Fall officially begins in a couple of weeks and I can already feel this semester’s courses ramping up. With so many due dates and a busy schedule, it’s hard not to experience burnout. Although it’s hard not to be overwhelmed, I’m trying to prioritize my mental health in several ways. One way I’m trying to do that is to slow down and enjoy the season even with a swamped schedule.
Moments for myself
Okay so I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands—I work five days out of the week as a STEM student. It can be hard to slow down. However, I do still take small portions out of my day to be present and let my worries go. For me, one way I destress is through prioritizing my skin care routine. Before I go to bed at night, I put on my spa headband and I listen to my current favorite songs while doing my skincare routine. Right now it’s Sabrina Carpenter’s new Short’N’ Sweet album. She’s honestly my icon.
Listening to music can help a lot of people unwind and can benefit their mental health. I find that doing my skincare at the same time really relaxes me after a stressful day. For some people, this may seem a pretty basic habit. However, stress from school can really impact your mental health. According to Healthline, people with mental illness can neglect even mundane hygiene tasks due to reasons such as fatigue. I always feel better after this nightly routine, so I make it a priority. Dermatologist, Dr. Nikoleta Brankov even recommends skincare for improving overall mental health.
When I can find the time, I also try to go on “Hot Girl Walks”. Hot girl walks are a perfect fall activity. Not only does regular exercise improve your mental health, but fall is just so beautiful. I love seeing the trees change color and crunching through leaves on my walks. It’s also another great time to listen to music. I’m currently curating a fall playlist during my free time which has been getting me so excited for the season.
On top of walks, music and skincare, I take time for myself just by doing activities I like with friends. For me and my friend group, we’ve dedicated Saturday nights as our time to relax and be in the moment. Hanging out with them allows me something to look forward to something each week not related to school. Right now, we’re getting excited for the fall season by planning activities we can do together like visiting the local corn maze and going to haunted houses. We’re even planning our halloween costumes together!
Being in the moment
A flowchart I once saw about worrying has stuck with me. In the flowchart, it points out that if you have a problem but you know how to fix it, why worry? Although it’s definitely easier said then done, I feel like it’s a good reminder that worrying doesn’t necessarily improve a situation. Worrying about my schoolwork all the time makes breaks unenjoyable and not refreshing. I try to remind myself that when I’m not working on projects or studying, I should be present.
This is an especially great reminder at my job, where I am surrounded by members and coworkers the entire shift. Instead of focusing on school, which during my shift I can’t do anything about, I try to connect with the people around me. I make it a habit to greet members and ask about their day. I do the same with my coworkers. Honestly, I have a lot of fun learning about the cool things people do and social connection is a great way of improving mental health. This fall season try to connect with the people around you. Think about asking about their plans to bring in the season. Personally, I plan on decorating my room and lighting a pumpkin scented candle.
Planning ahead
Lastly, a great source of relief for me is having a plan. Although I’ve never been a “type A” person, I’m finding a lot of relief in having all my assignments and work schedules in one place. I especially love using Notion, which provides different templates that students can use to put their assignments in. They also have calendar features similar to google calendar that I use as well.
This semester, I am trying to do all of my assignments as soon as I can. I’m usually not ahead of schedule, but to avoid extra stress about deadlines I’m trying my best to be. Also, getting my work done early and planning ahead leaves me more time to enjoy the fall season!