alexa ♡

Hi, guys! Lala here. We all know the importance of having a morning and night routine, but I haven’t seen a lot of people talking about having a study routine. So I wanted to share mine with you and hopefully you guys can get some value out of it. 

I mean, heck, I am no expert but my need to see this niche ass post is a lot so here goes.

The Prince: Machiavelli- do I NEED to explain this one. Its a seminal text in politics and political philosophy and when you listen to the ideas described in it they can sound a little crazy but once you read it you realise they are still crazy but grounded in something very real. Also its short as heck and an easy read.

Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace- Hans J Morgenthau. I had to pick this one up for my coursework last semester and I thought it would be a snooze fest but no. I was drawn in and I haven’t finished it since but I do plan to get back to it at my leisure.

The End of History and the Last Man: Francis Fukuyama- YES, I fundamentally disagree with Fukuyama on so many points. YES, it is still one of my favourite books of all time. it is a very riveting discussion of political philosophy, history and international relations. If you are interested in any of those topics, pick it up. You won’t regret it.

How Democracy Ends: David Runciman- captivatingly written, great arguments, and a very unique voice. Super relevant in today’s international political atmosphere and if you are interested in studying the rise of right wing authoritarian governments across the globe, this is a great place to start.

Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan- another one that I just feel like i don’t need to explain. Again haven’t read it fully yet, but its quite chill inducing and the basis for most of the contemporary discussion on state, liberalism, authoritarianism, rights and so forth. 

I am behind my planned schedule but I have found my ground in biochemistry and we are in a good start!! I decided to spend a month on it since I find the subject most difficult than others. I’ve established a pattern and will follow it for the next month which is great! I’ve finally moved on to lipid chemistry, thank heavens.

My spicy ramen, which has been my dinner in the past two days, says hi. 😋

june 1, 2020

well, it’s been 3 months and a LOT has been happening haha! i hope everyone’s been staying safe and healthy <3

i’m joining in the studyblr challenge by @myhoneststudyblr because it looks fun and i also need to be more proactive during this time!

hi i’ve been really stressed lately and lots of my friends have been too so this is kind of for anyone that wants to see/reblog/whatever this but these are some things that help me relieve stress without being self-destructive:

write - write every single word of you feel don’t edit it or sugar coat it; if you feel like ripping a human body apart don’t leave that out (you don’t need to show this to anyone; it’s you that’s stressed); this helped me stay sane through the hardest time of my life thus far

draw a diagram - draw a diagram of the things you’re stressed out about and list them all (every single one of them even if they’re “petty” things like a boy or girl problem) and think of ways to deal with them individually; one of the biggest mistakes we make as humans is prioritizing the things that we think are most important and what’s actually most important

cry - crying is actually really good for you (and i’ll put some articles below in a read more about why) because it’s healing in every way even if it doesn’t immediately fix the problem that’s stressing you out so much

squeeze something - if you have a stress ball or whatever those squishy things are called, use it!!!!! i don’t really have any explanations for this but i’m sure the science side has one

lay down and breathe - lay down on your bed, the couch, the floor, wherever and breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth for at least a minute (i recommend longer but i have little patience so that’s the most i can generally do lmao); clear your head completely for those minutes and don’t think about anything, nothing good and nothing bad

doodle - you can literally draw squiggly lines on a page and create art so it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any “artistic ability;” this is something everyone can do

take a nap -  this is always good for your body as it gives your brain time to sort itself out and refresh itself; it’s impossible to get anything done with your head clouded with bad things

go outside/get some scented oils - my mom has a collection of scented oils that are full of refreshing scents and i’ll generally put a few droplets on my pillow while i take a nap or go to sleep at night and wake up refreshed, or just stuff it up my nose when i’m really stressed. if you don’t want the oils i reaaaally recommend standing by the window and staring at the sky or just your outdoors and if the weather permits, go outside for a few minutes, give yourself some alone time

have yourself a nice beverage - i’ve got a lil recipe for you all: hot milk, a few tablespoons of nesquick, and a spoonful of nutella (don’t let the nutella dissolve; the point is that you get to eat the nutella off the spoon as you drink the hot chocolate) and if you’re lactose intolerant drink water!!! this is the most cleansing drink there is and it’s my personal favorite

listen to sounds - this doesn’t have to be just music!! i’m putting a link below to a website that has really great rain/storm sounds that help me chill out

that’s all the stuff that came off the top of my head but if you’re stressed please feel free to leave me a message telling me why and i’ll respond as soon as i can!!!!!! i wish you clear thoughts, hydration, and happiness!!!

LINKS BELOW (i tried to find ones with pictures because this whole thing was enough reading to last a lifetime)

30/05/2020

042420

As most people are working and studying from home right now, I wanted to share some concrete, implementable ways you can help yourself feel better. Though I believe productivity and quantity of work done (or lack thereof) doesn’t/shouldn’t translate into your self-worth and how you view yourself, when you get work done, you actually do feel better in your own body. 

By the way, it’s the first time I’m formatting a tips/guide post like this, so I apologize that I couldn’t be more concise.

I’ve spoken to a licensed professional counsellor as well as to some professionals who have been working from home for a long time, and some of the advice above is from them. I’m also sharing from my own experience as someone who used to be very productive and an (ex-)overachiever, and still attach a lot of my self-worth to grades and other tangible accomplishments. I hope these slides can help you. In case it’s hard to read, I’ve included it (reworded) in text form if you’d like to read more. 

Online classes are working for me, I’m starting to catch up on all the classes I missed earlier this semester and it’s getting easier for me. Spring has begun and the sun really energizes me! My plants also love it and my monstera is giving me a new leaf.