fig studies!

you're mid-way through the semester and everything is going great. you're keeping up with your classes, you're learning new things, you're happy and productive and motivated. and then, out of the blue, it all falls apart.

sound familiar? when you're busy, it's easy to ignore the gradual build-up of stress and exhaustion that leads to burnout. here are some ways i keep tabs on myself to recognize when i need a break – and do it BEFORE things get out of hand.

getting easily distracted

it's important to take breaks while you're studying, but i know i'm approaching my burnout threshold when i'm taking breaks by accident instead of purposefully setting aside time to give my brain a rest. these inadvertent breaks might look like scrolling on social media for 30 minutes when you only wanted to find that one video or watching a TV show you're not even enjoying just to procrastinate on an assignment. this might mean your body needs more down time than you're giving it, and that's a signal to adjust before things get worse.

not keeping up with self-care

this one's easiest in conjunction with my habit tracker, but you don't need anything quite so regimented to notice when some of your self-care habits are falling by the wayside. some weeks i'll find that while i'm doing fine staying on top of schoolwork, i'm having trouble finding the extra time to get enough sleep or practice piano or read for fun. this is fine in the short term, but it's an early warning sign that i'm not taking great care of myself.

that extra cup of coffee

i love an iced latte as much as the next studyblr blogger, but when i'm reaching for a cup of coffee every morning and some afternoons, i know it's a sign that my natural energy levels aren't keeping up with my workload. usually, some extra rest on the weekend helps me reset.

loss of structure and routine

do you ever get the feeling that every day is just blending into the next, with no clear sense of how fast time is passing? it's one of my least favorite feelings and also an indication that the routines that help differentiate my days aren't working for me. this usually means i need to ease up a bit and work on putting intention back into my day-to-day activities.

remember: your brain and body will tell you when you need to rest, and it's okay to take that break. the worst thing you can do for your productivity is force yourself to be productive 24/7.

and for everyone, it is so important to take breaks, not only to avoid burnout, but to take the time that is needed to realise that you might be working too hard!

♡ abao in tokyo - study with me’s & playlists

♡ advika singh - study & productivity vlogs

♡ allie c. - medical school vlogs

♡ carrot td - study with me’s

♡ celine - study with me’s

♡ deaana - medical school, study with me’s, stationary, etc.

♡ dear mimi - study vlogs

♡ dia - medical student vlogs

♡ dr. rachel southard, do - medical school & residency vlogs & talks

♡ emily feng - medical school vlogs

♡ emilystudying - dental school & study vlogs

♡ emma grace - nursing school vlogs

♡ emmalilyn - study with me’s

♡ ginny - study vlogs

♡ hyobin - medical student vlogs

♡ leighton sanders - nursing vlogs

♡ lucky penny - study with me’s

♡ lunardazes. - uni study vlogs

♡ madi’s nursing journey - nursing school & nursing vlogs

♡ mango oatmilk - study with me’s

♡ maria silva - study & hospital interning vlogs

♡ merve - study with me’s

♡ mishujo - study & productive vlogs

♡ nada - study & productivity vlogs

♡ ray hon - study with me’s

♡ sab yang - medical school & study vlogs

♡ sean study - study with me’s

♡ sierra lyn - nursing vlogs

♡ studymd - study with me’s

♡ study to success - stationary, study with me’s, study hacks, etc.

♡ tani study - study with me’s

♡ yours truly, chloe - study vlogs

大家好？昨天晚上我和家人看电影。我们也有小吃。今天我帮我的朋友买些新椅子。(everyone, how are you? last night i watched a movie with my family. we also had snacks. today i help my friend buy some new chairs.)

❤️❤️ meditated and journalled (after watching funny Seventeen compilations, yk, as one does first thing in the morning to get their spirits up 😝)

📝📝📝 focused on Japanese today! (i get so mad at this language sometimes because of how confusing it is with the three different writing systems 🤬 but i won't give up!!! 😤)

🥰 broke my running record again today!! (13 minutes!!)

📚 read All Creatures Great and Small (2 chapters only but i'm literally like 10 chapters away from finishing it, i'm thinking of bingeing in the next 2-3 days so i can start a new book 🏃‍♀️ i'm thinking Sophie's World? or maybe Bringing Up Bébé? not sure yet 🤔 lmk if you've read these and what you think!! 👀)

language learning recommendations 🙊

🎧 natural Mandarin conversation vs textbook conversation 💀 (i'm dying)

🎧 수수님의 하루 일과 포드캐스트는 들어요 (listen to susu's daily routine podcast)

🎧 Chinese short listening practice about experiences learning different languages (relatable 😅)

abao in tokyo - study with me videos

aiki estrada - dental student; motivational and productive vlogs

celine - study with me videos

dr. rachel southard, do - obgyn resident; residency and medical school vlogs, study with me videos

* i’ve been watching her since her first year of medical school, she’s my absolute favorite youtuber and the best to watch for motivation if you’re going into medicine!

galacsea - study and productive vlogs

jay studies - study with me videos

merve - study with me videos

sean study - study with me videos

study to success - study with me videos, stationary, school and productivity

study with love - study with me videos

studymd - study with me videos, study playlists

the bliss bean - study abroad, language learning, productivity, goal setting

the sherry formula - study with me videos

thestrive studies - study with me videos

This is for those times when you really desperately want to be productive and get things done but you can't focus and you just want to sleep but you didn't do anything today so you feel shitty.

if you can, please just go to sleep (I do get that sometimes you feel so shitty about how little work you got done that you can't sleep, but if you can, please do it and approach tomorrow with a fresh start)

plan out what tomorrow is going to look like. I will break it down by task, for example: 6:00 wake up, 6:05 work out 6:15 shower, 6:30 make tea, 6:40 start work, 7:30 break etc. This will 1) help you feel better about not getting anything done 2) can help you be more productive tomorrow.

if you have things to do that are easy/low brain power, do them. These are things like printing out work, scanning stuff, tidying your kitchen. getting these little things out of the way can make a HUGE difference later

if you can, just read over your material. Don't even try to understand, just read it. Tomorrow when you come back to try and actually learn it, you will already be a little familiar and it can speed things up for you

eat something, drink something, and see if it makes you feel better- many times when i'm "unable" to go on, I eat a meal and drink a glass or two of water and magically I feel great again

try doing a workout- sometimes it just makes the exhaustion worse, but if you need to stay up later (shoutout to my fellow 6:30 pm bedtime pals) it can stretch time a little bit, and sometimes wakes up your brain. It's also good for you and can make your sleep go better

DONT DRINK COFFEE. or tea. no caffeine. you are already tired, it's not going to fix anything, its just going to make you jittery and sad. it's also going to upset your sleep schedule and make the tired worse for tomorrow.

Free Monthly Digital Planner

I wanted to share a free version of a digital monthly planner I have made! The free option is one month to erase and reuse, but offers a monthly calendar and variety of organiser pages for your goals, tasks & habits. It comes in Monday & Sunday start, as well as three colours with matching sticker options.

Download free here!

Thank you for checking this out! If you have any questions and issues, please let me know.

26 Oct. 2022 | 008/100 | Tranquil's Studyblr Challenge

Today, I choose to keep my mind and body active, even if not for an assignment. No homework due today, so I kept productive by cleaning with my roomates, doing my daily studies, and playing around with PyMOL (used to create the image on the left!)

What is your favourite book at the moment? Now, find a song to match this book and explain your choice.

I'm really loving Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli right now. I just finished the sequel today! I know it's juvenile for an almost-grad-student, but the MC is so warm and thoughtful -- sometimes to a fault, which is unfortunately relatable. Her quirkiness, the way the MC unfurls a table cloth and places a flower on the corner of her desk each day, reminds me of Taylor Swift's song "Me!"

27 Oct 2022 | 009/100 | Tranquil's Studyblr Challenge

Today, my goals are to do additional readings for both classes and for myself. I'm going to watch some videos related to the topics I'm learning in class and use that extra info to help me when I'm re-writing my notes. I'm also going to shift over to a more educational book (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot) now that I've read 2 of my leisurely books (Stargirl + Love, Stargirl) on my "to read" list.

What misconceptions do people have about your area of study?