My dear readers,

Spooky season has come to an end today. I hope you guys enjoyed celebrating the Halloween season here in Sweden, by dressing up, partying or even staying in with a bucket of candy. Today, I want to talk to you guys about something that a lot of people struggle with. MOTIVATION. As November approaches, the amount of light we receive decreases, it gets darker quickly and the weather stays gloomy. I am sure this impacts a lot of us, and seasonal depression is something that you could experience during these dark months. So, come along with me today and let’s tackle this period together with some useful tips.

  1. MAKE A TO-DO LIST EVERYDAY: This is important because it enables you to wake up, and look forward to something everyday. The things on this list can be academic, social, or even regular chores. It can be as simple as doing the dishes, washing your dirty laundry or watering your plants. It does NOT have to be something academic everyday. It is important to be realistic when you make you list so that you are not overworking yourself. Hanging out with friends or going to a party can be exhausting as well. So remember to not overwork yourself. If you set realistic expectations daily, you are more likely to finish your tasks for the day and sometimes, even a bit more. For example, some evenings after a long day with classes, I focus on one main task – meal prepping. This is because I know I will be tired from lectures and labs so I try to do an easier task where I can relax, listen to some music during cooking and have a good time. Finishing the things on your to-do list is an accomplishment, every task you finish is like a step closer to the day you planned out to have. So be PROUD of it!
  2. DAILY MOVEMENT: You have definitely heard this a thousand times from a thousand different people, so let me be the 1001st person to tell you that daily movement is important. It helps you manifest positive energy like crazy. You’re probably thinking…”What is Shivani on about?”…so let me paint a scenario for you. Let’s say you go into the woods and take a 30 minute walk without any music. You will hear the whistling of the wind, the crunchy rustling of the autumn leaves on the footpath and how the trees sway in accordance to the weather. The serendipity you achieve from this experience is beyond amazing because you will start to ponder about how nature and Earth protect us everyday and keep us safe. This thought will fill you up with gratitude. When you’re filled with gratitude, you can now MANIFEST that energy and channel it into the tasks that are upcoming for you. A 30 minute walk everyday can really uplift your mood and motivate you to complete your tasks. If you’re a gym person, like me, lift those weights and let us use this WINTER to reach new personal records together. Finding motivation to gym can be hard but remember your personal long term goals and take inspiration from that. Playing badminton, ice skating, running, dancing, and biking, are all great forms of movement that help you feel productive as you have worked out and bring positive energy to your day. You can see here my group of friends and I who played badminton recently at Campushallen!
  3. MAKE VLOGS: If you know me, you know that I love making TikToks. They are my way of expressing creativity. Now, I’m not going to force you to go make TikToks but if you have a social platform, you can try vlogging there. Topics you could vlog about could be “workout with me” or “day in my life”. These are very influencer-esque topics and I am sure we have all seen YouTube videos or Instagram reels about celebrities showing us a day in their life. I know you won’t believe me at first but when you do it, you will realise that your day is more productive when you do one of these vlogs. Even if its just for five people on your private Instagram account, you show them how you go about your day and you will automatically get motivated to be productive and workout and study, or even meal prep. The more activities you do, the more fun your vlog looks. Time to get our content creation mode on 😉
  4. GROUP ACTIVITIES: I definitely recommend using these months to enjoy socialising with your friends and doing some fun indoor activities. You can bake or cook together, this way you learn some new recipes and create a fun memory with your friends. Food is always something that brings everyone together, in my opinion so go bake those cinnamon buns! Always stay on the look out for events that different associations and your programs’s respective sections are organising, attending them will allow you to meet new people and perhaps experience something you never have, before. ESN and ISA are a couple of the biggest associations for international students, so I recommend following them. Staying around people and socialising will keep your spirits up during these dark days.
  5. STUDENT HEALTH: If you are struggling to study, cannot focus or suffering from any mental health issues, please contact the Student Health Support at LiU. They are here for you and you should always be equipped with all the support so you can focus on your academics and reach your goals. Also stay in touch with your respective sections and reach out to the people there if you have concerns using education, health and personal safety.

These tips may seem basic but when implemented can help you build a routine, which will allow you to stay motivated and work your way through the harsh winter period. So let’s manifest positivity during these upcoming months and continue growing to become the best versions of ourselves.

Till next time,

Shivani <3

____________________________________________________________

Why don’t you continue the conversation with us?

Start with checking out:

Our programmes, the application process, webinars, and our Instagram and Facebook account.  

Still left wanting more?Book an appointment with our recruitment coordinator at infocenter@liu.se.

Pin
Comments are disabled for this post