Decoding Life

for a lot of us, it seems nearly impossible to find a balance between our grades and our health. i’ve created a list of tips and resources for managing classwork as well as mental illness. i tried to be inclusive of depression and anxiety as well as other disorders like adhd and bipolar. (i’d like to be more inclusive of others, but i couldn’t find a lot of resources and wasn’t sure what would help aaaa)

please let me know if you have anything to add, and i hope this post can help you out in some way c:

while studying

create a routine, and do your best to stick to it. having a consistent schedule can be a struggle, especially when dealing with long days of class or difficulties with sleep. try something more open-ended and flexible if you can’t manage specific times. (studying for an hour in the morning and before bed vs studying at 8 am and 10 pm)

start with your favourite subject. there are a lot of suggestions on how to start a study session (and they usually conflict it seems), but i’ve found that this works best for me. your favourite subject may be easy or difficult, but by starting with it, you get in the groove of studying and won’t get burnt out as quickly, giving you more energy to do your other work.

don’t take on more than what you can handle. if you’re feeling motivated, great! get as much done as you can! but on the bad days, just do what you can. there are times where it seems nearly impossible to get anything done, but still try to make the most out of each day and do what you’re able to so you don’t fall far behind. do what you can, when you can. don’t overwork yourself so much.

during class

take notes. for me, the easiest way to lose track during a class is if i don’t write or doodle. even if the material doesn’t seem important, write it down! it may be useful later, and it’ll keep your mind from wandering during lecture. (that being said, don’t always write things exactly as the teacher says; putting it into your own words can make it easier to remember and understand)

record lecture audio. if you can’t copy everything down in time, or if for whatever reason you need to know something verbatim, then you’ll have something to listen to again later.

take pics of what the instructor writes on the board. similar to the above tip, you can refer back to the pictures you took. just don’t forget about them! write yourself a note or make an alarm on your phone to remind you that there’s more material to review. don’t be the kid who takes pictures during the whole lecture but never writes anything, that kid’s obnoxious and gets bad grades

stay focused. i fidget a lot with my hands and feet, especially during a long lecture or study session. i find that keeping my hand on my pen/pencil is the simplest way to keep my mind on track, but fidget toys may help you as well. most teachers and students are fine with it as long as it’s not too disruptive.

at home

keep track of medication. ngl i am suuuper forgetful when it comes to medication :’) if you’re forgetful too, leave yourself as many reminders as you can. set alarms, write notes, or have someone else keep you accountable if you’re living with a parent or roommate. having routine helps here as well, especially if you take meds multiple times a day.

communicate regularly with your doctor. if you’re living away from home, or just a busy student, it can be particularly difficult to make appointments. but you should still make an effort to email your doctor, therapist, etc. at least once a month, and more often if you’re currently changing or adjusting medications.

“catching up” on sleep is a myth. depriving yourself of sleep during the week and then sleeping in on the weekends won’t fix your sleep schedule, sadly. keep it consistent if you can. even if you’re staying up late and sleeping in, try to get at least 7-8 hours. whether it’s 12-8 am or 2-10 am, it’s a reasonable amount for getting through the day. sleeping too little can leave you tired and grumpy in the morning, but sleeping too much can also leave you groggy, sluggish, and unproductive for the rest of the day.

eat something healthy. okay, no one can eat healthy all the time, and i don’t expect you to. i certainly don’t expect myself to lol. but we can still find a healthy snack or meal to make a part of our lives. sometimes fruit is the best comfort food tbh. here are a few simple snacks that you could try, for studying or for whatever else. i personally enjoy anything with berries, especially yogurt parfait or oatmeal.

have a support system. it helps so much to have someone you can talk to when you’re not feeling well or in need of encouragement. it can be a friend, a parent, a sibling, your significant other, or even other members of the studyblr community! (if you don’t have anyone to talk to, please talk to me!! i am here for you my friendo)

other stuff

community college by @universi-tea - if you’re worried about moving into dorms or away from home (or are simply unable to), i strongly encourage you to try out community college. it’s made schooling much more enjoyable and accessible for me and i think everyone should give it a chance. plus it’s waaay cheaper.

also, most (if not all) U.S. schools have a disability services department; this applies to both physical and mental illnesses. talking to them for the first time can be nerve-wracking, but in the long run it’s completely worth it. teachers and staff want to help you! but you have to help yourself a lil bit too. accommodations may include leniency about attendance and deadlines, or they may let you take exams on earlier or later dates with fewer students present. the flexibility with deadlines has saved my ass more than once tbh

things to do when things don’t feel right by @affectionsuggestions - sometimes it’s okay to just do small things, and sometimes it’s okay to not do anything at all.

ways to start feeling again by @urbanthropologie - similar to above, but with a focus on mindfulness (helps with anxiety, dissociation, etc)

my mental illness tag - this has many other resources that are otherwise not listed in this post.

my printables tag! - printables are great for when you’re too tired or not sure how to write things out completely by hand. there are some planners and calendars as well as gratitude logs, habit trackers, etc.

i have tons of other tags listed here if you need anything more specific :>

Just completed and submitted the final version of my Extended Essay !!! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° 

So I compiled lists of words that I found super super useful in making it easier for me to finish any essay !! Here is a masterpost of some sort with transition words + key vocabs grouped together for easy access as well as an IB IOC ‘cheat sheet’ I used for my english LAL orals last year (though most commentaries follow a similar structure so its generalisable) ~

Good luck with your essays !!!

Hi!

Good question.

It’s something that HELPS your life and makes it a thousand percent better. I know a lot of people are genuinely negative and don’t even know it, or even want to change it. They just don’t see anything wrong in their behavior.

But you’re already different since you’re assuming you want to change and be more positive, which is already a huge step. Being aware of your own way of thinking is THE step.

I wish I could tell you a magical way of ending all insecurities and negativity in your life, but there isn’t. You just correct yourself along the way and slowly turn more and more positive, but always having ups and downs along the way. However, like I said, being aware of your own behavior is the crucial part because that’s what allows you to grow.

But I can help with ways I’ve become progressively more positive.

people around you are crucial. your company has a lot of influence on you, way more than you think. Spending energy and time in negative conversations and atmospheres is something you need to cut. And that goes from cleaning up your social media followings (unsubscribing, unfriending), to throwing away objects around your house, for example, that bring up bad memories. Get clean mentally. Get rid of stuff that doesn’t serve you. That harms you in a subconscious level. Do the best you can to evaluate the relationships in your life and see who is putting you down constantly. I understand the political correctness of not being able to stop talking completely to a family member, or maybe you like that person in general, except when they tell you will fail at that thing and will never make it, or when they say you have to go out and get drunk. In these situations, excuse yourself from those negative conversations or experiences, change the topic, say you gotta go do something. But you definitely don’t have to stay and listen because it will get inside your head. Don’t take other people’s opinions of you and make it your reality. They are not your reality.

practice gratitude. This made the whole difference for me. Every time I’m going through a tougher time I think about the bazillion different things that I’m so lucky and privileged to have in my life, no matter what is going on. No matter what difficulty. And that goes from the smallest things to the biggest things. I give you an example. Today I was walking down the street, minding my own business, brain flooding with all these different things and suddenly I see… this dog. This beautiful, snuggly, happy dog. A random dog, just walking calmly along their human, just calmly living their life. And I couldn’t help but smile. Dogs, man. Dogs. They are so pure. I feel like they’re a reminder that life is to be enjoyed. I just get happy around dogs. And it’s those reminders, those little bursts of happiness that make you realize along the way how incredible life is. It may be a sunset, a cup of tea, a laugh, a tv show, a cozy bed, a good moment with a person. They are just… there… for you. No matter what is going on. No matter what difficulty.

ask for help. You’re doing it now, and it’s great! :) But don’t be afraid to ask it in person too. Say your troubles, your fears to the people you trust. Don’t think that’s being vulnerable, it’s just being honest. I know it’s scary when you’re not used to it. But it builds you, because it’s a much more real and personal way of recognizing you are failing, or making a mistake, or having a difficulty and it’s affecting you. However, getting a good response from the other person sometimes, it’s all we need. More than that: a recognition. A realization the other person recognizes your problems and they are trying to relate, to understand, to help, to comfort you. Some problems causing negativity in our lives… have no solution. That’s the harsh truth. It’s emotional, but positive to be honest with someone we trust. It helps in the long run. 

do things you love doing. love painting? buy your brushes! love architecture? plan your museum trips! whatever it is that you are randomly passionate about, it will enrich your life, therefore make you happier, more positive. include them in your daily habits!

do things that are good for you. Which sometimes aren’t particularly things we like doing aka exercising, eating healthy, keeping excellent hygiene, cleaning your house, studying, working. These will all benefit your life in the long run and give you much happiness but don’t necessarily bring you momentarily pleasure. They will make you live life with ease and therefore bring you positivity. Something to think about.

take it step by step. Like I said, it’s not going to happen magically and it’s a process, not a sudden decision. It’s something you learn and practice.

Ok. About that poster: PUT IT UP. You have to own up to your interests, whatever they are at the moment, doesn’t matter! Don’t take yourself too seriously.  If it’s talked about, talk about it casually, own up to your interests but don’t feel the need to explain yourself or your privacy to anyone. Owning up to your interests basically means not being embarrassed by them. Not being afraid of showing them, or of being different. Not being loud, or crazy about them but also when questioned, not hiding it away.

About the judgment problem. This is a whole other question. In short, just like the comparison problem that I discussed in another ask, I think it’s a human race problem. We all take into account other people’s opinions. It’s how we live in a society. But you are not alone. I have to work through this too, I augment interactions with people, turning them into something they are not, replay conversations in my head, cringe at old things I said or different weird moments. You are NOT different or out of place for this. We all do this.

However, it’s important to realize other’s opinions are not more important than your own.

This requires confidence, which once again, doesn’t have a recipe, However, all of the things that helped me with me being more positive that I mentioned above do help me with my confidence. But that’s a whole other topic for me to discuss in this already long ask. If you want to, you can ask in another so I can explain my thoughts on it furder.

Be confident, be bold. Whatever that means to you inside your head, whatever the vision of you being confident is, act like that. Own up to your beliefs, realize that you must have good goals, good ambitions.

Sorry for taking so long to answer this, I just wanted this answer to be as complete as I could make it in this format.

I would encourage you to skim through this post where i listed a couple of Zen Habit Articles for a source of positivity.  You can always skim through his website as well :)

For another huge helper for positivity is Yoga with Adriene. Just search her channel on youtube. Try one of her videos and you’ll see. I know it may sound weird but everyone should do try at least once yoga/meditation with her. 

Hi! These might help:

types of procrastination and how to deal with them

how to remove distractions

- wake up early, like before 8 - make yourself tea/coffee and drink water - make your bed - if you feel unfocused and chaotic, write a list of “to-do”s for the day - put on some calming morning music - eat a good breakfast!!! - wash your face - do a little exercise (as little as doing 10 squats or running up and down the stairs twice)

things u should do at night

There are currently 74 wildfires burning in the western United States, many of them are approaching heavily populated cities such as Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, and Los Angeles. The La Tuna fire is now officially the brush fire in LA history. Air quality warnings are being issued across the entirety of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. I’m in Portland, about 40 miles out from the nearest wildfire, and it’s raining ash and difficult to breathe due to the haze.