London is the city of hustling. It’s where the work never ends and time is of the essence. The ’non-stop’ vibe drags people in and gets them stuck into the never ending culture of work, work, work, and once you’re done, work some more.
You never realize when you’re working too much or when you’re pushing yourself too far and that’s the biggest mistake to make, I’ve heard. Because once you burst from all the pressure, steadying out again is the hardest part. Burning oneself out is the easiest and possibly the worst thing to do.
So here are some ideas that help hold off on the inevitable burn out as much as possible.
Alone time
Living with flatmates, sitting in the library with friends and meeting people for meals are all wonderful ways to make friends and create a little community of your own. It helps you find people to depend on. However, sometimes your body needs a break and your mind needs space. The best way to do that is to put on a face masks, grab some hot chocolate and warm food and cuddle up on your bed with your favorite Netflix show, every once in a while. Perhaps you could even throw in some individual study sessions – in your room or by yourself in a cute cafe so as to not get overwhelmed with the constant presence of people around you.
R and R
Skin care seems to be a solution for anything. Combined with a warm shower, the two can clear your mind and make any day slightly better. Every time you see yourself getting stressed out or overwhelmed, take the time out to do your elaborate skincare routine, jump into the shower after and you will feel clean, fresh and ready to take on whatever task previously seemed extremely daunting.
Cook
This can get to be one of the most mundane tasks especially to a university student in self catered accommodation. Coming up with new recipes, grocery shopping, staying within budget and eating healthy can all be extremely annoying, everyday tasks. However, it can also be an extremely soothing process. Find something that looks exquisite and appealing, go grocery shopping specifically for this meal, pick out whatever seems nice, come back, play some good music and maybe ask a couple friends to join. Make an exquisite exotic meal, pull out the proper cutlery, put on an episode of the bake off and eat in peace. Cooking a good meal and eating it can be one of the most relaxing things in the world
Get out
Not just out of your room but out of all the places that you usually go to. Move out of that area – go somewhere else, clear you’re at mind, show your body a different sight. Sometimes we forget that we can go weeks without seeing anything else apart from the library, our dorm room and campus and as important as all these three things are – it is equally important to get out and see something else – show your body the difference between work and life. Go for a walk in the park walk, around another borough of London or even run your errands in a different place – any excuse to exit the places that you see all the time use it.
Feeling overwhelmed is a normal. It’s what we signed-up for when we accepted our offer to study at Kings. Dealing with this feeling when it’s hits is the important part. Don’t hold it down, or suppress it. Instead take a break – relax and rejuvenate before the next storm hits.