by Kayla Allen-Brown
PhD Student, American Studies
It is officially November, and that means that the semester is almost over. Yikes. Whether you are ready or not, it is time to prepare for finals. Around this time of year, I usually get a little nervous. I am a full-time student, and I “balance” multiple things at once. When mixed with seasonal depression, it is easy for me to become overwhelmed and shut down. But, that’s why a routine is so important. A routine can increase your focus and productivity. For me, a routine creates structure. I live on having structure, and I cannot survive without it.
Here are some helpful things that help me establish my routine. At the beginning of each week, I take ten minutes and write everything I need to complete. The tasks do not have to be in a particular order, just a “brain dump.” Afterward, I categorize everything into to-do lists. I make one for each class and one for general things such as workouts, appointments, etc. After I understand what I need to do for the week, I can break the lists down into daily tasks. One thing that I have found helpful is to prioritize five things I accomplish that day. Since my days are unpredictable if my to-do list grows, I will complete as much as I can. At the end of the day, I will prioritize the rest for the next day. Sometimes time blocking works for me; sometimes, it doesn’t. Here is an example of my routine on a typical day.
7:00 am- Wake up, read devotional, and meditate
7:20 am – 8:30 Read for class
8:30 am – 9:00 am Get ready and head to Bootcamp (exercise)
9:00 am -9:55 am Boot camp
10:00 am -10:30 Go home and get ready for the day.
10:30 am -12:30 Classwork, readings, and easy-to-do items
12:30 pm -1:30 Lunch and prep for meetings
1:30 pm-4:00 Meetings
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Ensure I have completed my top five items for the day and review my other items.
6:00 pm-10:00 pm Dinner, read, complete one self-care task, and bed.
I started being intentional about how I incorporate ways to mitigate anxiety. Therapy, meditation, boot camp, are centered around self-care. All of these things allow me to ground myself and rest. I try to meditate every morning and throughout the day if I am extra anxious. If I am frustrated, high-intensity workouts help me to release my frustration. For self-care, I schedule something to look forward to. For me, I like to get massages, go to the nail salon, schedule dinner with a friend, or take a weekend day trip. Lastly, it is important to emphasize rest. Somedays, I do not accomplish as much as I like, and that is 100% okay. I learned the hard way to prioritize rest, or my body will force it.
As the fall semester comes to a close, think about how you can develop or refine your routine and prioritize self-care?
Resources:
https://studentaffairs.iupui.edu/health/counseling-psychological/index.html
https://www.headspace.com/meditation/tips
