As bad as the polar vortex that froze the Midwest last week was, it was the perfect storm to allow me the chance to do things for myself. Last semester I experienced extreme burnout, so this semester, I knew I had to do something different to preserve the brain power I have left. Compared to last semester, this semester is going much better, but the classes being a one-eighty difference is helping significantly. When I think about how long I have been in school, it has been my entire life except for four years. Do not get me wrong, I love being a student (most of the time), but it is physically and mentally draining. There comes the point when I need a break to regroup and do things for myself. I never understood the importance of this concept until someone put a name to it. Self-care. When I first learned about self-care, I thought, of course, I do that, but then, I realized I had not been doing it the right way. I would work on something and not stop until it was done, and even then, I may not take a breather. As my years in school progressed, I have whole-heartedly adopted self-care. It does not have to be something major, but it does have to be done. Instead of rewarding myself after accomplishing a huge project, I am more likely to take brain breaks along the way. I have noticed a difference in my work and my attitude going into a project. Whether it means taking a power nap before I begin on something or giving myself a day here or there to do exactly what I want to do before deadlines dictate my life, these are the things that self-care looks like for me. Especially after last week and having three days off because of the weather, I implemented self-care every day. Sleeping in and taking random naps here and there allowed me to catch up feeling somewhat rested. I told myself that if I got up and hit the academic things I needed to get done early in the day, I could have the rest of the day to do the things I wanted to do. And because I knew I had parts of three days to get a jump on work, I broke it all up further into little chunks, so I was not running a school marathon. Self-care is not a copout for avoiding the inevitable; it is a sure way to feel and be your best. The key to doing self-care right is be kind to yourself before you are running on empty. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2019
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