Fellow BICers,
These past couple of weeks have been long ones for lots of us as there are exams and papers and speeches. I know that for myself, it is getting to be overwhelming. So I have decided to write this week’s column on ways to motivate yourself while trying to do all this work.
When I was in Kindergarten, my teacher would always tell us once we were done with hard work, to kiss our brain. While I thought this was the weirdest and most disgusting thing at the time, I now understand what she meant. Doing something good for yourself after completing large amounts of work can help to support your brain when schoolwork gets hectic.
We are all familiar with the feeling of just wanting to cry because you are so overwhelmed. Taking a break may seem like the worst idea in the world at the time, but it is well worth it. Do not watch Netflix, but instead, go to the Student Life Center (SLC) and work out a little. It could just be walking around the track on the third floor, but getting your blood moving and getting away from the work will help you process what you have been studying. Exercise also releases endorphins into your brain. The endorphins help relax you and put you in a better mood.
One of my favorite things to do when I am extremely stressed and need a break is to go on a bike ride around campus at night. At night, it is not as hot as it can be during the day and there are not very many people wandering around. I have seen fireflies by the Brazos and often go and check in with Lady and Joy.
One of the biggest things that I find to help getting through rough assignments is a reward system. As soon as I finish a paper, assignment, reading, or anything else, I treat myself to something I crave. Even if that means getting Sic ‘Em delivery to bring me a slushy from Sonic, I make sure to utilize the time to focus on homework. While this can get to be very expensive, I usually only do this as a last resort when I am under a lot of pressure.
Now that all of the stress of last week has passed, I am able to relax a little bit. I am caught up on sleep and have the ability to now enjoy my readings. I took my own advice and ate a popsicle every time I made a big accomplishment. I am proud to say that I have survived and have given my brain a huge kiss for helping me get through the past week.
Zephyr Straus is a freshman BIC student majoring in social work.