sbstudies

[sbstudies]

peter parker: holy sHIT YOU’RE—

bruce banner, sighing: yes, I’m the hu—

peter parker: THE MOST RENOWNED SCIENTIST OF THE GENERATION

[sbstudies]

↳ 18.11.15. thursday

suuuuper quick and messy snapshots of me working this morning, behold my in-class notes in all of their scattered glory before i rewrite them and make them look nice. keeping it real lol. going to see “burn the stage” with some friends tonight after language tables, it��s gonna be a fun evening so i’m cramming as much work in before then as possible!!!

insta: xx

[sbstudies]

How to Deal with Study Burnout

As students in this day and age, it’s quite common for us to juggle rigorous academic responsibilities and overwhelming extracurricular activities. As a result, we might feel burnt out. But what exactly is burnout? 

Burnout is when you feel physically and mentally exhausted as a result of constantly lacking the energy required to fulfill the demands of your studying.

Burnout can be broken down into three parts:

Exhaustion is what causes you to feel tired all the time and unable to concentrate. You could also get sick or have trouble sleeping.

Cynicism or depersonalization is when you feel disconnected from those around you, e.g. your friends and family.

Inefficacy is a decrease in productivity, efficiency, or quality of your work.

How do you know if you have burnout?

Symptoms may vary, but they include:

Being unable to absorb new information

Intellectual exhaustion

Decreasing academic performance and productivity

Feeling like you need to prove yourself

Making yourself work even more, even though you’re exhausted or being unwilling to study further

Neglecting your needs

Long term fatigue

Showing disinterest in things you normally enjoy, e.g. hobbies or friends

Denying that something’s wrong with you (may manifest in the form of aggression)

Avoiding social interaction

Feeling empty and depressed

What can I do to fix it?

Here are some short term solutions for dealing with burnout.

1. Take a power nap Power naps are life changing. They help you recharge your energy and get you ready to start working again. They also improve learning, memory, creativity, alertness, and mood. I would recommend napping for 30 minutes at most, because anything more will lead to a longer sleep session.

Optional: drink coffee before your nap - something that takes a short while to consume like a shot of espresso - so that you’ll feel alert and revitalized afterwards!

2. Take a shower A cold one will wake you up, but a warm one will calm you down. I suggest starting with warm water, then ending with cold water.

3. Exercise Whether it’s playing soccer or doing yoga, the important thing is to get moving! Exercise releases endorphins or happy hormones that help you combat stress.

4. Run a quick errand This will help take your mind off things while also getting something done! You’ll also end up walking, which is technically a form of exercise.

5. Call or visit a friend Sometimes what we’re lacking is social interaction, and hanging out with a friend definitely helps. Whether it’s providing you with a distraction or giving emotional support, your friends are always there to help you. Plus, science has shown that being with friends reduces your cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

6. Eat a snack Preferably a healthy one. Eat something with proteins, vitamins, and fibers to boost your mood. Here’s a list of mood boosting foods.

7. Surf the web This requires A TON of discipline, but it’s definitely a game changer. Surfing the web is one of the most relaxing things you could do. I personally look for a good laugh during my study breaks, so I’d watch a comedy or scroll through memes to get those happy hormones up and running.

8. Do an activity you find interesting, e.g. a hobby We all need happiness in our lives, and our hobbies are perhaps the best way to find that joy. You could sit down with a page turning adventure, or go outside and shoot hoops, or listen to a podcast, or even bullet journal, as long as you’re having a good time.

9. Listen to music Music is one of the ways we gain energy, so I always make time for it during the day. However, you should choose the right music, because not all the music you love is going to make you feel energized. For me, it’s pop punk with hard hitting beats, thundering guitars, and really upbeat, enthusiastic vocals. Some of you might be energized by mellow music with dreamy vocals that make you feel like you’re floating in the clouds. If you choose the wrong music, you might just end up feeling sluggish and drained.

10. Get some fresh air Your brain needs 20% of the oxygen in your body. Fresh air brings more oxygen to your brain so that you can think more clearly, feel less tired, and concentrate more easily.

How do I make sure I don’t get it in the future?

Avoiding study burnout in the long term has a lot to do with our study habits - as well as our daily habits. We need to make sure that our bodies and minds receive the things they need, and that we aren’t overworking them.

1. Study a little at a time Break up your notes into smaller, more easily digestible pieces and learn a little at a time. This way, you’re not overwhelming your brain, and you have time to let that new knowledge settle in.

2. Time management Having a good study schedule is crucial in preventing burnout. You don’t want to force yourself to work at your slow hours. Aside from that, you definitely shouldn’t leave things until the last minute, and sticking to a schdule will help you pace yourself. Here’s a post I wrote on How to Make an Efficient Revision Schedule and How to Beat Procrastination.

3. Get enough rest I cannot stress enough that sleep is so important for you. It improves your cognitive functioning and also enhances your mood, making it less likely that you’ll get burnt out. Make sure to take power naps, too, if you feel like you need them. 

You also really shouldn’t pull all-nighters. Sleep is also involved in cementing memories in your brain, so if you study a little before you sleep, you’re bound to remember more than if you studied a chapter during an all nighter.

Having trouble sleeping? Here’s a post I made about my night routine and how to get better sleep.

4. Cycle your study environments Your body and mind are bound to get tired from being in the same location for prolonged periods of time. The best way to fix that is to study in different places: at your desk, your backyard, the dining table, a cafe, a friend’s house, the library, etc.You should find a frequency that works for you. I like to switch it up every 2-3 days; some people change locations every week.

5. Eat well As I’ve mentioned before, healthy foods with protein, vitamins, and fiber greatly improve your mood and your physical health. Proper nutrition will give your brain the power it needs to push through. Also make sure not to skip meals; honestly you’ll just end up feeling terrible afterwards.

6. Take frequent breaks Let’s face it, we’re human, we’re bound to get tired from studying for a long time. Taking breaks enables our brains to digest the information we just learned in a pace that works for it. Breaks also help us focus on something other than studying, so that when we do get back to it, we’ll be ready to digest even more information.

7. Set realistic study goals You’re gonna memorize all 500 pages of your biology textbook in one day? Good luck with that. Some of you might be compulsive studiers, but this kind of habit isn’t very good for your brain or your physical health. Studies have shown that excess studying can lead to lower productivity, fatigue, and - you guessed it - burnout. In the end, this will result in lower academic performance, perhaps even in the long run. So instead of trying to study so much in one sitting or one day, break up your material into chunks.

8. Maintain your social life Wherever you lie on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, everyone needs social interaction once in a while. It keeps you sane and healthy. Go out with your friends, have a sleepover, or maybe even a study date.

9. Start the day right What we do in the morning can significantly affect our mood for the rest of the day. Sometimes we don’t even feel like getting up in the morning, or doing anything that day. One thing you should do is create a morning routine you enjoy to jumpstart your day. Here are 8 Morning Habits for Productivity.

10. Think positive When we’re feeling burnt out, it’s hard to not think negatively about everything. In reality, that just makes our condition worse. So think positively! Start small, like congratulating yourself for getting out of bed today, and then work your way up to bigger accomplishments, like finishing 2 chapters of your textbook.

11. Keep a stress diary This is kind of a new concept for me, but it’s really great. How it works is that each day, you would write down all the things that made you stressed and how they made you stressed. This will help you identify the things you’re doing that’s causing your burnout, e.g.

Too long study hours? take regular breaks

Too much time in the same place? cycle your study environment

Not eating properly? set aside time to eat healthy meals at least 2 times a day

Not doing the things you love? schedule in time for that, e.g. during your long breaks

Not getting enough human interaction? make a study group

Too much negative thinking? adopt a positive mindset (you can always start small)

Not getting enough sleep? fix your sleep schedule

And that’s all I have for you guys this time. Hope these tips will help you manage your stress and study burnout whenever you have them. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop an ask!

P.S. if any of you want to see the images in this post in better quality, click here (link to google drive)

[sbstudies]

“the world is not in your books and maps, its out there.”

[sbstudies]

ode to a “B” student

You are worthy

You are smart

You are just as valuable of a student

You have the capacity to grow

Your worth is not encapsulated in a grade

You are allowed to love something and not be perfect at it

You have time

Take care to not compare yourself with those above and below you

Your future is not indicative of the place you’re in right now

You will end up at a college that is just right for you

YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO FACILTATE A WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE WITHIN YOU

[sbstudies]

[sbstudies]

Life Cleanse - What I Did (Updated 5/2/18)

Deep clean your room - I’m talking about stripping the bed, going through clothes, papers, and belongings and having no mercy. Sweeping and damp mopping the floors. Dusting surfaces. Finding new homes for those miscellaneous items that just sit there in the way.

Delete old contacts - I went from having maybe 30-40 contacts to 14. In other words, delete contacts you haven’t messaged or called in the last two weeks to a month (if so long). If they text you don’t be afraid or feel guilty for asking who it is.

Go through your music library - Play all your songs and if you skip a song delete it without hesitation. The next time you hit shuffle on your playlist you won’t even notice it’s gone. What if you get in the mood for the song? That’s what YouTube is for my friend… or just add the song back onto your phone.

Go through clothes - That dress you haven’t worn once in the past year- donate/toss it. The shirt you swear fits if you don’t raise your arms- get rid of it. Those worn out clothes- dump them. *Of course there can be exceptions but within reason.

Journal/Do a brain dump - Write down any thoughts to cleanse your mind. Any ideas you might have. Good things that happened that day. Bad things that happened. Things you’re grateful for. It helps so much. Try it for at least three days straight and you’ll notice how much better you feel. Problems might not disappear completely but it’ll give you the strength to get through another day.

Don’t try to force things to work out - It’s so hard and it can be upsetting when things don’t, but sometimes the best thing you can do for you is accept the way (some)things are.

Don’t be hard on yourself for messing up -  It can be easy to physically or mentally punish yourself for making a mistake no matter how big or small, but I’ve learned that doing things like starving yourself, beating yourself  up (literally), or just scolding yourself repeatedly doesn’t improve the situation and it doesn’t improve yourself.

Cut toxic people off - Remove them from your life physically (which sometimes takes time). Unfriend them from social media. Remove prominent traces of them from your life. It’s like suddenly a weight comes off of your shoulders.

Practice self love -  I write/say this so often and sometimes I feel like it’s so harThe same do sometimes but it’s not. I’m talking about taking a break when you need to. Drinking water. Moisturising your skin. Getting enough sleep. Saying no. It’s the little things like that count as self love.

Don’t run away from your problems - It’s tempting and hard but it’s important to face any problems you’re facing. No one is saying you have to be strong 24/7, only that you should try.

Delete old files - Go through you computer, tablet, phone, USB drive etc. Delete old unimportant documents, old photos, music, apps and more.

Clean up your daily diet - Often times you’ll have a goal for what you want your daily diet to look like but you fall off the wagon once and end up staying off. So when you notice you’ve been drinking more soda/juice, swap your next beverage for some water. Cut down your portions or eat more often if you need to instead of starving yourself. Hopefully, you get the idea.

Reassess your goals/habits - It’s a necessary evil. Maybe you need to scratch a previous goal and pursue a new one or add a few extra steps so you reach it. The same thing goes for your habits. Maybe you need to exercise daily, or you need to break the habit of staying up on your phone instead of going to bed. Write them down and brainstorm how to build/break that habit.

[sbstudies]

[sbstudies]

whoa hello new fam and welcome to my crib

just saw that this post recently blew up and it’s one of my all time faves. thanks for all the love during the worst finals week i’ve ever had in the weirdest, busiest semester of my college career. see ya around :)

I’ve been watching The West Wing while studying comparative politics all day so basically my mind is overflowing and I’m so confused about what’s happening in real life and what’s happening on the show someone help me 😭

[sbstudies]

sunday 28•01•2018 // 3:15 pm

Some more genaral literature notes… The exam was yesterday and I think it went really well!!! Also, I loooove these 3 mildliner colours combined. They’re definitely some of my favourite ones!! Have a nice sunday ☕️

[sbstudies]

January ➡️ February 💌🎀

[sbstudies]

The less you respond to negative people the more peaceful your life will become.

Zig Ziglar (via purplebuddhaquotes)

[sbstudies]

07.13.17

messy titles, but I got a lot done today :) plus i’m almost done with the first semester of my precalc course, and summer’s not even halfway over !!

[sbstudies]

Some more notes on programming, really loving the subject rn ♡

Taken from my studygram: @equaticnss ♡

[sbstudies]

A blue-grey spread for a rainy week 🌧

Taken from my studygram: @equaticnss

[sbstudies]

journal excerpt ‪—‬ “god things” and tiny miracles

nature: her warm light, blue skies, soft breeze, the smell of blooming.

nature (again): her dark velvet skies, sparkling stars, the feeling of beautiful abandonment, when it feels like I’m the only person alive; like god, or nature herself, is going to lean in and tell me a secret.

music: being in a hot, excited crowd, feeling of belonging; listening to an old song and remembering where (and who) you were the last time you cried to it, or danced with it, or screamed it’s lyrics.

‪—‬ I choose to believe. I believe in what makes the nature good, in what makes the music good. I believe in the force of good and pray for its manifest in humans.

[sbstudies]

2.19.18 || it’s gryffindor,, but Gold