Sanity plan.
So, including today there are 12 days left in the academic quarter, and while it's not the busiest end of quarter I've had, the sequencing of all the things I have to do is so important that I just actually made an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of what has to happen when. I can definitely feel myself starting to get anxious, and I know that it won't take much disorganization or procrastination for my stress level to start spiking towards panic.
To that end, here is the list of things I commit to do in order to take care of myself:
1. I will not watch episodes of TV shows while I eat breakfast. This results in me taking significantly longer to leave the house. Listening to the Rachel Maddow show is provisionally OK. Watching TV while making/eating dinner is provisionally OK.
2. I will set an alarm for between 7 and 8:30 am, unless I have a planned morning off.
3. I will not stay at school after 9:30 pm, and I will endeavor to have no work to do after 9:30 if I am at school or 10:00 pm if I am at home.
4. I will not do schoolwork from home, because it doesn't happen. Work-work is provisionally okay.
5. I will turn off the computer at 11:30 pm, period, no exceptions. Reading a book or graphic novel after that is okay.
6. I will eat real meals with multiple food groups represented, especially fruits and vegetables. Not cooking from scratch is okay. Spending a little more is okay. Living solely off of food cart meals is not okay.
7. I will attend to the laundry and the dishes at least a couple of times, so they don't drive me nuts.
8. I will continue to bike commute unless I am ill. Even if I am stressed and the ride sounds tiring, I will feel better for having done it.
9. I will take time to lift weights, do sit-ups/push-ups, or go for a run, but I will try to do so at a time and place where this does not extensively disrupt my productivity for the adjacent hours.
10. I will let myself take between 1-3 evenings off (depending on how early in the evening the plans start, how late I am likely to be up, and how well I've followed this plan) to do something fun with other people. The mornings after, I will let myself sleep in until 10, but I will be showered, fed, and at school by noon.
11. Further provisions and amendments will be added as necessary.
If you're wondering whether my approach to my mental health is usually this regimented: no, it isn't. But I've noticed a few patterns leading me to be less productive and organized in the last couple of weeks, which can in turn lead to me being more stressed and anxious, and right now, it's worth it to take deliberate care of myself.
To that end, here is the list of things I commit to do in order to take care of myself:
1. I will not watch episodes of TV shows while I eat breakfast. This results in me taking significantly longer to leave the house. Listening to the Rachel Maddow show is provisionally OK. Watching TV while making/eating dinner is provisionally OK.
2. I will set an alarm for between 7 and 8:30 am, unless I have a planned morning off.
3. I will not stay at school after 9:30 pm, and I will endeavor to have no work to do after 9:30 if I am at school or 10:00 pm if I am at home.
4. I will not do schoolwork from home, because it doesn't happen. Work-work is provisionally okay.
5. I will turn off the computer at 11:30 pm, period, no exceptions. Reading a book or graphic novel after that is okay.
6. I will eat real meals with multiple food groups represented, especially fruits and vegetables. Not cooking from scratch is okay. Spending a little more is okay. Living solely off of food cart meals is not okay.
7. I will attend to the laundry and the dishes at least a couple of times, so they don't drive me nuts.
8. I will continue to bike commute unless I am ill. Even if I am stressed and the ride sounds tiring, I will feel better for having done it.
9. I will take time to lift weights, do sit-ups/push-ups, or go for a run, but I will try to do so at a time and place where this does not extensively disrupt my productivity for the adjacent hours.
10. I will let myself take between 1-3 evenings off (depending on how early in the evening the plans start, how late I am likely to be up, and how well I've followed this plan) to do something fun with other people. The mornings after, I will let myself sleep in until 10, but I will be showered, fed, and at school by noon.
11. Further provisions and amendments will be added as necessary.
If you're wondering whether my approach to my mental health is usually this regimented: no, it isn't. But I've noticed a few patterns leading me to be less productive and organized in the last couple of weeks, which can in turn lead to me being more stressed and anxious, and right now, it's worth it to take deliberate care of myself.