by Justin Christopher C. Ramos, Editor-in-Chief
Photo by: Von Andre Vedan
“Everything needs to be perfect and pristine, I won’t stop until they’re evident enough.”
Numerical digits can take a stranglehold on someone’s mental health to the point where class marks dictate our own value. The knee-jerk shift to online classes cut the univ experience short: ranting to your closest friends after a hectic recitation with terror professors, getting your daily fix of siomai from Dimsum Treats or Angkong, and after a day’s work, the retreat to the sweet confines of your own dorm. Getting yanked out of that routine and desensitized by the constant droning of screen shared PowerPoint presentations opened a gaping void in your social schedule. It’s as if you were enslaved by the daily struggle and bustle of distance learning. As we are all coping with the effects of this pandemic, jot down a catalog of to-dos to keep track daily to keep a piece of ‘normal’ amid all this chaos.
Take it Easy, You’re Only Human!
Consistently bringing home a medal isn’t a prerequisite to declare yourself a successful individual. Little things like waking up on time or eating breakfast are some personal achievements that tend to lead you to bigger victories down the road. At times, an attempt to encapsulate your thoughts into writing is a good plan, whether be it in a journal or a digital note-taking app like Notion or Google Keep, you'll be able to pour all of your worries, accomplishments, and random thoughts into a blank space. Being able to clear your headspace and a room to stretch for betterment. Getting in touch with your feelings and inner voices can promote a sound heart and peaceful mind to help you rest a little bit easier tonight.
Tinker with Passion Projects
There is nothing wrong with immersing yourself in a 9-to-5, but when things get heated, veer away and freshen things up from time to time to dodge caving in all that stress. Try setting a time where you can put your mind elsewhere instead of hitting the books. You’ve been tiptoeing on your edge for your many commitments and perhaps it’s time to set aside a little time for yourself. Pick up a blank canvas and start drawing, practice typography, or even try baking a cake. If you ever decide to dabble with digital art, Krita is a free open-source raster graphics editor similar to its paid alternative, Adobe Photoshop. You don’t necessarily have to be good at it or should you even capitalize on it. What’s important is that you’re in your element and having a good time doing it.
Set a Time-In and a Time-Out
When the sun rises and the birds chirp, we tend to get in the ‘zone’ and get lost in what we do. Dusk may set quicker than you can say “productivity” when you’re glued to your radiating screen, so cap the day off with a warm cup of tea. Try avoiding over-exhausting your efforts that would ultimately lead to a burnout limbo by capping things off by the eighth hour. Set boundaries and let your peers know that you’ll only be available from X time to Y time. Save a little some for yourself and spend some of that time alone to unwind, also watch out for those telltale signs that your body needs rest. The Pomodoro Technique suggests that you set 25-30 minutes for hardcore study, then take a rest at 10-minute intervals. Test your limits and keep in mind that your body is not your slave but your own partner toward success.
It’s an uphill climb for us to remind ourselves that we are more than the output we churn out. Even with the hectic schedule of a Thomasian business major, we tend to get lost in what we’re ultimately doing – whether it would be getting down and dirty on a group project or answering a tightly-timed quiz under 30 minutes – the ‘rise and grind’ mentality can quickly get out of hand if you don’t regularly check in with yourself. Keep yourself fit and healthy. Eat right, sleep enough, and take things easy by not being too hard on yourself when things get bumpy.
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