School is stressful as usual, and now that we are past midterms, it is tough staying motivated. I have somehow gotten worse with procrastinating, even though I know how determinantal it can be. It is hard not to continue to procrastinate when I can maintain my grades while doing so. Really working during the week with the goal of getting to the weekend has become a theme during this past month, even though my classes are about topics that interest me.
Between school and everything going on in my life, as well as in politics, it is nice to have concrete things that keep me grounded and in the moment. These things help keep me from being sucked into a hole of dread for what is going to happen in my future and the future of Virginia. Keep reading if you would like to learn about what distracts me from negative thoughts.
The first is cats. Most things cat-related can make me smile immediately, including funny cat Tiktoks, active cat twitter pages or pictures of cats sent by family and friends. Seeing cats in person is also great. There are many cats who roam around Richmond, and if I go for a walk, there is a high chance I get to see one. My roommate also got a cat last week, which is very fun and exciting.
Music is another helpful distraction. Listening to new music, looking forward to music set to come out like “Red (Taylor’s Version)” this Friday, and listening to my favorite songs and albums is fun and comforting. I am not religious, but I do partake in the wonderful, consumerist holiday that is Christmas and I have recently started listening to the music that comes along with the holiday season again. Spotify is like other social media platforms in that I get sucked in, and it helps me zone out, but it is set apart because it only has music and does not involve other people posting about their lives.
Friends are really helping me stay sane. They are always there to talk on the phone or in-person about whatever is going through my head. Knowing others are also stressed makes me feel less alone in my worries. I mentioned before how I look forward to the weekend, and that is partly because I get a break from class and assignments. The other part of the weekend I enjoy is getting to hang with friends because our schedules do not often conflict as they do for the most part during weekdays.
When I cannot be distracted by cats, my phone or friends, I do some variation of the following activities. Taking a hot shower, washing my hair, making some tea, putting on fun socks, lighting a few candles, putting on my comfy, getting under my weighted blanket and reading a book help lower my heart rate and destress when all else fails.
While I enjoy learning and the classes I am taking are mostly engaging, repeating the same stuff each week gets old. Thanksgiving break is coming up, so that will help a bit, but for now, I am grateful for the things I listed above keeping me going and sane.