There comes a point in the fall semester when the air gets colder, classes get harder and suddenly the thought of leaving my bed for the outside world sounds treacherous. At this point, I feel fatigued by the high rigor of my nursing classes and overwhelmed by the number of commitments my more chipper self agreed to earlier in the fall. I know I am not alone in this feeling, so here are some ways I navigate this mid-semester slump.
1. Seriously, just get started!
The hardest thing to do (and the thing always easier said than done) is just getting started. I am guilty of pushing my assignments to the last day, sometimes even the last hour, and I always regret it afterward, regardless of whether or not it gets done. The best way I have found to make myself start my tasks is to organize them into an easily accessible to-do list. For me, that means my Notes app. For you, this could look like Google Keep, Notion or a legal pad. I like to refer to my difficulty-getting-started as January 1 syndrome, where towards the end of the calendar year I make false promises to myself that I am just waiting until the new year to get the ball rolling. We need to start treating every day like January 1, so we can get going!
2. Get to a secondary location!
If I stay in my apartment, I will never get anything productive done. I will be productive, but in every way that has nothing to do with my classwork. I will get various other random and mundane house tasks done, but nothing school-related will be completed so long as I am holed up in my building. Taking the time to get ready and put on real-people clothes — whether it’s just a different pair of pajamas or sometimes jeans — to study at the library or an empty classroom is a great motivator to get stuff done! A change of scenery can help your brain shift to a more work-focused mindset.
3. Check in with yourself!
Getting enough sleep, drinking enough water and eating enough nutritious food — these are all things that become nearly impossible, especially if you have a highly rigorous major and a passion for extracurriculars. However, they are vital checkboxes to ensure our wellness! I place a lot of value on being a student and prioritizing my academics, but I value my health and wellness more, a sentiment that I think we can all move towards (or at least should). Deadlines are nigh at this time of year and the stress of balancing academics, finances, social ventures and so much more can make time management difficult. If you can, squeeze in a fifteen-minute power nap here and there or pick up a box of protein bars to keep on standby; those little ways of keeping up with your health can make a big impact.Â
4. Ask for help, it’s waiting for you!
There have been days when I have a hard time getting everyday activities done, ones as simple as brushing my teeth or starting a load of laundry. When it increasingly gets difficult to get out of bed in the morning, that’s when I know I need to reach out for a helping hand. Saint Louis University provides access to free counseling sessions and has dedicated wellness spaces across campus to help students alleviate this exact feeling of numbness. I also like to reach out to others by texting a friend to join me on a coffee shop study date or sweet treat run as a great change of scenery with company. Knowing when and who to ask for help ahead of time can be a great fallback when you’re in a time of emotional crisis. Your people will be there for you, sometimes all you need to do is ask.
Being a college student brings a unique set of challenges leading to students feeling the need to be seen as perfect students with perfect friends and perfect grades. For me, moving to a new city and taking on a heavier workload with academics and balancing finances was a big change. I over-committed myself to extracurriculars during my first semester of college and was thus burnt out immediately. I look back to my time in high school and think, “How in the world did I wake up at 5 AM every day to sit in class for eight hours, five days a week and stay even later for all of my clubs?!”Â
Now, it is a fight to separate me from my heated blanket after my scheduled mid-day nap. Even as a junior, I catch myself simply going through the motions without the intention to maintain this perfect illusion. However, college isn’t about being perfect; it’s about celebrating progress. We grow by continuing to develop our personal values and navigate the complex balance of relationships, responsibilities and self-care. It is important to be proud of the little things.Â
If you find yourself in a similar boat, I hope these tips make their way into your schedule and help to boost you out of any sort of slump or haze. Getting that to-do list started, switching up your productivity spaces, maintaining your own well-being, and leaning into campus resources and community is a great recipe to keep on keeping on. A heated blanket never hurts either! The best advice I have to offer is to take care of you first.Â