I've been writing a lot about college and the work that comes along with it, between study tips and the music I like to listen to while working and writing.
As an English major, I wrote a total of 35 pages in two weeks and I was struggling to complete it all. I realized that I was simply exhausted from this semester. So, I pushed through, reminding myself of the break to come, and submitted everything. However, when I was done, I did not feel any sort of catharsis; I was still tired.
So, I tried to implement my self-care tips the best I could but I still felt off and lethargic. Here's what I did instead during the few off days I had:
1. Turned Off My Brain.
I mean, truly, turn it OFF. All of my hobbies require some brain power: I write for fun, and even the TV shows and anime I watch are plot-heavy so paying attention is required. So, I put on some reality TV on Netflix and just...watched. It worked like a charm.
2. Eat. Eat a lot.
Okay, so maybe some of the self-care tips worked.
Thanks to my lovely family, I just ate food without caring, which is something I normally don't do. It just felt nice for a while.
3. Fixing My Sleep Schedule.
Photo by Matthew Henry on UnsplashBecoming an extreme night owl is something that happens to me, slowly, every semester until by finals week, I am waking up at 3 PM and going to sleep at 6 AM. While I enjoy the night more than the day, it is simply not good to live like that for an extended period of time.
Gradually, I have been making myself not into a morning person (because that will never happen), but simply, a day person.
4. Just Don't Do It.
Overall, I did nothing.
Not for a long time, maybe just a few days. This is an article advocating for time to be spent doing nothing.
Sometimes, nothing is good.