Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
To anyone reading this, I hope you and your family are all well and that you can find some peace during the lockdown. Obviously, this pandemic is a tough experience for everyone. It doesn't matter how affected you are, we all have different negatives that have come from this period. Sadly, I am one of many uni students who have had several months chopped off their uni experience. I wanted to share how I personally am coping and making the best of the time despite what is currently happening. It is so heartbreaking that we have spent nearly two years out of normal life, and hopefully, we will see the light at the end of the tunnel soon. Wishing everyone all the best x
Essay writing/ revision concentration
I feel like this is one thing that most students are struggling with the most. You open your laptop and notebook and you cannot even hear yourself think. You feel like there is no inspiration and no hope for the future and for the nightmare to end. You worry about your friends and family and your own health. You always ask yourself "what if" and are constantly thinking of how quickly this will all end. I absolutely agree that this is difficult. What I tend to do is ensure that my surroundings are tidy, and I add extra pieces in my space, for example, a scented candle or some fairy lights. If you want, you could also have a vision board on the wall in front of you or by your bed with pictures of the future you want to create. I have many pictures of where I'd like to travel and some designs for my future home. I even have pictures of things I would like to own in the future. Having this means that you know there is going to be hope for the future, it is right in front of you and it will be a magical feeling when it comes.
You can also use timing techniques like the Pomodoro technique. This is where you work for 25 minutes 4 times with small 3 minute breaks in between. You also need to do this with no distractions, so if you get distracted by anyone or anything, you need to start again. I would also recommend some Lo-Fi beats and relaxing meditation music. Try to do yoga and commit to at least one walk or indoor workout a day- that's what I do! In fact, I do one meditation, one outdoor walk and one indoor workout. Also, if you have hobbies, break up your work with doing those hobbies. For example, after writing half of your essay or reading one book, learn some new chords on your guitar. Or, if you can, take online lessons in something that you like doing, for example, singing (because I can tell you now, it's absolutely wonderful for your mental health.) It sometimes helps to focus your mind on something more upbeat for a bit to get yourself moving.
Make sure that you know it is okay to feel worried. We sadly cannot control what is going on in the world as much as we'd like to, but we can control how we respond. If social media is getting too much, or the news is making you feel overwhelmed, turn those things off. If something is making you angry, like people are breaking rules, try to be in a place where you can't see that and know that those people will not get away with it most likely. It is also okay to treat yourself whenever you need it. I tend to love fresh flowers, bath bombs from LUSH and maybe some nice jewellery. I also love a phonecall with my best friends.
Fear of missing out
I feel like I have missed out on a lot of experiences during uni because of the restrictions of the pandemic. For example, I can't go to any more social gatherings or I can't go to a lecturers office to speak about essays. I can't have a meal with any classmates or sit in a lecture. Luckily I had my first year and most of my second year, but it is sad that I probably won't get a graduation ceremony this year or be able to go out and celebrate graduating. I think what mindset I've been trying to keep is that I still cannot predict the future. I may get a huge ceremony in a few years time with all the students who missed out. It might be the best graduation in the world. It is all about positive and constructive thinking rather than having limiting beliefs and trying to predict the future. You can also make the best of the time too, as long as you make time to take care of yourself and notice any negative or worrying thoughts you might have. I sometimes would sit and dwell on all the trips I had that were cancelled, but again, in the future, even if I'm 45, I could go on all of those trips maybe even with most of the same people- and it would be 10X better even!
Worrying about what to do after graduation
Again, this is something I cannot predict. I have a plan for after graduation and I'm really looking forward to what the future holds. There is no point in worrying and I know that I have lots of people there for me, and so do you! I am proud of the work I have produced over the last few years and everyone going through this as a student should be proud of how hard they are trying. Small bits of progress is better than no progress. Have patience and faith in yourself 😃
So, please let me know if you liked this post and whether it helped you in some way. I really hope that there are better times ahead for us, and like I said before, you are not alone in this and know that you are doing really well. Let me know if I missed any aspect and if you would like me to write more advice articles like this one.
Love and thanks, Lucy ❤x
Comments
Post a Comment