happy thoughts @eucalyptustudies - Tumblr Blog

thinking about Kait Rokowski writing, "nothing ever ends poetically, it ends and we turn it into poetry. all that blood was never once beautiful. it was just red." and losing it

language-sanctuary

Reminders for Mentally Ill Students

AKA some things I tell myself to keep myself going and not entirely believe but maybe if I say them enough times I will finally do. I can only talk from my experience, but I thought this would be helpful. Also, here are some tips for mentally ill students.

Your mental health is always more important than anything else. Many times people have told me “it’s only in your head”, but the impact my depression and anxiety and ed have on my academic and social performance is humongous. I have accepted I cannot function like the majority of people, and that is okay.

Burnout is real. Everyone experiences it, even people who don’t struggle with mental illnesses. Don’t fight against it, it’s your body telling you that you need a break, and that you should stop focusing on what you’re doing and do something else for a while. Here’s a video about how to deal with it

Your life will be so much easier if you learn to identify when things are getting bad or about to get bad. For me, I know I am starting to have a depressive episode when I stop talking to people, I spend too much time online, I spend a lot of time in bed, etc. If you can prevent it, please do so, start exercising, start drinking more water and going out in the sun, consider going to a therapist, talk to friends about it, do anything to make the situation better. These things aren’t always preventable but there are always things to do to make your situation a bit better.

You are working with your illness, not against it. I know this doesn’t apply to all cases, but I’ve found so helpful to take advantage of my levels of energy and productivity, not to fight against them. If I feel like staying in bed all day, I do something that doesn’t require a lot of energy (for me is doing laundry or decluttering my files). If I have a lot of energy, I take as much advantage as I can and I do tasks that require more brain power. Both of those groups of tasks are required to have a balanced life, and I don’t feel guilty because I know I am doing what I can, and that is enough.

Organization will make everything so much easier. You don’t have to buy a fancy journal or make your spreads pretty. Just make sure you keep track of appointments, write down your thoughts, make checklists somewhere.

You are going to inevitably make progress if you work consistently towards something. Even if you cannot manage to produce as much as other people, if you are consistent, you will see progress. You will get better at your own pace.

You are not what you make, or the grades you get, or what you create. You aren’t a machine. I saw a very corny quote on here but it honestly changed my life a little bit: “Nothing blooms all year long”. It’s okay to not succeed for a while, it’s okay to not wake up at 6am every single day of the year, it’s okay to take time off. Here’s Savannah Brown’s video “i only feel valuable when i succeed and i should cut that out”, it really helped me.

Ask for help from professors, administration or friends. If you need to drop a class or take some time off, go ahead! Tell your professors if you need an extra explanation or more time. Ask for help from your classmates, they’ll be happy to help you. If I can help you with anything, provide advice or support, even if you just want to tell me something you did and are proud of, reach out!

qvotext

jadeitexmoon

sing off key, color outside the lines, write run-on sentences, make toast that’s a little burnt, wear stripes with dots, stutter while you speak, trip in public. perfect people are boring, your imperfections are what makes getting to know you worth it. so go make a fucking fool of yourself and don’t you dare apologize for it

ziggyplayedd

things that made me stop wanting to die that require no effort whatsoever

change the color used to highlight text on your laptop

move the pictures on your wall

stack whatever clutter is in your room into piles even if you don’t have time to clean it all

slightly vary your commute, even just by one street

change where you sit and scroll aimlessly on your phone even if it’s only to the chair in your room instead of your bed

drink water or juice out of a wine glass in the morning because nothing is real

shower with the lights off, without music

buy $3 flowers at trader joe’s—they look bad next to the more expensive ones but they look so good in your room

start typing things you don’t post into your notes. your thoughts can be worth documenting even if you don’t deem them worth sharing

wake up super early just once. you don’t have to make it a habit it’s just extra satisfying to go to bed that night

listen to the entirety of your favorite album from 2015

sandersstudies

Almost all of these are about variety. Humans need stimulation! We need enrichment! We literally cannot do the same thing every day!

The other day I was feeling miserable, so I hopped on a bus and rode it all the way back to where I’d started, and my brain, which had finally had some proper stimulation via new environments, was suddenly ready to go again!

This is why taking walks/drives and trying new hobbies are good for you! Don’t turn yourself into a sad zoo animal! You need some pumpkins to roll around in your enclosure!

eunoiamaybe

my quick tips for working / studying from home

- get dressed and style your hair as if you’re going to school/work - even use the same perfume/ cologne as you normally do (trick your mind into being motivated)

- plan things out - everything (plan out your week, day, meal, etc. you can make these as specific as you’d like. this will help you stay on top of your work as well as stay healthy, especially if you live alone.)

- make studying/ working the first thing you do each day - best if you can start in the morning (minimize the tendency to procrastinate)

- just start - don’t worry too much about perfecting or finishing anything yet (if you don’t start then there’s nothing for you to perfect or get done. and it will never get done)

- listen to old and simple (aka non-distracting) podcasts, Youtube videos, or café/ chattering white-noise, etc. simply leave them as background noise to create an illusion of being outside your room (bring the presence of people to you. my favorites lately have been slam poems from 2016, Mae Martin’s stages, and Awsten Knight’s crackhead podcasts)

- set timers, for both study sessions and breaks (so that you don’t overwork, burn out, or procrastinate. the Pomodoro technique works great here)

- take advantage of the comfort of your own home (light a candle, have crunchy snacks, play loud music, review notes out loud while pacing around, wrap yourself in a blanket burrito, study on your bed if you can focus there like me, etc. basically anything you can’t do in a classroom, office, or the library)

- if you miss your friends, call/ text/ facetime them, make a study group chat with them, etc. (that is what technology is for)

- choose recreational activities/ self-care for your breaks instead of going on social media (go on walks, make small art, play an instrument, stretch, take a nap, etc. I usually reach for my guitar, brainstorm writing ideas, or sketch very simple line art.)

- if you want to go on social media, do it during meal times - or the 15 minutes after your meals that you can’t work just yet (it also doesn’t make you feel like you’re wasting time)

- study in different rooms for a change of scenery (dining room, living room, the patio, etc. I have an armchair next to the window that I study in whenever I need some sunlight and don’t have to write anything down. however, if you need a designated place to focus on your work, you can also use these alternative spaces as designated “relax” or “creative” place for your breaks)

- use this as an opportunity to take care of yourself (get enough sleep, drink water, exercise, talk to your family, take your meds, be mindful of your mental health, etc.)

Feel free to add your tips. The current situation sure is unpleasant but it is unavoidable. All we can really do now is take care of ourselves, others, and try to make the best out of this.

Good luck to everyone and stay safe! My heart is with you all 💕

inkskinned

I have been thinking of the ways we tell people things. My father's hands shake, but he holds the phone up so I can watch the video from six feet away. My mother emails me the recipe of her beef stroganoff at 6 in the morning with the comment - woke up and didn't want to forget to do this! On the highway, we sing so loudly my voice grows hoarse; on the beach I sneak nice rocks into people's hands so they have something to hold, on the floor we all sit quietly in the same agreeable silence. We are all saying the same thing.

My friends say "Oh you know, keeping busy." This means they are having a hard time but making themselves survive it. I ask them to help me walk me dog; this is me telling them it's okay sometimes to just be present and talk about young adult fiction. When I cancel again because I can't get out of bed, she tells me she's on her way with cookies.

I point out the sunset. She shares her fork before I ask for it. He calls me at 1 AM just because I'm on the road alone, we talk about stupid shit. She waits for me to get indoors safely before driving away. He says - nah, forget it, I'm happy to do it for free.

People are saying it, you know? They say it often and loudly. Sometimes, you know - you just have to be listening.

seraphic-diaries

13.4.20

Y’all know I only post original content on here unless I feel like it’s important to share. Take it in ✨

gloupblog

We make our own happiness. We do so much for ourselves, even at times we don’t realise it. Everytime you pick yourself up, or even just put yourself to bed. You do the things you do because you love to do them. You love to draw or to listen to music, to dance and watch movies. So you do all that stuff. You feel like life is going too fast so you drink your juice slower and put the window down in the car, walk slower home at night to look at the lights and you flirt with your friends, take pictures of them laughing. It doesn’t always feel like it but we are really out here living for ourselves. Making choices all the time, the choice to hold that door open for that person, to start a conversation in the coffee shop, to wear the outfit we want instead of the one like what everyone else will be wearing. The choice to be brave, even in small ways, to speak up in class and answer that question, give our opinion on what we think he means when he says he prays and thinks and thinks and prays. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like much of a life, it feels like a waiting period. But I promise you, if you just take a bit of time each day to reflect you will see how complex and beautiful life is, how it is always happening and you are always moving with it.

ophanic

props to stem people wtf! i can bullshit my way through any english essay because literally u just have to say stuff. but for stem paper u have to say stuff AND it has to be true. wack.

luckysovreign

props to hums people wtf! i can bullshit my way through any stem essay because literally u just have to repeat stuff. but for a hums paper u have to say stuff AND it has to be new stuff from your brain. wack.

jeaniefranklins

#FINALLY the solidarity we need to defeat business majors