MY MEDALLION
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of student life, juggling academic commitments, social engagements, and personal projects. However, amidst the hustle and bustle, it is vital to recognize the significance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Today, we will delve into some practices that can help you strike the right balance between productivity and self-care, ensuring that you make the most of each day while safeguarding your mental and physical well-being.
Here are some practices for a mindful lifestyle:
Organization & Focus
The key to managing academic workload lies in effective organization and focus. Creating a study routine and setting realistic goals can help structure your time efficiently. Break larger tasks into smaller manageable chunks, and allocate appropriate time to each subject. The key is to have realistic expectations of yourself because aiming to do too much in a day and then not being able to achieve those goals can bring your morale down, ultimately leading to subpar productivity. If you have a hard time staying focused, investing in time management apps like Serene or Habitica can help you stay on track and finish your tasks efficiently. Serene helps out with planning your day, and once you start a task it blocks out distractions such as notifications, updates, and even takes care of your online status (e.g.: unavailable on Slack). Whereas Habitica provides a more gamified version of setting up your schedule and finishing your tasks, where you get rewards for achieving your goals.
Planners Are Your Friends
Invest in a planner or a digital calendar to keep track of your assignments, exams and other important dates. Write down your deadlines, class schedules and extracurricular activities to have a clear visual representation of all your commitments. This can help you prioritize your tasks effectively. iStudiez Pro, myHomework and Notion are some of the most popular planner apps, designed specifically for students. Notion comes with a ton of student templates and also offers a Sprint board/database which helps in maximizing your productivity using the ‘Sprint Concept’.
Reducing Stress, Enhancing Concentration
Student life can be chaotic, and carving out moments of mindfulness can be extremely helpful. Indulging in self-care practices like meditation, deep breathing, or a workout of your choice helps calm the mind, reduce stress, and improve concentration. Beyond academic pursuits, it’s crucial to engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Insight Timer, The Mindfulness App, and Calm are a few examples of meditation apps you can use. And if you’re on a budget, Let’s Meditate is 100% free and has a straightforward interface.
Build A Support System
Staying connected with loved ones is essential to maintaining a healthy social life. Building a solid support system with friends, family, and peers helps share experiences and provides a valuable network for encouragement during challenging phases in your life. Often it may feel futile because of hectic schedules and general tiredness, but it has a significant influence on your emotional well-being.
Perfectionism & Procrastination
More often than not, procrastination can be a result of trying to do everything perfectly. Trying to do things in a certain way and in a certain environment can lead to putting off tasks or not feeling motivated enough to complete them. To tackle this, focus on learning and giving it your best effort instead of trying to ace it on the first go. The pressure can get to you but remember that it’s absolutely okay to make mistakes and learn from them, instead of trying to get it right the first time around.
Don’t forget to give yourself a break every now and then, and we wish you the best of luck for your upcoming academic year! And if you’re looking for a new rental space, use our apartment finder tool to find the space where you can thrive.
