For many of us the new academic year has just begun. This means new stationary, new faces and for lots of us, new challenges.
Starting a new year is stressful in itself. Bring in a global pandemic, six months away from a normal routine and restrictions on our usual way of working and interacting, and suddenly the hill has become a mountain so precarious to climb you almost don't want to start.
Like many students, I have just entered into the Fresher's week at university, and it's fair to say that this year's Welcome Week is anything but normal. Campus is as quiet as holiday time, any kind of partying is near impossible and the usual hubbub around the city has diminished to a near silent whisper of the online events.
This is a difficult time to be starting a new academic year. Whether you are a Fresher or a third year, everything is new and unnatural. And therefore, don't put excess pressure on yourself during a time when just getting through a day is a positive and something to be applauded.
Don't put excess pressure on yourself during a time when just getting through a day is a positive and something to be applauded.
That's why I want to encourage anyone who is reading this, if you are struggling to get back into a 9 to 5 work day or have recently entered into a new academic year, please be kind to yourself.
These are a few things I'm going to be doing to help me transition and settle back into a university routine.
- I will allow myself to go to bed early
- I will allow myself to have some alone time if there has been too much social interaction
- I will allow myself to not work consistently for a whole day, and accept that it will take time to get back into working
- I will allow myself to have a day off if I need to
- I will allow myself to transition into uni at my own pace
- I will allow myself to take time to care for myself: mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially
- I will allow myself to have a bad day
Things aren't going to be straightforward. And therefore, we have to be prepared to not get things right, and for things to slip. Instead of berating what goes wrong, let's accept and respect the ups and downs during this time.
Instead of berating what goes wrong, let's accept and respect the ups and downs during this time.
We will all respond to this time differently. So accept your own journey, your own pace and respect others in turn. Let's be bonded in our strengths and not fall apart in the struggle. We will all get through this.
Stay safe and be kind to yourselves,
LVS Creations xx
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