une bibliothèque est un lieu magique

21. Grad student of EU affairs, currently in Sweden.

[dagenssvenska]

Flowers = Blommor

Rose / roses = Ros / rosor

Tulip / tulips = Tulpan / tulpaner

Daisy / daisies = Prästkrage / prästkragar

Orchid / orchids = Orkidé / orkidéer

Geranium / geraniums = Pelargon / pelargoner

Sunflower / sunflowers = Solros / solrosor

[nevver]

Undo the Damage of Sitting

[artist-refs]

(Technically, this isn’t about saving your hands… but if you draw, you’re probably doing a lot of sitting, so…)

[death-420]

[peachisty]

may the universe be softer and kinder to us this september

[eintsein]

How to Deal with Study Burnout

As students in this day and age, it’s quite common for us to juggle rigorous academic responsibilities and overwhelming extracurricular activities. As a result, we might feel burnt out. But what exactly is burnout? 

Burnout is when you feel physically and mentally exhausted as a result of constantly lacking the energy required to fulfill the demands of your studying.

Burnout can be broken down into three parts:

Exhaustion is what causes you to feel tired all the time and unable to concentrate. You could also get sick or have trouble sleeping.

Cynicism or depersonalization is when you feel disconnected from those around you, e.g. your friends and family.

Inefficacy is a decrease in productivity, efficiency, or quality of your work.

How do you know if you have burnout?

Symptoms may vary, but they include:

Being unable to absorb new information

Intellectual exhaustion

Decreasing academic performance and productivity

Feeling like you need to prove yourself

Making yourself work even more, even though you’re exhausted or being unwilling to study further

Neglecting your needs

Long term fatigue

Showing disinterest in things you normally enjoy, e.g. hobbies or friends

Denying that something’s wrong with you (may manifest in the form of aggression)

Avoiding social interaction

Feeling empty and depressed

What can I do to fix it?

Here are some short term solutions for dealing with burnout.

1. Take a power nap Power naps are life changing. They help you recharge your energy and get you ready to start working again. They also improve learning, memory, creativity, alertness, and mood. I would recommend napping for 30 minutes at most, because anything more will lead to a longer sleep session.

Optional: drink coffee before your nap - something that takes a short while to consume like a shot of espresso - so that you’ll feel alert and revitalized afterwards!

2. Take a shower A cold one will wake you up, but a warm one will calm you down. I suggest starting with warm water, then ending with cold water.

3. Exercise Whether it’s playing soccer or doing yoga, the important thing is to get moving! Exercise releases endorphins or happy hormones that help you combat stress.

4. Run a quick errand This will help take your mind off things while also getting something done! You’ll also end up walking, which is technically a form of exercise.

5. Call or visit a friend Sometimes what we’re lacking is social interaction, and hanging out with a friend definitely helps. Whether it’s providing you with a distraction or giving emotional support, your friends are always there to help you. Plus, science has shown that being with friends reduces your cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

6. Eat a snack Preferably a healthy one. Eat something with proteins, vitamins, and fibers to boost your mood. Here’s a list of mood boosting foods.

7. Surf the web This requires A TON of discipline, but it’s definitely a game changer. Surfing the web is one of the most relaxing things you could do. I personally look for a good laugh during my study breaks, so I’d watch a comedy or scroll through memes to get those happy hormones up and running.

8. Do an activity you find interesting, e.g. a hobby We all need happiness in our lives, and our hobbies are perhaps the best way to find that joy. You could sit down with a page turning adventure, or go outside and shoot hoops, or listen to a podcast, or even bullet journal, as long as you’re having a good time.

9. Listen to music Music is one of the ways we gain energy, so I always make time for it during the day. However, you should choose the right music, because not all the music you love is going to make you feel energized. For me, it’s pop punk with hard hitting beats, thundering guitars, and really upbeat, enthusiastic vocals. Some of you might be energized by mellow music with dreamy vocals that make you feel like you’re floating in the clouds. If you choose the wrong music, you might just end up feeling sluggish and drained.

10. Get some fresh air Your brain needs 20% of the oxygen in your body. Fresh air brings more oxygen to your brain so that you can think more clearly, feel less tired, and concentrate more easily.

How do I make sure I don’t get it in the future?

Avoiding study burnout in the long term has a lot to do with our study habits - as well as our daily habits. We need to make sure that our bodies and minds receive the things they need, and that we aren’t overworking them.

1. Study a little at a time Break up your notes into smaller, more easily digestible pieces and learn a little at a time. This way, you’re not overwhelming your brain, and you have time to let that new knowledge settle in.

2. Time management Having a good study schedule is crucial in preventing burnout. You don’t want to force yourself to work at your slow hours. Aside from that, you definitely shouldn’t leave things until the last minute, and sticking to a schdule will help you pace yourself. Here’s a post I wrote on How to Make an Efficient Revision Schedule and How to Beat Procrastination.

3. Get enough rest I cannot stress enough that sleep is so important for you. It improves your cognitive functioning and also enhances your mood, making it less likely that you’ll get burnt out. Make sure to take power naps, too, if you feel like you need them. 

You also really shouldn’t pull all-nighters. Sleep is also involved in cementing memories in your brain, so if you study a little before you sleep, you’re bound to remember more than if you studied a chapter during an all nighter.

Having trouble sleeping? Here’s a post I made about my night routine and how to get better sleep.

4. Cycle your study environments Your body and mind are bound to get tired from being in the same location for prolonged periods of time. The best way to fix that is to study in different places: at your desk, your backyard, the dining table, a cafe, a friend’s house, the library, etc.You should find a frequency that works for you. I like to switch it up every 2-3 days; some people change locations every week.

5. Eat well As I’ve mentioned before, healthy foods with protein, vitamins, and fiber greatly improve your mood and your physical health. Proper nutrition will give your brain the power it needs to push through. Also make sure not to skip meals; honestly you’ll just end up feeling terrible afterwards.

6. Take frequent breaks Let’s face it, we’re human, we’re bound to get tired from studying for a long time. Taking breaks enables our brains to digest the information we just learned in a pace that works for it. Breaks also help us focus on something other than studying, so that when we do get back to it, we’ll be ready to digest even more information.

7. Set realistic study goals You’re gonna memorize all 500 pages of your biology textbook in one day? Good luck with that. Some of you might be compulsive studiers, but this kind of habit isn’t very good for your brain or your physical health. Studies have shown that excess studying can lead to lower productivity, fatigue, and - you guessed it - burnout. In the end, this will result in lower academic performance, perhaps even in the long run. So instead of trying to study so much in one sitting or one day, break up your material into chunks.

8. Maintain your social life Wherever you lie on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, everyone needs social interaction once in a while. It keeps you sane and healthy. Go out with your friends, have a sleepover, or maybe even a study date.

9. Start the day right What we do in the morning can significantly affect our mood for the rest of the day. Sometimes we don’t even feel like getting up in the morning, or doing anything that day. One thing you should do is create a morning routine you enjoy to jumpstart your day. Here are 8 Morning Habits for Productivity.

10. Think positive When we’re feeling burnt out, it’s hard to not think negatively about everything. In reality, that just makes our condition worse. So think positively! Start small, like congratulating yourself for getting out of bed today, and then work your way up to bigger accomplishments, like finishing 2 chapters of your textbook.

11. Keep a stress diary This is kind of a new concept for me, but it’s really great. How it works is that each day, you would write down all the things that made you stressed and how they made you stressed. This will help you identify the things you’re doing that’s causing your burnout, e.g.

Too long study hours? take regular breaks

Too much time in the same place? cycle your study environment

Not eating properly? set aside time to eat healthy meals at least 2 times a day

Not doing the things you love? schedule in time for that, e.g. during your long breaks

Not getting enough human interaction? make a study group

Too much negative thinking? adopt a positive mindset (you can always start small)

Not getting enough sleep? fix your sleep schedule

And that’s all I have for you guys this time. Hope these tips will help you manage your stress and study burnout whenever you have them. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop an ask!

P.S. if any of you want to see the images in this post in better quality, click here (link to google drive)

[ici-on-bavarde-en-francais-blog]

Language learning bullet journaling

Sometimes when you’re learning a language it can feel like you hit a plateau, that you’re not making any progress. I found that using a bullet journal helps me track my language learning and also makes sure that I am meeting my goals. It also hold me accountable when I’m struggling to find time :D

My first spread is for random vocabulary that I learn:

This page is complete, but a little bland. My second one looks a little nicer:

Next, I use a tracker for my oral French. I’m currently doing an immersion program in Quebec, so I get lots of practice speaking. When I’m not in school or in Quebec, I read out loud from French books to practice.

Reading is the number one way that I learn vocabulary (and I love reading) so I created a bookshelf to motivate myself to read a lot:

Books that are coloured in are books that I’ve finished. Books with just a title are books that I’ve started.

When I read books, I also like to give them their own page for quotes, vocab and doodles. Check out some of my book pages:

Some of these pages are serious works in progress, as you can see!

Lastly, I have a page dedicated to new songs that I find:

And there you have it! You can do all sorts of different stuff with bullet journaling, much more detailed or simplified than what I have here. If this interested you, you should definitely check out Pinterest, Tumblr or Instagram bullet journaling for more ideas!

-Delta

[teacupful-of-languages]

Some Swedish adverbs

Absolut - absolutely Alldeles - quite, perfectly, very Allra - the very, to the highest degree, most of all (used before a superlative) Allt - ever more, more and more Alltför - too (more than enough, as too much) Alltså - accordingly, therefore, ergo, consequently, thus, in other words, that is to say Antagligen - probably, presumably Bara - just, only Blott - merely, just Dessutom - besides, moreover, furthermore, in addition Egentligen - really, actually, in fact Endast - only Enormt - immensely Eventuellt - possibly, maybe Exakt - exact Faktiskt - actually, really, for real Fantastiskt - incredibly, fantastically Fullständigt - completely För - too; to an excessive degree Förfärligt - terribly Förmodligen - probably (in all likelihood) Förstås - of course, naturally Ganska - pretty, quite, rather Givetvis - of course, naturally Gärna - willingly, gladly, readily, easily Helt - entirely, absolutely, wholly, completely  Hemskt - terribly I själva verket - actually, in fact, as a matter of fact Kanske - maybe, possibly, perhaps Knappt - hardly, scarcely  Lagom - (just) right, fitting, neither too much or too little Mycket - much, a lot, very Möjligen, möjligtvis - possibly Naturligtvis - of course Nog - enough, sufficient, probably Nästan - almost Också - too, as well, also Ogärna - unwillingly Otroligt - incredibly  Otvivelaktigt - undoubtetly  Ovillkorligen - necessarily Precis - precisely, exactly Rätt (så) - rather, fairly, pretty Sannolikt - probably Säkerligen - surely Säkert - surely, safely Således - thus Till och med - even Totalt - totally Troligen - probably (which makes sense to believe) Troligtvis - probably (in all likelihood) Tydligen - apparently, seemingly Tyvärr - unfortunately Tämligen - rather, quite Utan tvekan - unhesitatingly  Verkligen - really, in reality, actually, in fact, truly Väl - used to give the statement a lower degree of certainty; a begging for agreement… Väldigt - very, enormously  Ännu - yet, thus far, still, even, yet another, in addition, up to a time Även - even, also

[organizedstudy]

Swedish feminism vocabulary

In honor of the international women’s day I decided to do this vocab list. Of course I can’t include every word but I tried making this list as intersectional as possible. If you see any typos please tell me!

aktivism -en - activism allierad - allied, ally  arbetarklass -en - working class cisperson -en - cis person demonstration -en - demonstration etnicitet -en - ethnicity feminism -en - feminism feminist -en - feminist funktionsvariation/funktionsnedsättning -en - disability, handicap  funkofobi - ableism fördom -en - prejudice förort -en - suburb förtryck -et - opression HBTQ - LGBT homofobi - homophobia hot -et - threat  hudfärg - en - skin color ickebinär - non-binary icke-vit - non-white internationella kvinnodagen - international women’s day intersektionell - intersectional invandrare -n - immigrant  jämställd - equal jämställdhet -en - equality kamp -en - fight, struggle klass -en - class kropp -en - body kroppsaktivist -en - body activist kroppspositivism -en - body positivity kultur -en - culture kulturell appropriering - cultural appropriation kön -et - gender könsidentitet -en - gender identity könsuttryck -et - gender expression machokultur -en - macho culture medelklass -en - middle class normkropp -en - norm body tjock - fat transperson -en - trans person transfobi - transphobia  tolkningsföreträde -t - prerogative of interpretation toxisk/skadlig maskulinitet - toxic masculinity patriarkat -et - patriarchy polisbrutalitet -en - police brutality privilegium -et - privilege  pronomen -et - pronoun  prostitution -en - prostitution  rasifiera - racialize  (to ascribe someone to a certain race (and traits associated to this race) based on their apperance) rasism -en - racism religion -en - religion  rullstol -en - wheelchair  rullstolsanpassad - wheelchair adapted  sexarbete -t - sex work sexuell läggning - sexual orientation sexuellt övergrepp - sexual offense smal - thin strukturell - structural syskon -et - sibling vikthets -en - pressure on people to be thin and loose weight   våldtäkt -en - rape våldtäktskultur -en - rape culture överklass -en - upper class

[svensklangblr]

useful phrases for vegans and vegetarians while traveling

click here x for animal rights in swedish

jag är vegetarian - i am a vegetarian

jag är vegan - i am a vegan

jag äter inte - i don’t eat

mjölk - milk

kött - meat

fisk - fish

skaldjur - shellfish

ägg - eggs

smör - butter

honung - honey

ost - cheese

gelatin - gelatin

djurprodukter - animal products

kan jag få det här utan … ? - can i have this without … ?

vad innehåller det här? - what does this contain?

vad är det här gjort på - what is this made of?

har ni något vegetariskt / veganskt? - do you have something vegetarian / vegan?

vilka rätter är veganska / vegetariska? - which meals are vegan / vegetarian?

[svensklangblr]

COMMON VERBS in swedish

att ha - to have

att vara - to be

att gå - to walk

att springa - to run

att lyssna - to listen

att höra - to hear

att göra - to do

att prata, att tala - to speak

att studera, att plugga - to study

att åka - to go (for example on a bus or a car)

att stjäla - to steal

att äta - to eat

att smaka - to taste

att laga - too cook, to repair

att göra - to do, to make

att kunna - to be able to

att se - to see

att titta på - to look at

att läsa - to read 

att spela - to play

att skriva - to write

att säga - to say

att prata, att tala - to speak

att sitta - to sit

att stå - to stand

att öppna - to open

att stänga - to close

att gå - to walk

att dricka - to drink

att komma - to come

att arbeta, att jobba - to work

att ge - to give

att ta - to take

att bli - to become

att sova - to sleep

att vakna - to wake up

att tvätta - to wash

att städa - to clean

att veta - to know

att förstå - to understand

at glömma - to forget

att fråga - to ask

att svara - to reply, to answer

att gilla, att tycka om - to like

att älska - to love

att hata - to hate 

att vänta - to wait

att leva - to live

att köpa - to buy 

att börja - to begin 

att sluta - to stop

att göra klart, att slutföra - to finish

att behöva - to need

att bära - to carry

[svensklangblr]

var or vart

they both translate to “where” but are used slightly differently

var - used when describing a location

vart - used when describing a direction

var bor du? - where do you live?

vart är vi på väg? - where are we going?

var ligger Stockholm på en karta? - where is Stockholm on a map?

vart åker bussen? - where does the bus go?

var dog Gustav III? - where did Gustav III die?

vart skickar du posten? - where do you send the mail?

[bass-borot]

So one is for a static place, the other is for motion or a destination? Where and where to, basically?

[svensklangblr]

yes, basically

[gradschoolchronicles]

The end of the semester where everything is due and you’re barely surviving

[lastudieuseoisive]

me, lounging in my desk chair, reclined and relaxed, sipping hot green tea and eating cream filled chocolates out of a heart shaped box: i have two essays due tomorrow that i havent started

[lastudieuseoisive]

2/100 date of productivity - 06/03/17 Lecture on postcolonialism today and then going to work to finish my literature review.

[lastudieuseoisive]

1/100 days of productivity - 05/03/17

I have two essays and a dissertation to work on. Serious work needs to be undertaken so let’s try this shall we. ;)

[lastudieuseoisive]

Did I say how much I liked the sun? You don’t realise until you’re stuck in a library all day with constant rain.

[lastudieuseoisive]

The new individual study rooms in the library are on point!

[lastudieuseoisive]

Day 26: Try out mind-mapping and photograph the end result

I had to organise my notes for my literature review of my dissertation and I thought that would be the perfect occasion to try mind-mapping. I’m not the biggest fan (I like lists), but I must say it is very practical for that kind of things