midwifery student

recently I’ve been working on making my relationship with technology healthier. i was completely addicted to my phone for a really long time, and it was making me miserable. i’d spend 4-7+ hours on my phone everyday, just scrolling through tiktoks or instagram. i never had time to do what i wanted, and it was really impacting my mental health. 

so i decided to make a change. now i’ve cut my screentime down by 85%, and i feel so much better. my laundry actually gets folded and put away now, i’m finishing projects in a day that used to take a week, and i’m actually reading again (i’ve read three books in the past couple weeks! it’s been years since i’ve finished a book).

so here’s what finally worked for me! 

set a goal

at first i thought about just buying a flip phone and calling it a day, but then i realized there was a lot of legitimate stuff i used my phone for. texting/facetiming friends, getting directions, listening to music, checking the weather, ordering takeout, etc. 

after a couple days, i found out that getting my average weekly screentime (iphones track this automatically) to around an hour was a doable goal. an hour might still seem like a lot, but spread across the whole day it feels like a good amount. i’m only ever using it for a minute or two at a time to search something or reply to a text. 

by measuring my progress by the week instead of the day, i was able to not feel too bad if i went over by a little one day. i’d just make up for it the next day.

my overall goal is to use my phone intentionally – no more scrolling through to distract myself when i’m bored. i only use it when i need to.

if i can keep it up for 2 months (i’m almost there!), then i’ll buy myself something i’ve been wanting for a while as a reward. 

find alternatives

figure out what it is that makes your phone so addicting, and come up with alternatives. i realized for me, it was just wanting something to do with my hands. i found a few things to keep me busy: reading, crossword puzzles, jewelry making, even just fidgeting with something. i also got a digital clock for my room so i wasn’t picking it up to check the time so often. 

using other tech might not fit with your goals, but my google home has helped a lot. if i have a quick question that’s bugging me i can just ask, instead of getting pulled into a research rabbit hole. 

if your goal is to cut out tech completely, you’ll need to come up with alternatives for the more practical stuff, too. 

give yourself physical reminders

1- changing my wallpaper (it had been the same for a year) made me more aware that i was checking my phone at all. before i’d just mindlessly pick it up without really noticing, but having it look different than i’m used to helps remind me what i’m doing and to keep it quick.

2- some people say to keep your phone in another room. personally if i’m walking somewhere to get my phone i’m going to use it for a while to make it worth the effort. instead, i keep it just slightly out of reach. somewhere that i have to bend to a weird position to reach, but not actually get up. this way i’m not mindlessly grabbing it, but don’t feel like i need to check everything at once to make it “worth” the effort of getting it.

what didn’t work 

but might work for you!

apple has a built in feature called that will alert you when you’ve spent x amount of time on your phone or a certain app. i tried this for a while and it made absolutely no difference - i’d just dismiss it and keep scrolling.

i personally didn’t want to just delete the apps i was spending too much time on. i have a couple friends whose main form of communitcation is sending me tiktoks, and i keep up with college friends through instagram. i did have luck with deleting the reddit and facebook apps, though, since those added absolutely nothing to my life. 

focus apps actually made me check my phone more. there’s one where you grow trees by not using your phone, and i was constantly looking to see how cute my little forest was which totally defeated the purpose. 

clean your room.  clean space, uncluttered space, space that doesn’t have miasma clinging to it can work wonders.  clean the dishes.  sweep.  take out the trash.  peel the clothes off the floor and wash them, and then actually fold/hang them.  take a long shower.  scrub behind your knees.  brush your teeth.  (this can be utterly exhausting, but try to get it done in a day, if you can.  the end result is worth it.)

pull out your notebook.  it doesn’t need to be a new notebook, but preferably one that you don’t usually write in, or that you haven’t touched in a while.  fuck moleskins.  the yellow legal pad will work fine.  sit in your room, or in the park, or in the library, and write a list.  count clouds.  describe all the colors that you see, and note patterns that arise.  sketch the cracks in the walls.  note the shape light makes when it enters a space.  talk about what the air tastes like, smells like.  what sounds are there?  even the white nose, break that down: air planes, fans, cicadas, anything.  remind yourself that you are sitting in the middle of a space brimming with detail.  remind yourself that you are not in nothingness and emptiness.  your world is fathomless.  it has potential.

drink cold water and try to eat something that isn’t processed.  it does not need to be fancy.  buy yourself an apple with the change between your couch cushions.  eat it outside.  if you’re someone who walks, walk somewhere afterwards, just to stretch your legs.  take your fucking meds.  remember that its a good thing that you are inside your body.  your body is a fantastic and endlessly intricate machine, and even though society has smacked a bunch of poisonous ideas on it, that doesn’t change its inherent worth and splendor.  take care of it.

read a novel.  underline your favorite lines, and write phrases that twist your heart inside your chest on the back of your hand with an ink pen.  read a novel like it’s poetry.  read poetry, something decadent but unpretentious.  watch a movie you haven’t seen before.  if there are free art galleries near you, walk through one.  take your time.  let yourself bask.  if there are patterns in what makes your soul ache, write those patterns down – marbles arches or soot crumbling bricks or dandelions or descriptions of dresses or whatever it is, write them down.

your chosen family is important.  remember, they picked you as much as you picked them.  the love has no obligation.  it is given freely and it is given from a place of compassion.  you are not a burden.  if you need to breathe, take a minute by yourself and just exist, but remember to go back to your people.  when they need you, listen and be gracious.  always be gracious.  the universe sometimes remembers things like that.

listen to new music.  link jump on youtube or related artist jump on spotify or ask the chap beside you in the cafe what their favorite band is, and listen to that.  listen to something that you don’t usually listen to.  we tend to tie up a lot of memory with music.  we are falling in love again.  the soundtrack needs to be specific to that.  

Every writer inevitably gets to that scene that just doesn't want to work. It doesn't flow, no matter how hard you try. Well, here are some things to try to get out of that rut:

1. Change the weather

I know this doesn't sound like it'll make much of a difference, but trust me when I say it does.

Every single time I've tried this, it worked and the scene flowed magically.

2. Change the POV

If your book has multiple POV characters, it might be a good idea to switch the scene to another character's perspective.

9/10 times, this will make the scene flow better.

3. Start the scene earlier/later

Oftentimes, a scene just doesn't work because you're not starting in the right place.

Perhaps you're starting too late and giving too little context. Perhaps some description or character introspection is needed before you dive in.

Alternatively, you may be taking too long to get to the actual point of the scene. Would it help to dive straight into the action without much ado?

4. Write only the dialogue

If your scene involves dialogue, it can help immensely to write only the spoken words the first time round.

It's even better if you highlight different characters' speech in different colors.

Then, later on, you can go back and fill in the dialogue tags, description etc.

5. Fuck it and use a placeholder

If nothing works, it's time to move on.

Rather than perpetually getting stuck on that one scene, use a placeholder. Something like: [they escape somehow] or [big emotional talk].

And then continue with the draft.

This'll help you keep momentum and, maybe, make the scene easier to write later on once you have a better grasp on the plot and characters.

Trust me, I do this all the time.

It can take some practice to get past your Type A brain screaming at you, but it's worth it.

So, those are some things to try when a scene is being difficult. I hope that these tips help :)

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything

[click images for high quality]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

How To Stop Procrastinating

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

please use sparknotes. please use khan academy. please listen to school house rock songs and watch the history of the entire world i guess and tim and moby and bill nye. any documentary you watch in class can be found somewhere online with a quick google. get your books from project gutenberg and z-lib. download textbooks off the internet whenever you can find them. use desmos for a free online graphing calculator. if you’re learning something and you don’t get it look up the wikipedia page on it and put it into simple english to get the gist, then put it back into regular english to get the full story. cheat if you have to. school sucks so bad rn and if you’re like me and you get all your materials secondhand or from the lost and found, online resources are really useful rn; all of the above have helped me pass a class in some way, and i hope they can help you too.

Productivity Printables

Hey everyone! The semester has kicked off for many of us already, myself included, and I just gotta say, it’s been pretty crazy. I wanted to share some tools that have helped me and hopefully can help you too in having at least some semblance of organization this semester.

A couple notes: The first preview will show both high and low contrast versions. Remaining previews will show high contrast only but there are low contrast versions available. I have no idea why but the reviews may look different on different browsers/screens. They should print out fine, though. Click images for better quality, or go straight to the download link.

Anyway, here are the printables!

Daily Printables

Daily View (High Contrast (left) | Low Contrast (right))

Attention Management (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Energy Management (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Weekly Printables

Weekly Overview - Monday Start

Blank (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Task-based  (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Time-based  (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Weekly Overview - Sunday Start

Blank (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Task-based (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Time-based (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Monthly Printables

Undated Monthly Overview - Monday Start (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Undated Monthly Overview - Sunday Start (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Misc

Einstein Matrix (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Productivity Printables

Hey everyone! The semester has kicked off for many of us already, myself included, and I just gotta say, it’s been pretty crazy. I wanted to share some tools that have helped me and hopefully can help you too in having at least some semblance of organization this semester.

A couple notes: The first preview will show both high and low contrast versions. Remaining previews will show high contrast only but there are low contrast versions available. I have no idea why but the reviews may look different on different browsers/screens. They should print out fine, though. Click images for better quality, or go straight to the download link.

Anyway, here are the printables!

Daily Printables

Daily View (High Contrast (left) | Low Contrast (right))

Attention Management (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Energy Management (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Weekly Printables

Weekly Overview - Monday Start

Blank (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Task-based  (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Time-based  (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Weekly Overview - Sunday Start

Blank (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Task-based (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Time-based (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Monthly Printables

Undated Monthly Overview - Monday Start (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

Undated Monthly Overview - Sunday Start (High Contrast | Low Contrast)  

Misc

Einstein Matrix (High Contrast | Low Contrast)

So studying anatomy is nothing like any other topic, especially when you study it at uni level, where they expect you to know every single small component of the body! So this guide is going to be concerning the musculoskeletal system and the nerves (PNS) and arteries in the body. 

I have mentioned some of these tips before but I will put them in here aswell and so this can work as sort of masterpost. This is like a more “overall” type of masterpost. So if you want to have topic specific posts for example for nerves and arteries then let me know. 

1. Find a study partner. First and foremost anatomy is so much easier when you are two dealing with it. Me and my study partner used to do anatomy spots together and by doing it two people together you can discuss what it could possibly be. You get to hear their train of thoughts which sometimes can be better than yours. Also you will have someone to quiz you and correct you when you say something wrong. 

2. Accept that it takes time. First step to learning anatomy is dedicating a lot of time. It is not easy, you are cramming so much information into your mind and for it to stay there you will have to go over the same topic again and again and again. And I know it is really frustrating and you are going to spent maybe 10 hours trying to figure out the muscles of the leg and then next week when you review it again it will feel like a whole new topic, but this is all a part of the proces, just keep revising again and again and again. 

3. The Atlas is your best friend. Invest in a good atlas, they are a little expensive but they work wonders because first of all they give you an image of what you study. And usually the text book images are not enough. In an atlas you will have “isolated” images but you will also have images where relations are shown. HOWEVER if you dont want to buy an actual atlas then maybe buy Complete anatomy which is a computer program that I also reffered to in my “5 sites every med student should know about” post. Here you can play around with the structures, view it from different angles and add on to it with other nearby structures or remove structures. 

4. Say it out loud. Pretty self explanatory. 

5. Create an overview. Rather than focusing on the details try to focus on creating an overview. Anatomy is already so difficult so dont complicate things for yourself. And if you know the basics then learning the details will be so much easier. 

6. Use a whiteboard. Speaking of creating an overview, try using a white board for this. It is such a good way for creating an overview. I think because deleting and writing is so easy it kinda makes it less stressful than writing in a note book where ofcourse you worry about the aesthetic. Also try to do this with your study partner. You can plan on studying a topic together so lets say for example the muscles of the leg, you both at home study it, try to memorize it, look at it in an atlas and then you two meet. Now when you meet you get infront of a white board and start talking and writing about what you guys think is important and when you guys cant go any further then grab your notes and then add more on to the board. 

7. MAKE IT VISUAL!. This is the most important step! Use bones, pay attention in your dissection classes, if you have the upportunity to touch, feel and look at structures then DO IT! This is the best way to learn. Spot as often as you can.

8. Make up rules. you can find a lot of them online, or just make some up yourself, me and my study partner did, for example the muscles  M. erector spinae: I (m. iliocostalis) Like (m. longissimus) Standing (m. spinalis). If you turn it into a “game” then remembering it will be much easier.

And most importantly dont stress your mind that much. Allow yourself to take breaks, because over feeding your mind with knowledge in a short period of time can also be very damaging since you will waste time and not remember most of what you studied.  

Good luck, stay motivated and stay dedicated

Love 

Hello everyone! Since I have finished uploading all my notes from Anatomy & Physiology I, I decided to make a masterpost for the files. 

Chapter 1| An Introduction to the Human Body

Chapter 2| The Chemical Organization (Biomolecules) 

Chapter 3| The Cellular Level of Organization

Chapter 4| Tissue: The Living Fabric

Chapter 5| The Integumentary System

Chapter 6| Bones & Skeletal Tissues

Chapter 7| The Skeletal System: The Axial Skeleton

Chapter 8| The Skeletal System: The Appendicular Skeleton

Chapter 9| Joints

Chapter 10| Muscular Tissue

Chapter 11| The Muscular System

Chapter 12| Nervous Tissue

Chapter 13| The Spinal Cord and Spinal Nerves

Chapter 14| The Brain and Cranial Nerves

Chapter 15| Autonomic Nervous System

Chapter 16| Sensory, Motor, and Integrative Systems

Okay, so you’ve been called smart all your life. As a kid, you were one of the smartest in your class. Maybe you could read at a much higher level than your peers, or you could fly through multiplication drills like they were nothing. Then, you get to high school and suddenly you’re surrounded by lots of people who were ‘gifted kids’. None of what made you ‘special’ seems all that important now. Your work is actually challenging, and it’s actually requiring effort.

If you’re experiencing this, just know that so many students have gone through the same thing. Maybe it happens in high school, maybe college. But a lot of us who were considered gifted as kids suddenly run into this and it challenges our entire identity. It can be paralyzing, but it’s 100% possible to overcome it and succeed! I’ve compiled a few tips for ex-gifted kids dealing with impostor syndrome and self-doubt. I’m not a therapist, psychologist, or any sort of education expert. I’m just speaking to my own experiences, and I welcome any input from others who have insight into this as well!

1. Understand that working hard does not mean you aren’t intelligent. If something doesn’t come naturally to you, that’s not a reason to give up. Believing that people can do things “just because they were born with a talent for it” is only going to hurt you. It’s not true! People may have natural aptitudes for things, but hard work is involved even for the smartest or most talented people. You are capable of learning anything, and you don’t have to be “good at it” right away to do so.

2. Comparison will kill you. You are your only competition. Focusing on how you rank with other students, and comparing yourself to your classmates is going to exhaust you. By focusing on others, you can’t put your full energy into focusing on your work and yourself. You belong. Even if you struggle with your work, you belong. Focus on your own self-improvement and doing your best.

3. Don’t focus on the goal, focus on your current actions. If you’re always thinking about the future, and about whether you’ll get into that school or that program or win that award or get that scholarship, you’re not using that time to get work done. Don’t worry about college applications, just do your homework. Focus on what you are doing now to reach your goals so you can apply to schools with confidence later.

4. Your grades may not reflect intelligence, but they do reflect work ethic. Don’t let others convince you that grades mean nothing. They sure as hell mean a lot to colleges, and thinking that you should “reject the current education system” is not going to harm anyone but yourself. If you don’t feel like you’re learning anything in your high school classes, that’s all the more reason to want to get into a university that will challenge you. If you put effort into your work, it will not let you down. Your hard work will be reflected on your transcript. Don’t lose focus.

5. Talk to someone. Let people know if you’re struggling. It can be hard to feel like you aren’t allowed to identify as “smart” or to feel pressure to constantly compete and improve. I went to a highly competitive high school that pushed kids to cope in dangerous ways. This is not healthy and not okay. If you’re feeling overwhelmed you need to find healthy coping mechanisms. Speak with someone you trust and don’t let yourself spiral. Don’t try to self medicate. Your well being is always more important than your grades. Period.

US Helplines:

Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696

Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433

LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743

Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438

Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673

Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272

Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000

Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253

Child Abuse: 1-800-422-4453

UK Helplines:

Samaritans (for any problem): 08457909090 e-mail [email protected]

Childline (for anyone under 18 with any problem): 08001111

Mind infoline (mental health information): 0300 123 3393 e-mail: [email protected]

Mind legal advice (for people who need mental-health related legal advice): 0300 466 6463 [email protected]

b-eat eating disorder support: 0845 634 14 14 (only open Mon-Fri 10.30am-8.30pm and Saturday 1pm-4.30pm) e-mail: [email protected]

b-eat youthline (for under 25’s with eating disorders): 08456347650 (open Mon-Fri 4.30pm - 8.30pm, Saturday 1pm-4.30pm)

Cruse Bereavement Care: 08444779400 e-mail: [email protected]

Frank (information and advice on drugs): 0800776600

Drinkline: 0800 9178282

Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 802 9999 1(open 2 - 2.30pm 7 - 9.30pm) e-mail [email protected]

Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02 every day, 6pm to midnight

India Self Harm Hotline: 00 08001006614

India Suicide Helpline: 022-27546669

Kids Help Phone (Canada): 1-800-668-6868

FREE 24/7 suicide hotlines:

Argentina: 54-0223-493-0430

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As a companion to my list of college-set movies written by women, I now bring a list of high school oriented movies written by women, for those who have just begun, returned to, or are nostalgic for high school.