Masterlist Database

Studying with Mental Illness

Advice•Techniques• Help

Many of you may or may have not known but here we go! My name is Lina and i suffer from high functioning severe depression, panic attack disorder and generalized anxiety, suicide and self harm. Finishing off my sophomore year in high school i started developing depression. it got to the point of turning to the internet and getting caught up with online predators for attention and “happiness” after moving to another town not too far away, it turned into serious suicidal thoughts and attempts. Little did my parents know i was going to finish sophomore year and had a plan to end things from there. My parents found out that i was talking to strangers online and were very upset about finding all my suicidal thoughts on the internet. Still not sure as to the seriousness, i got in trouble. My parents were told to take me to therapy and psychiatric help right away. That is when my parents knew what was happening and the seriousness behind it. After months and years of switching meds, rigorous therapy, constant supervision…I was finally able to become stable. But as high school went on, things were getting stressful and i turned to self harm. I had even made another suicidal attempt. Self harm is still something i have a hard time stopping but as soon as I graduated, got a job and started college, I was happy with my life and doing very well to this day.

This was a long process, it did not happen in one day. So how did i continue to study and balance my mental health?

Schools

•you will need to decide what school fits you! personally, public school was just fine for me; having to get used to talking to people and learning social skills. but maybe that’s not the right one for you! and that’s ok! consider a charter or private school for a smaller group of students and more “attention” towards each student. Look at schools in your areas that are specific to mental health. I know plenty of friends that had to attend a different school that could accommodate to their needs no matter the illness. If you still want public, make sure to pay attention to class sizes and statistics on scores and grades. Every school is different. Ask around the internet or to neighbors or others that have attended the school and see what the people were like. I started hs in a super rich and spoiled town but i then switched schools my junior year of hs and there was a lot more diversity of students from races, ethnicity, sexuality, disabilities and more. People were a lot more humble about their money. It was the best thing I could have done for myself.

teachers/professor

•now you have your school, but let’s look at the teachers. even if you tried your best, not ALL your teachers will be your favorite:( But here’s what should happen in order for things to work out. when starting a class, most teachers want to get to know you. fav color, hobby, subject etc. Then they ask for “others things i should be concerned or know about?” this is where you and your parents/guardians come to play. Write down a note or something that gives a general idea of what your mental health is. For example, my parents would write a note or email to the teacher explaining the circumstances and having the teacher contact THEM if they noticed anything wrong.

medication

•PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you are taking your medications correctly and everyday if needed. Always keep a backup dose in your backpack or purse or whatever in case you were running late. Never miss a dose. For example, i have to take effexor for my depression. this medication is the kind that you CANNOT just skip a dose or two. if i skip even just one dose, i get headaches and feel nauseous and throw up. This is also one that has some anxiety help component to it therefore keeping me awake so that means i have to take it in the morning so that i am not tossing and turning during my much needed nights sleep. i have to have at least a couple hundred calories eaten with my meds. i also take clonazipan; my anxiety meds. lately i’ve been doing well and haven’t needed it everyday (this is me personally, talk to your doctor about what you should be doing i am no doctor) so i take it as needed for extra stressful moments and if i accidentally took my effexor at night.

•MEDS ARE HERE FOR A REASON! MAKE SURE YOU ARE TAKING THEM AND TALK TO YOUR PSYCHIATRIST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR MEDS

You are more important than your grades/studies:

•if you need to walk out of a classroom to take a breather, then do so. if you need to cry and let it out, excuse yourself and go. if teachers give you any problems, ignore them. talk with your parents. they will back you up or talk to an administrator if you do not have that family support. If you absolutely, cannot do your homework because of a circumstance (do not use this as an excuse; do your best) then take the time to heal mentally. you will not be able to do your absolute best if you are not in the right mental state.

Be gentle and kind to yourself:

heyoo! something you’ve probably read a lot on here is to set a reward for yourself after you finish a task to motivate yourself more. I’m here to give you some ideas about how your reward could look like:

watch an episode of a series

watch x youtube videos (for example buzzfeed unsolved)

buy that one thing you’ve wanted for a longer time

treat yourself with a bath, face mask and some relaxing music

food you really like (but like don’t overdo it)

call a friend / family / etc.

listen to the new album of your favorite artist

check / update your social media for x minutes (set a limit so you don’t get lost in time)

play a video game

go to a coffeeshop

dance to your favorite songs

take a nap

spend time on your hobby

play with your pets

go for a walk

buy yourself flowers

Why & How to start bullet journaling

I’m sure you’ve already seen some bujo pages while strolling through social media. But have you ever considered starting to journal? If not, now could be the best time to do so. Whether you want to organize a special area in your life (or everything?) or you’re just like to doodle and medidate once in a while. Journaling is a very beneficial thing to start, no matter where.

Why tho?

it’s unique & totally customizable

it’s medidating and makes you spend some quality-time with yourself

it keeps you inspired, motivated and organized!

it helps you reflect and review different areas (whether personal or life-wise)

it can be everything you want

What to journal?

You’re journal is a notebook for every situation and/or area in your life, whether you just decide to design your own calender for 2019 because every one you looked at was just not perfect or too expensive and not worth buying or just want a place to write all your daily/weekly/monthly to do’s into. Or do you want to orgnaize your daily life a little more? Then you could make lists, calenders, overviews, a diary and so much more. You can also plan a “theme” for every month or just keep everything very simple and minimalistic. There is a ton of inspiration on the internet.

Ideas

weekly/monthly overviews

a habit tracker

a money tracker

some questions to answer every day (or less of course)

to do lists

a sleep tracker

a meal planner

a book list for 2019

and so much more..

a kind reminder

You don’t have to buy any expensive notebook or stationary to journal. Don’t let yourself get down because you see all those perfect pages on tumblr and other social media platforms. It’s okay if yours doesn’t look that pretty. Make your journal your personal helper, and do what matters to you the most. And if you want it to look as good as possible: Practice makes a master. Start little.

Good luck and have fun,

Christmas is coming so here are some tips you may find useful. Can be used for any occasion, not only Christmas! 

Some of them I did myself and they made the reciever very happy. Have fun with this, inspire yourself! 

Handmade:

Bottle filled with their favourite candy  

Homemade nutella

Painted mug with mug cake recipe and tiny bit of ingredients inside

mermaid blanket made from 2 blankets (it IKEA they have very cheap blankets)

Cute handmade stuffed animal (lots of easy tutorials on youtube!)

Homemade cookies in a pretty jar 

Voodoo doll keychan 

Succulent in painted flowerpot

Bag/backpack from old clothes 

Tiny envelopes with nice messages/memories

CD/tape with your own playlist

Bullet journal

Tiny book with small things to be happy about

Homemade skincare products (scrubs, masks) 

Pillow (you can paint the cloth)

Surprise box (there are loads of great tutorials on youtube)

Cookbook with your personal favourite recipes (you can write it in nice notebook or sew your own book from quality paper) 

Pretty painted invitation for a coffee/movie etc. 

Using your pictures and photos:

memory game from your photos

Your photos in painted frame

Little book with pictures with your comments to them 

Mug with a photo (Better than T-shirts, they usually don’t look nice)

Collage on a notebook 

Puzzle from your photo (you can cut a big photo or get it done somewhere) 

Bought:

Go through second hands, you can find nice stuff there - then you can make for example nice winter set - gloves, beanie and a sweather. Make sure to wash them! Also don’t buy underwear or socks at second hands. 

Candle set - there are a lot of nice smelling candles that you can find for a very good price, take some and with a little decorating and nice packaging you got yourself a candle set 

Nail set - again, you can find good and cheap nail polishes, some file and nail clippers, stickers etc. 

Art set - art supplies can be very expensive, but if your friend isn’t a professional, some coloured pencils and antistress colorbooks will are a cute gift

Bathing set - bath bombs, scrubs, soap,..

Honestly set of any kind, they can be found very cheaply and you can play with the packaging to make it look nice 

Look through secondhand bookshops! 

Phone case (you can also paint it)

Fairy lights (cheap at dollar store or pepco in Europe)

Because of coronavirus, a lot of recent grads are moving back home. After four years (or more) of freedom, being back home is a big adjustment and it’s easy to revert back to our teenage behaviors. Here are some of the things I’m doing to feel a little more like a grown up while I’m living at home!

i. make your space your own

Just cleaning out your room can make a huge difference. Donate your old clothes and take your old posters from high school down. If you’ve got the time and resources, a fresh coat of paint or new bedding can also do a lot to make your old room feel more adult. You can also rearrange furniture to make a workspace if you’ll be working from home or applying to jobs.

ii. set boundaries

Lovingly set some ground rules about how you can best support each other. This is especially important if you’ll be working or taking classes from home – let them know you’ll be unavailable during certain hours so they don’t barge into a Zoom meeting. 

iii. build a routine

Even if you’re not working or in class at the moment, it’s important to be intentional about your time. The biggest thing that contributed to me feeling like a kid when I first moved back was spending my days watching Netflix and napping. Which are totally valid! But add in other daily activities, like taking your dog for a walk and making yourself a nice breakfast.

iv. make time for friends

I normally hate virtual hangouts, but they’ve been so important for my mental health during quarantine. Schedule a weekly Zoom coffee date with your group of friends. FaceTime your old roommates. Meet your high school bestie in the park and have a distanced picnic (don’t forget masks!). Having a support system is so important right now!

v. find new hobbies

This is the perfect time to try out new hobbies. Plus, craft stores have been having great sales since they know everyone is cooped up all summer. I found some really fun craft kits that I never would have tried normally, and now I’m the proud owner of a woven frog wall hanging. A few ideas: painting, tie dying, embroidery, yoga, running, learning a new language, reading, etc.

Having a long-term project to work towards – like a larger art project or trying to master a difficult yoga pose – helps to keep the days from running together.

vi. find ways to feel “normal”

Spotify has a ‘Spotify for Developers’ platform, which enables independent developers release cool ways for users to interact, visualize, and interpret their streaming history, current library, or any track of their choice. Here are some of my favorites:

Klangspektrum: Enables Spotify users to analyse their musical behaviour based on song attributes, such as their energy, danceability, or the levels of instruments

Discover Quickly: Pick a song, or an album, or an artist you like, and from there jump quickly to something you might like! It’ll automatically play, and from there you can decided if its your thing and add it to a playlist or like it, and if not, move on to the next!

Replayify: This is your Spotify Wrapped right at your fingertips, daily. You can see top artists, tracks, for all time, the past 6 months, or the past month. You can also see your recently played, down to the time and date. 

Playlist Souffle: Take any playlist you have, and mix it up. Playlist souffle takes playlists you have, and swaps out the songs with ones that are by the same artist, or on the same album. Same feel, different songs!

Musicscapes: Visualize your recent listens with a minimalistic landscape, and see how it changes when you listen to a few more!

Dubolt: Find music based on an artist you like, and narrow it down based on the vibe you’re looking for!

Mangomoji: Combine emojis together to find the song that fits the feeling you’re going for!

Setify: If you’re reminiscing on your last live event, you can go back in time to a concert or festival, and find a playlist with the setlist for the event!

Playlist Manager: Playlist Manager merges the songs of selected playlists into one view, allowing you to easily add and remove songs from different playlists.

Organize Your Music: You can organize all of your music or just subsets, and you can even slice and dice it by genre or energy, or other properties. It can help you categorize your music in ways you didn’t think you could.

How Bad Is Your Spotify: This fun, judgemental AI tells you how bad your Spotify really is. It will poke fun at you, and give you a horrifyingly accurate roast on your spotify and music choices.

i’m starting the second semester of my junior year soon, and recently i’ve been dealing with a feeling of burnout and lack of motivation. it’s hard to force myself to study and power through.

one thing that has really helped is taking good study breaks! it definitely also helps if you’re staying up late studying or having a marathon study session… like for finals ;)

when should i take a study break?

here are a couple of options—find what works for you, or try a bunch of different methods!

pomodoro method - this generally involves working for 25 minutes, then breaking for 5 minutes. after 4 work sessions, you can break for 15 minutes. good pomodoro timers are the marinara chrome extension and tomato timer for iphone!

between subjects

between different assignments (ex. after a paper, then after a worksheet)

whenever you feel tired or unmotivated!

study break DON’Ts:

watching 5-10 minutes of a longer tv show episode - my ULTIMATE don’t. you’ll just be tempted to watch the full episode…and 3 more afterwards! save the tv-watching for after you’re all done. tv is meant to be compelling and enjoyable - NOT something you just watch 5 minutes of at a time.

reading a chapter of a book - for the same reason why tv-watching is super ineffective! you’ll just want to know what happens next.

watching 5-10 minutes of a longer youtube video

playing a video game

sleeping/napping - super short naps are ineffective and you’ll just be groggy. HOWEVER if you’re staying up super late and set an alarm to wake you up, a 30-minute power nap can be good!

scrolling through instagram/twitter

doing stuff you do before bed like showering or skincare - this will make you sleepier since you associate it with going to bed!

basically, don’t spend your study break doing things that are meant to suck your attention! save that for when you’re done and you can actually enjoy it :)

study break DOs:

eat a small snack

clean up your study area

wash your face or brush your hair - super effective, especially when studying late at night. splash cold water on the back of your neck!

listen to your favorite song and sing/dance along

drink a glass of water

do something boring - give your brain a break and do something important but super boring. send an email, get some forms filled out, etc.

and my ultimate study break tip…

WORK OUT!

this may seem really counterintuitive. why spend a work break doing MORE WORK? however, working out is SUCH A GOOD STUDY BREAK. it gives you a sense of accomplishment, gets some endorphins flowing, and COMPLETELY takes your mind off of studying. 

my favorite study break workouts:

pretty much anything from blogilates:

really hard weightless arms workout

another really hard weightless arm workout

extreme abs

under 10 minute yoga practices

10-15 min yoga

i hope these help you! in 2020, let’s start conquering procrastination and lack of motivation together!! :-)

Hey dudes, today I wanna share how I stayed organised in my first year of uni. This system worked super well for me and going into my second year I wanna try new systems, but I thought I would share because it may help or inspire you.

🌟 Onenote

This is my main organisation system and place where all my uni work goes! Im gonna show picture of my last year set up and what ive altered this year to work best for me. This is the most important part of my organisation system!

*SEMESTER CALENDAR*

What I do is make a table with my classes and their colour code going along the top and each of the weeks within the semester going down the side (I also add the dates). When I finish a week I make the boxes another colour so I can see where im up to. This is where I keep all the tasks I need to do each week like textbook readings, assessment and modules I need to complete. This year im also adding when ive got my tutorials so I know when I need to be on campus. So I have a key for all my stuff: for my readings and other tasks I use the to-do box tag a, for my assessment I use the important/star tag and for my tutorials I use the cute little rose tag. A thing to note is that last year I had to participate in psych research studies so theres another box called studies in the table where I tracked that.

In the same notebook i also have my timetable and the yearly calendar for my uni. i use to also have a grades and thoughts tab but i never used it cause i track both on my phone notes.

2018 layout + scroll through:

2019 layout + scroll through (not yet completed but you get the gist):

*CLASS BOOKS*

For all my class notebooks I have a syllabus tab, a textbook tab and a tutorial tab. In my syllabus tab I have the dates of each week and what we are learning in the lecture & tutorial, what the readings are and if there is an assignment due. In my textbook tab I just keep all my reading notes. Then for my tutorials tab I just take class tute notes. You may be wondering where I keep my lecture notes, I type them out in word and save them to my class folder. Nothing really has changed here from last year.

—-

🌟 Edo Agenda

This is a great website (plus app) that I feel like not a lot of people know about! This is by far the best calendar I have ever used, it is so practical, simple and functional. 

Heres an example of mine from last year.

How I use it is each class has a colour that is the same as on onenote. Each week i look at my onenote trimester calendar/table and put down all the tasks i need to complete on certain days and when i should start assignments and studying.  I add the task using the ‘task’ function that gives you a checkbox. When its completed I check it off. Anytime that I had an exam I would add it as an ‘event’. A great function is that you can drag tasks between days making it super easy to reorganise your week. 

Heres a little walk through of the functions i use:

—-

Following the moon phases and adapting my magic to their power and correspondences has been crucial to my practice. If you’re interested in connecting to the lunar cycle, here are the links to my previous posts on each moon phase. 

🌑 New Moon Magic 

🌒 Waxing Crescent Moon Magic

🌓 First Quarter Moon Magic

🌔 Waxing Gibbous Moon Magic

🌕 Full Moon Magic

🌖 Waning Gibbous Moon Magic 

🌗 Last Quarter Moon Magic

hey everyone! there’re many reasons why you may feel stressed: too many things to do and not enough time, procrastination, pressure, mental health problems, … regardless of the reason nobody wants to feel stressed. so here i am to help you! some weeks ago was a very stressful times for me, i had driving lessons, an incredible inconvenient class schedule, exams, exams, exams… (u get the gist) but! i managed to live through it while maintaining somewhat sane, so i hope i can help some of you.

- ̗̀ reminders  ̖́-

accept that you’re stressed / will have a stressful time. the more you overthink it, the worse it will be. believe me, i was that person that complained all the time and u know what. things were worse (or i just didn’t do the things and was even more stressed). so this might sound dumb but just don’t think about it. just do it™ okay but srsly count till 3 and just do the thing you need to do.

set priorities. and what i mean with this is set priorities that suit you. some of us need 8 full hours of sleep to function, so please give yourself that sleep you need. others need to work out to relieve stress. i need to do at least something fun to not burn out completely (i watch a youtube video, an episode of a series or check twitter before i go to sleep for example).

don’t expect too much of yourself. when finals season approaches, you can’t expect yourself to do a hundred other productive things, so focus on what you really need to do and give yourself time to relax and don’t feel guilty taking that time.

talk to people. ok, so what i noticed is, that i feel a lot better when i don’t neglect my social life completely when i’m stressed. try talking to your family or friends (or at least your teddy). just catching up with somebody can make you feel better and remind you that life is not all about studying. or use your lunch breaks to eat and have fun with friends, bc you need a break from studying too.

be smart about your time. okay so i know everyone always tells you to divide your tasks, start as early as possible etc. but sometimes a level of certain procrastination is okay. and instead of feeling guilty, try to enjoy your free time. but still, try to plan your time in a way your health won’t suffer (pulling an all-nighter might not be the best thing for you, for example)

live at least a little bit healthy. like, eat three meals, some fruits, drink enough (maybe even go for a walk, stretch a bit) and stuff like that. listen to your body, it just wants to keep u alive.

cut things out of your daily routine that just waste your time and may even make you feel worse (cough*scrollingthroughtheinstagramexplorerspageforanhour*cough)

be thankful!! i know everything is super stressful right now and you just want everything to stop but i promise there’re some positive things in your life too!! what i like to do is write down 5 things i’m thankful for or just good things that happened that day. this can be really small things, like the cinnamon roll you ate that morning.

- ̗̀ to-do  ̖́-

these are some things you can do to immediately relieve stress:

journal. write everything down. everything. if that’s enough for you, you can stop after that, but what i like to do is to identify the things i’m stressed over and then find a “solution” for them (sometimes the solution is to just stop worrying because i can’t do anyhing about it)

do nothing for 5/10/15 mins. i mean it. lay down and just do nothing. and then count till 3 and start. you can also set an alarm out of your reach so you have to stand up.

mandatory midday break. this post talks about taking an hour-long break every day. definitely check it out!!

stretch. nothing too complicated, just get yourself moving a bit. i find stretching super relaxing idk why

baking. okay this might sound weird, but baking can be super relaxing. i’ll just bake something super easy like brownies and while doing that i just focus on the task and don’t worry about all the other 548679 things on my mind

listen to music. yea pretty self-explanatory. just throw your fav music on and dance around a little bit

take a shower or even a bath! cleanse all the stress away (i promise, u will feel better after that)

watch something you really love. dogs, cats on yt, your fav series, things you’re a fan of, …

i think we all know this feeling of being stuck inside your routine. you’re not really sad but it just feels like something is missing. so i’m here to give you ideas on how to spice things up™️ (or just make life more enjoyable).

paint your nails in an exciting color. paint them in several colors idc. now every time you see your hands (which is very often) you see your super cool nails

listen to a new music genre. like something completely different. if you like rap you will listen to country music now. jam your heart out i know u want to (here & here are some playlists if u need any ideas)

on that note revisit songs you liked when you were younger. we gettin nostalgic

sometimes you just need to watch a good old vine compilation 

food!!! this can be such a huge factor. something as simple as switching your breakfast from toast to cereals, just smth new, can make a huge difference. try new things out, have fun (recipes here, here, here and here)

same thing with the things you drink! add lemon to your water, drink some tea, try iced coffee out, buy water from a diff company, …

a cute cup for your morning drink can really lighten up your mood too

get some magazines and cut things out you like. now get an a3 (a4 is okay too) paper and make a big collage

ikea trip? ikea trip!! don’t forget to eat smth there too yum

after showering put on some good smelling lotion and just enjoy the feeling

now put on your favorite underwear and an oversized shirt. maybe take some cute pics just for yourself. trust me you will feel better

rip a paper into little pieces

cuddle with your stuffed animal idc if you feel stupid, you will feel better

maybe spice things up with the way you look? try out a new hairstyle or invest in a new accessory you like (jewelry, hair ties / clips, belts, scarfs, etc.). it doesn’t have to be expensive, there’re lots of cute things in second-hand stores for example!

start a challenge in whatever you’re interested in. maybe for a hobby you always wanted to try out or pick up again. there’re tons of challenges on pinterest. i think i will try this one out though

write a love letter to yourself. you deserve one. fold it into a very small piece and put it into your pocket. this is now your lucky charm because trusting in yourself is all you need sometimes

buy groceries but this time with a friend or family member. catch up, have fun, buy some cookie dough and eat some cookies

picnics!!!!!!!! i love picnics!!!!! they’re so cute and actually super easy to organize. you can go alone or with someone else. just grab the food you have at home and a blanket and go to the nearest spot you find. even your garden or balcony. you can easily incorporate this into your day if you don’t have much time. instead of eating your dinner at your kitchen table you will go on a picnic now

if you have more time, you can bring a book with you or some art supplies and enjoy time outside

taking a walk listening to your fav album can help so much

change your bedding. you don’t even need to buy a new one, just wash it and get that feeling of freshness

open one of these sites (1, 2, 3): and read an article that seems interesting

buy flowers for yourself and put them in your room

change the color your laptop highlights things in

declutter your phone and laptop in general. set up some new backgrounds that make you happy

vary your commute. take the bus instead of the subway, get off a station earlier, or if you can, take the bike 

change the places you do things. try studying in the library or a café, scroll through your phone not in your bed but at the kitchen table, read on the floor, every small change adds into spicing things up

take a bath when you shower normally or the other way around

light candles in the evening

search for your old nintendo and play some games

stretch in the morning. even for 2 mins is good

download some new apps

try a no social media day

instead of a black / blue pen write in a different color (for example your groceries lists, on post-its, in your journal, …)

you’ve gotten a bad grade. the assignment you turned in was not as good as you expected. the exam just went awful. we all know the feeling when this happens. but i’m here to help you!! don’t stress my friend everything will be okay

first of all: it’s okay!!!!!! everybody fails sometimes! i know it feels awful because you worked your ass off and now this happens. what’s important is that you don’t give up. academic success is not everything, so don’t beat yourself up too much. (also like there’s so much wrong with this system, but that’s a topic for another time)

- ̗̀ right after  ̖́-

give yourself some time to be sad, angry, frustrated, etc. talk to someone or journal your thoughts down and just get everything out. (it would be best to talk someone who isn’t in the same situation, so instead of maybe making your classmate uncomfortable, talk to somebody who will listen and give emotional support)

nobody excepts you to go right back to studying. in fact it would be better to get your mind off of things and distract yourself a bit. do something you love and relax a little.

but! don’t forget to pick yourself up again and take the next step:

- ̗̀ mindset  ̖́-

put your “failing“ into perspective. how bad is it really? is it the end of the world (no it isn’t). do you only think it’s a bad grade because you keep comparing yourself to your classmates?

don’t!!!!! compare!!!! yourself to others!!! focus on yourself. you don’t know all the other things your classmates may struggle with and your academic performance does not determine your self-worth. so what you didn’t do that good? there are so many other great things about you, believe me mwah

- ̗̀ identify the cause  ̖́-

what was the cause you didn’t do as well you expected?

did you study the wrong things? or did you study them the wrong way? were the concepts just way to complicated and you didn’t understand them?

did you panic while taking the exam?

didn’t pay attention in class?

did you not start early enough?

is your teacher just awful™?

whatever the reason try to identify it and find a solution. try to apply it the next time. but remember that there is not always a cause, sometimes things are just like they are. if that seems to be the case, just remember that it’s probably not your fault and try to continue doing your best.

- ̗̀ solutions  ̖́-

ha you thought you have to figure out the solution all by yourself. but i’m here to (hopefully) help you.

don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher/prof! most of the time they want to see you succeed, so maybe there is something you could do to improve the grade or you could try to tackle the issue you have/had.

find a study method that suits you and make it a routine. there’re so many helpful posts on here (just search up “study tips”) so there is to 100% something that works for you.

study schedule? some people do better with one, some don’t. with one, you can exactly plan out when and what to study for the upcoming tests, so you’ll be able to improve your grade. also, try to plan in when you’re going to revise hard topics again or the ones you didn’t understand if there were any.

do your homework and assignments! they help so much with improving your grade and the teacher/prof sees that you’re willing to make an effort.

join a study group or visit a tutor. they are a great way to find help and make you remember that you’re not alone and that there’s a solution to everything.

be a pro at exam taking. i’ll maybe do a separate post on that because there is so much i could say, but the most important thing is: be positive. give yourself a pep talk and don’t stress. you got this.

Here is a list of some YouTube ASMR ambiences/soundscapes (they’re all hyperlinked, so click away!) Unlike traditional ASMR, these videos do not feature any people. Talented YouTubers have used software to create rendered environments with layered sounds, with many of these ambiences inspired from fantasy to others based in reality. I find music with lyrics to be distracting sometimes, but these are great background noises for focusing, studying, doing homework, and even for relaxing. Enjoy and good luck ♡

LIBRARY SOUNDSCAPES

1. Royal Library | Rain and Thunderstorm Sounds on Study Ambience with Crackling Fireplace 

By New Bliss 

2. LIBRARY AMBIENCE: Writing Sounds, Whispering, Pages Turning, Rain, Fireplace 

by Autumn Cozy 

3. Ambience/ASMR: Writer’s Library from the 1930s, 4 Hours

by Ambience of Yesteryear

4. Study Ambience / Library Sounds / 3 Hours #241

By Winter Whale ASMR

5. Harry Potter inspired ASMR - Hogwarts Library REMAKE - Animated ambient soundscape cinemagraph

By ASMR rooms 

CAFE SOUNDSCAPES

1. Rainy Day at Coffee Shop & Jazz Music | ASMR Ambience 4K

By Cozy Corner 

2. [ASMR/Ambience]cafe after closing on a rainy urban night

By Sound Forest 

3. Coffeehouse ASMR Ambience

By Miracle Forest 

4. 1 Hour of Tea Shop Ambience | Background Noise | Cafe Ambient Sounds

By Nocturnal House 

5. ASMR Increase Concentration Tokyo Cafe Study Ambience for Homework & School

By asmr soupe 

COZY SOUNDSCAPES

1. 🎧 Cozy Ambience Bedroom - Rain on the Windows of the Rainy Night View of the City 10 Hours | Sleep

By The Relaxing Town 

2. Cozy Cabin Ambience - Writer’s Room with 8 Hours of Rain, Thunder and Fire Sounds

By Calmed by Nature 

3. Bed Breakfast ☕ Snowy Morning [ASMR] Cozy Cabin Ambience ❄️️ Winter Day with Little Bunny friend 🐰

By ASMR Weekly 

4. Rain sounds | cozy cabin | Sleep, Study, Meditation 10 hours

By White Noise Tranquility 

5. Cozy Winter Cottage | Snowstorm and Fireplace Sounds | blizzard | 10hours

By dreamy sound 

INSPIRED BY SOUNDSCAPES

1. ASMR Mystical and Noble Atmosphere of Slytherin Common Room●Harry Potter 3D Ambient Sound

By asmr soupe 

2. Lord of the Rings Inspired ASMR - the Green Dragon Inn - Medieval Tavern Ambience and Animations

By ASMR rooms 

3. ⛩ Spirited Away’s Dormitory - 1 Hour - Ghibli ASMR Soundscape

By Vibrating Art 

4. Twin Peaks Double R Diner Ambience - 8 Hours of Smooth Jazz Music, Rain Sounds, & Cozy Cafe Ambience

By Calmed by Nature 

5. A Moving Castle Type ASMR Ambience

Hello this is Nina, your local depressed college girl that’s decided to work on turning her life around and starting the new year with a more positive and happy attitude.

I know there a hundreds of similar lists and tips out there but I just thought I’d get all my favourites in one place and that way maybe motivate myself to actually follow them for once. I know my wording isn’t the best but I tried. 

Here’s the few tips I’ve picked up so far and I hope they might help some of you if you are struggling a bit also:

Physical:

Space - your personal/work/study space plays a big role in making you feel productive and motivated. Doesn’t matter if its your dorm room, bedroom, office…you should make it your own as much as you can. Put a plant on your desk, get a nice picture for the wall, hang some fairy lights, get a fluffy blanket for your bed, repaint your walls in your favourite color if you can, just make it cozy and comfy and nice to look at and I guarantee you’ll start to feel better. Try to keep it clean and neat, I know it’s hard sometimes, but working in a clean space makes you ten times more productive.

Self care - start with physical things, drink those 8 glasses of water and keep a tab on it until you get used to it, use handcream everytime you wash your hands, put on moisturizer every morning and sunscreen when you go out, go for a walk around the park at least every other day, and for fucks sake go to sleep at a reasonable hour, you’ll be so grateful in the morning if you do. Show your body some appreciation. 

Mental:

Take some ‘me’ time - we might we don’t have time for this, but it’s so important we make some time. First thing in the morning, during the day or before bed, just take a few minutes and relax. Put on your favourite song, burn a scented candle, drink a hot cup of tea, sit down and just breathe. 

Be proud of yourself regardless - take that ‘me’ time and reflect on your day, pat yourself on the back for everything you did even if it was just getting out of bed. Life is a bitch sometimes and you should be just as proud of yourself for the little things. It’s okay to sometimes be lazy, to procrastinate, to not do anything. You aren’t a machine, you’ll burn out if all you do is work.

Appreciate the little things - on those lazy days it’s sometimes hard to not feel miserable about it. That’s when you should appreciate the little things in life. Get yourself that coffee you love so much and enjoy it, go to a roof, watch the sunset and appreciate the colors, take a photo of anything you find pretty and look back at them when you feel down…make yourself believe those moments made your whole day and suddenly it’ll feel like your life’s meaning isn’t just getting up and working/studying all the time, but enjoying everything you get to do and see in between too.

Other:

Find your interests - and stick to them!! We all like to give up on things if we aren’t immediately good at them. But no one was born an expert. And as cliché as it sounds practise does make perfect. Join a drawing class, a dance club, a writing class, get a course book on your target language, download editing softwear and play around with it, watch documentaries about your favourite subject. If you fall out of your hobby in the end it’s no big deal, but you’ll know you gave it a try and didn’t miss an opportunity to learn something new. 

Journaling - this might not be for everybody, but I found it helps me clear my mind a lot to put my thoughts on paper and have everything organized in written form. I just love having all my things in one place where I can just look and see where I’m at, whether it’s plans for the day, my thoughts, my playlists, pretty pictures, anything really. It’s also a great way to be creative.