#weekly brew

as a modern academic, we become intertwined with the concept of productivity. we grow up learning, especially as we enter our higher level courses, that productivity is the amount of work we are able to do within a period of time. as modern academics, we are plagued with the image of students spending hours in the library, hunched over books and assignments and paper, fueled by cup after cup of caffeine. in one sense, yes. this is productivity. however, we have to remember that productivity is more than just the work in front of us. it is the work within us as well, making sure to move our bodies if we can, drink water, and nurse our mental health when we are weary. productivity is allowed to look different for everyone. it is necessary to take care of ourselves so that we can embrace our own image of productivity. 

Good morning. It’s a gloomy day like today where the motivation seems even harder to muster up. It’s been a week of procrastination and sleepy days where I can’t seem to set my mind straight. I’ve talked about mental health a lot these days, but we are in a time where everyone is struggling to cope. Today my goal is to just brew up some self-love and intuition. Take a sip and really listen to your body. Mend your body the way you tidy up your home. And when things get hard, remind yourself that all you need to do is climb over the hurdle. You don’t need to jump or leap - you’re allowed to crawl. The hardest part is simply just getting up and doing something. I’m right here with you darling. We will sip our water together and remind ourselves to nibble on some food for energy. It is okay to pull yourself up in bed and take notes in your pajamas. There is no rush in life - be gentle and remind yourself it’s okay to take a day off. There is no shame in needing your own time or asking for help. Your classes don’t define you and you are not alone. 

Hello, my moons. It’s been a while since we’ve sipped together and taken the time to sip on our thoughts. I feel like this is a suiting time to talk about rejection as some of us come to the end of our academic journeys, whether that be high school or college. I myself am finally graduating with my degree in psychology, pondering my next steps with the rejection of graduate school still fresh in my mind. It’s truly made me stop and think about what I valued - realizing in my own mind that my academic validation was something gifted to me by my family, not something that I actually cherished close to my heart. I miss the student I used to be, but now I am excited to see the adult that I grow into. Now it feels as though I can breath, even under the weight of rejection and scrambling to come up with new plans.