Acads before Lakads: My work-study-life diaries

By: Jamie Vargas

I became a working student when I began my freshman year in 2019. From this on, my life in college was not usual but it gave me a purpose and a fair taste of how the real world works. I’m one of the 8% total number of students who have gone through the hustle, chased deadlines, and juggled academics between work. I remember a time when I had to run for class, just because I got out from work late. There were days that I had to stay awake until 1 am, not to meet deadlines from school work but to finish a shift.

Though I could call myself lucky when I decided to resign in early 2020, it felt freeing and I was able to breathe. Just when I began to think that things are starting to be in their right places, the pandemic stepped uninvited to our lives ruining all my dreams and plans. Immediately ending the freshmen year and parting with newly made friends, it made me complacent for a while that quarantine might not last long. Then the uncertainty of the next school year struck me as well as the thought of being jailed at home, it slowly dawned on me and gradually everything started stressing me. I could hardly keep up on the phase of the happenings despite the start of the new school year, resulting in frequent unmotivated days— feeling of restlessness and worst of all, cramming activities on the day itself.

(this is a picture of me "not cramming" an acad work due for next week)

Walking through those dark days, I figured on how to get back on my feet and prevent myself from falling apart again. I started collecting tips that will keep me mentally stable and productive while still stuck at home.

1. Be healthy.

There are mornings when I still feel restless but need to move out from bed for work. As a result, I can’t focus on the class and feel dizzy at the end of the day. Due to this, I improved my morning routine by starting to drink hot water before taking any solid or liquid food. It is really helpful because it improves my digestive system and metabolism. I was also less constipated than before. I also make sure to eat breakfast regularly because I badly needed it to have a good start of the day. Included in my meals are cereals, eggs, bread, chicken, fish, and for veggies, my all time favorite— kimchi. As per The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, nutritious foods like these are a main component to a healthy diet. Moreover, staying hydrated by maintaining 8-10 glasses per day helps. So, always remember to fill up your tumbler or drinking cup whenever you study, work or work and study simultaneously (yes, I do that!).

2. Rest or more specifically, Sleep right!

There was a time when I constantly stayed awake until 2am. It really became unhealthy for me as my blood level and sugar dropped, causing me to feel dizzy. I thought that I should also fix on my sleeping routine as it will greatly affect both my school and work performance.

The National Sleep Foundation said that we should have at least 7-9 hours of sleep. This is why I decided to have a shift from a night owl to an early bird. I learned some tips from Mental Health America that are really effective. First, set a regular bedtime, it is important to be consistent and keep away gadgets near your bed. Second, de-caffeinate yourself, it would be best to not take any caffeine products six-eight hours before bedtime. Third, de-stress yourself like taking a hot bath or do something that pleases you. Fourth, exercise before bed like some sort of gentle upper body stretches to help transition to sleep. Last, make your bed a sleep haven like listening to some soothing music that will lull you to a deep and peaceful sleep.

3. Get mindful

Perhaps one of the best things this pandemic taught me is the importance of being mindful. Back then, I really didn't do well with deadlines as it caused me to panic and overthink. But through the course of quarantine, I learned the importance of every second. Be it chasing a deadline at school or work, I know I can accomplish it on time, as long as I stay present in the moment.

(a photo of my "neat" workspace ready for upcoming acad-work-org stuff)

4. Socialize or make personal connections

Personally, as an introvert myself, this would be hard to do. Especially when I read that “initiate conversations with co-workers”. But now that everything is at home, reaching out to classmates and fellow co-workers feels like a must. I have tried joining a student organization and their fresh perspective made me become more accepting of others. It all boils down to how maintaining our relationships could help each other in the long-run and it could be a source of our support system, especially in times like this. Simply asking about how they really are will go a long way.

5. Plan for unscheduled downtime

Do you know that I actually plan for days where I do nothing? Yes, I do that at least once a week. Usually on the weekends where I have no work and class. Part of not being too frustrated in life is having free time to reconnect to your hobbies as this gives us work-life-school balance. It may be hard at first, especially if you’re the type who feels anxious doing nothing despite deadlines. This leads us to our next point.

(a photo of my journal and my handy sticky-notes)

6. Plan your week on a Sunday.

As a person who’s not really into planners and schedules, I rarely do this. I usually stock my to-do’s inside my head and at times keep on forgetting stuff (mostly school work, resulting in cramming). But of course when it’s a week before the deadline, I start to get serious and obsess over planners and to-do lists. In those once-in-a-blue moon moments, I make the most of my remaining time while not sacrificing rest.

7. Have some self-compassion

Oftentimes I cram my activities and have this way to scold myself, usually accompanied by the question, “What have you done all this time?!”. But then it's as if I never learn and do it again just because I have never missed a deadline. As it says, being better than your yesterday-self takes time. Procrastinating always ends up beating yourself into the deadline which sometimes takes a toll on our health. We must know our limits and be self-compassionate for better mental health. I found ways to enhance self-compassion from GoodThefaoy.org.

• 7.a. Ask yourself, “Is the way I am thinking about myself the way I would respond to a close friend or other loved one?” - envision yourself being the person you care about in a similar situation.

• 7.b. Write down the answers to the above questions - now that you see yourself from the observant’s POV, speak to yourself like how you do with people you care about.

• 7.c. Remember you, like everyone else, are human. - We, humans, are imperfect.

• 7.d. Remind yourself of the truisms. - “Challenges present opportunities to grow stronger”

• 7.e. Practice mindfulness daily.

“The mind is an extension of the body,” is a quote from Rene Descartes that I always remind myself of. Meditating upon these wise words have made me responsible for my own well-being. One cannot be emotionally and mentally fit without a physically fit body thus the same goes for vise versa.

Being able to take care of ourselves is not a reward but a necessity for staying sane in these critical times. May these tips and tricks help you as it also helped me. But remember, not everything of these may work for you, at the end of the day, it is knowing yourself better as well as what works best for you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JAMIE VARGAS

Still juggling acads, work and org life, Jamie is a busy bee and yet she identifies as the “lazy” type. Luckily, she still has spare time which she spends by watching Netflix movies/series and listening to KPOP music.