elizabeth.

okay first things first: take a moment to breathe and try to relax yourself before going to that class. even if it's been three classes already, if you still feel anxious about it - stop, take a minute to recollect yourself.

i completely understand how you're feeling and i'm positive that some, if not many, of your classmates will be feeling the same way. as someone who has dealt with social anxiety my entire life here's a few things i do whenever i'm in a similar situation to yours:

The 10-10-10 Rule for Eye Health

This is especially important for when you are using an electronic device to study as you tend to blink much less when using an electronic device in comparison to using analogue materials.

This can easily result in dry eyes, eye strain from blue light, and can, over time, eventually encourage the elongation of the eyeball which results in shortsightedness,

Every 10 minutes, take a 10 second break from looking at the screen by looking at an object that is at least 10 feet (approx. 3 metres) away from you

Personally, I find that it is most beneficial to look out a window at the environment around me to give my eyes relief from artificial light and to look at objects that are further away

If you do not have access to a window or an object far enough, looking at the furthest object you can find works well too

You can remember to do this by setting reminders, making a mental note while keeping an eye on the clock, or by incorporating this habit with the 10 minute planning technique

This helps with being more mindful of how much time you spend looking at a screen as well as monitoring how much time you have been working

Additionally, taking just a few seconds to look away from your screen allows you to be more conscious of your surroundings and to take stock of how you feel mentally and physically

I find that this habit has drastically improved my eye health and has reduced my stress when working

Taking a moment to step back from my work to focus on something within my environment prevents me from feeling overwhelmed by the work I'm doing

By removing myself from the situation, I allow myself to have an outsider's perspective and logically analyse how much I have left to do

Sometimes, when you're completing many tasks or large tasks, it feels like you're in a terribly huge pile of work but taking a step back allows you to regain control and say "It's only 3 tasks, I can do this"

Yoga Blocks, Textbooks, Pillows, or Variation for Spine Health

Often times, many of us tend to slouch or hunch over whilst studying or working. This consistent incorrect posture puts strain on your spine which can lead to inconvenient neck, shoulder, and back pain.

It is crucial to maintain correct and comfortable posture to ensure that our spine is in good health to allow us to work and go about our daily lives in comfort.

While sitting at my desk, I like to place a yoga block, a small textbook, a firm pillow, or a similar object perpendicular to my lower back and my chair

This instantly improves my posture by pushing me to sit upright rather than slouching or hunching over my desk

It is important to be lightly holding the yoga block or book perpendicular to the chair's backrest rather than leaning on the object

Heavily leaning on the object may pinch the spine and do more harm than good

Lightly holding the object makes your back muscles work consistently to make you sit upright which strengthens the back muscles and works to improve the overall alignment of the spine

This position must be comfortable, neutral, and feel natural

Another way of protecting your spine, as well as your whole body, is to work in different positions

Instead of the traditional work position of sitting at a desk, you could try standing, laying down on your front, or even sitting on your calves to work

Varying the positions in which the body is stationary for long periods of time prevents tension from building in specific areas which may lead to pain or cramping at a later stage

This also encourages the strengthening of the smaller muscles that assist in maintaining these positions

On occasion, I even like to study or watch lectures while holding a yoga position or stretching to keep my body in healthy condition

Pillows placed on your seat or behind your back can also help in protecting your spine from cramping or muscle soreness from sitting on a hard surface for prolonged periods of time

This option seems very simple but it can make the world of a difference in your comfort as you study

Maintaining Your Hand Health

Your hands are one of the most crucial components of your body. When studying, you use your hands to write, draw, type, and investigate. It is always important to take care of every part of your body but your hands need particular care.

When you are writing, ensure that your neck, torso, shoulders, arm, and hand are in a natural, comfortable, and neutral position

There should be no tension in your body and you should be sitting upright to prevent you from tiring easily

If you need to, rest your wrist on a small, plush object such as a a mousepad's wrist pad, a small cushion, a soft pencil case, or a folded piece of cloth

There is no single correct way to hold a pencil but there is criteria to help you find your personal optimal grip

You should be able to see exactly what you are writing without any of your fingers obstructing your view

Your hand should feel comfortable, controlled, and relaxed as you write

Your writing should be efficient, economic, and fluent

Using this criteria, my own pen grip is where my thumb, index, and middle fingers are the only fingers that hold and control my pencil while my ring and pinkie finger rest on my writing surface for support and mobility

When you are typing, your hand joints are vulnerable to strain due to the constant impacts of your fingers striking the keys

Even if your taps on the keys are gentle, this continuous movement can still strain the joints

Ensure that your wrist is relaxed and has a comfortable form of padding to rest on if you need to

Typing with all of your fingers helps distribute the force and movement of typing which results in less strain on each finger but learning this does take time and effort

With any form of using your hands, the most important health care for your hands is to stretch them

The simple act of stretching your hands greatly relieves muscle tension which assists in preventing the development of any ailments

Stretching your hands also improves mobility and assists with fine motor control to allow more precise and stable hand movements

The ideal stretches for the hands include extending your arm whilst turning your palm to the ceiling and gently pulling your four fingers downwards; gently pulling and rotating the thumb towards your upper arm with your palm facing inwards; clenching and unclenching your hands; wiggling your fingers; and interlocking your fingers and rotating your palms downwards to face away from you whilst extending your arms forward, then moving them above your head

You use your body as a vessel to gain knowledge from your physical environment.

Take good care of your body and it will take good care of your mind.♡

Education should always improve your mental and physical health.

—🪐 no one cares if you have the prettiest notes or the fanciest pens and notebooks. only people into stationary will ask, but most students just type their notes and go on with life

—📖 no one has it all together - absolutely no one. that includes your professors, they’re struggling with something in their lives just as you are! don’t compare yourself to what people show of themselves, it’s not the entire truth of what they’re living.

—🥀 it’s not easy to make friends from different courses if your university separates faculties in buildings, especially if they’re not close to each other. you have to attend social events to get to know different kinds of people. for me, that’s a little tough but i’ve learned that it’s important to get out of your comfort zone.

—🌞 it’s hard to hold yourself accountable when living by yourself. not just in your studies but also daily tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, etc.

—🧠 skipping lectures is too easy, specially if they’re live streamed or recorded. it’s also a vicious cycle for me bc of my depression… but yeah, i don’t recommend unless it works for you better that way.

—🧸 no one knows you - that’s right, no one knows if you’re the “nerdy” dude or the “quirky” student. this isn’t high school, most people won’t know you and won’t have ever hear about you if you’re not studying at a super small university or commit a huge crime lol

—🍒 on this note, you’re free to be whoever you are and/or want to be. there are people similar to you and so different from you that you’ll meet and love or realize they aren’t worth your time. you’ll learn to value your friendships and realize that if you don’t make an effort, you’ll have a hard time keeping friends because your schedules don’t match or they work after school, etc.

—🎓 it’s not impossible and it’s not a competition. no one will care how much you got on a quiz and having the very best grades doesn’t mean anything if you’re not willing to work for your future outside of academic achievements.

—📝 some days you’ll wonder if you’re going on the right path, but the thing is… there isn’t a wrong way or anything like that. you’re on your own journey and if you feel like you’re not where you’re supposed to be, re-evaluate your choices and your personal goals. don’t pressure yourself to be where society and other people tell you to go.

let me know if you would like a follow up post to this or uh… anything really. i don’t post often here as i thought my content was uninteresting or just meh, but yeah i’m starting to rethink this blog and what i want to do going forward.