks of classes
Though I’m technically a senior, I won’t be graduating this semester; however, I , too, have been experiencing a few senioritis symptoms, especially a lack of motivation! Whether in high school, college, or grad school, everyone at some point toward the end of their academic career kind of has that “get this over with NOW please” apathetic attitude solely as a result of the excitement and increasing stress of post-grad life.
While I’m not advocating trading in these last few weeks of lectures and discussions for partying and beer, your mental and physical health needs more attention than usual.
Whether you are a graduating collegiette™ or not, here are a few tips for you that I’ve learned from SELF I’d like to share for you to keep in mind:
- Celebrate small victories. According to SELF, “It’s essential to identify the rewards that come with each step of progress.” Set short term goals for your personal, academic, and professional life. Write these in your monthly planner for easy glancing. (Ex. No soda for 1 month, apply to 2 jobs by next week, send thank you card to potentiel employer interviewer)
- Reward yourself with a treat! Reminscse your childhood and channel your inner 7-year-old by treating yourself with some ice cream. There’s no starving, especially with the Jump Start Diet, or else your body will begin pumping out stress hormones like cortisol and clinging to fat!
- Take a chill pill and relax. The end is near and summer is a-waiting, don’t fret. If you’re still having a hard time relaxing and swalling that chill pill here a tip: go find a quiet corner, breathe, and mediate for at least 10 minutes every day. You will love the benefits of meditation, trust me!
- Don’t stress eat! Just because you’ll be hiding under a long, baggy graduation gown is no excuse for eating your feelings. Fight your cravings andalleviate that anxiety, especially considering that SELF reported that “women who reported high mental stress were twice as likely to die from stroke than those with lower stress levels.” Eek!
- Stay mentally and physically fit. Hit the gym or make time for at-home work out, or even take on an outdoor activity or sport on campus. Developing skills that you love doing opens up pathways in your brain, which been proven to help keep that noggin of yours in tip top shape!
How do you stay motivated toward the end of the semester? Leave a comment below, e-mail me at allylopez@hercampus.com or Tweet me (@allylopez).
If you’d like to join Ally in her healthy, happy weight loss (and please do), go register for the Jump Start Diet on SELF.com and be sure to use the SELF logs to keep track of your daily workout and meals, which is an awesome way to keep track of your calorie intake and how much you’re burning off!
Love,
Ally
P.S.
Don’t forget to enter in my Saladworks giftcard giveaway! Winner will be announced TOMORROW!
To follow Ally’s journey on the Jump Start Diet, check out her out on Twitter (@allylopez), and while you’re at it, follow the latest news from SELF (@SELFmagazine) and Her Campus (@HerCampus)!