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[ilikesparklythings]

january reflection

A month of overthinking and second guessing my decisions, january has been hectic, but despite that, i learned a lot, which makes it okay. I am grateful for this month, and i am gratetul to how I handled everything that came my way and the lessons i learnt while dealing with these. I could never have predicted how this month would have gone, and it was a surprise that i welcomed with as much ease as i could muster. A great month.

My mind has been heavy with continuous trains of thoughts the entire month, starting with second guessing breaking up with my boyfriend (that i never stopped doing since december 2021), my grandfather's death and family issues. My mother had been staying in my room since my father had the (co)rona, which did deflect my privacy a bit but i also got the opportunity to support her and be there for her, which was nice. I learned to appreciate the people in my life, especially my family, more than ever now, and I learnt to handle my frustrations and anger more peacefully and without lashing out at people. I feel like taking a deep breath and mentally journaling why i'm feeling what i'm feeling and how i can solve that issue without hurting my loved ones helps a damn lot. I am grateful for that.

I never thought i would have another brain fog (that's what i call the times when my mind feels all foggy and dull), but i did have it only last week. Now that it has subsided a lot (or not, idk) i feel like i had been exaggerating that, but i know i wasn't, and i have to keep compassion for the struggles i went through and not downplay my struggles just because i went through it.

The fog helped me be more compassionate to the people around me going through it, and reminded me that i am human and just like them, and stop thinking that it's not that bad or that they're not trying hard enough. I hope i will be able to uphold this compassion without the need of myself suffering through the same. As to why the fog happened, I think the bad energy in my family along with the winter blues i have every january, and the heavy thought-filled mind and the fact that i had been nearing my menstrual period-all of that contributed to it. I don't feel like i am in the fog anymore, kind of because i'm doing this end of january blog which feels like i'm differenciating my january and letting go of it, and have a new start in february. I can already feel the fog coming back though, so i don't know if that worked hehe

but anyways, what helps me during my fogs is meditating, eating veggies, tying my hair up, studying, cleaning my room, going on walks, spending quality time with my family (especially playing with my 2 y/o cousin), wearing nicely fitting clothes that make me feel good, sleeping 9h a day, having a hearty laugh, basking in sunlight and drinking enough water (ike a withered houseplant, eating soul nourishing food, washing my face and moisturizing it properly, gratitude, hugging my mother etc etc are very serotonin. It's the smol things honestly. I don't have heavy coping mechanisms right now but it's okay because the ones i have serve me well, despite being too people oriented for my liking. I like not depending on people so that is an issue, but it is helping me normalize asking for help and opening my heart up and being vulnerable to people, all of which, i'm sure, will turn out to be very essential for me.

we are having online classes again and i am grateful for being able to stay at home and do classes under a cozy blanket in this chilly winter. I find that doing classes mindfully and participating in them makes me feel better than not doing that, the latter making me feel all dull and low vibe and sad. I aced the last two exams which gives me a good student aura, i love it, it's definitely helping my fog. I had not been studying as much as i should have bc my ssc exam's on june- but i hope to fix that asap. I will try to make changes that will help me have my life together despite fogs and issues, which will start with studying mindfully, having a less thought heavy mind, and loving my family members. To build more support systems (and make friends), i will be opening up about myself in here. I do feel like overshared again, but we'll see. I look forward to being friends with you<3

with that being said, do tell he how your january went. Mentally? What did you learn? What goals do you have for february? How will you take care of and love yourself?

thank you for putting up with this long ass blog i appreciate it very much sweetie i promise my blogs will be more concise as i develop my blogging skills

lots of love to you guys and TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND I HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING MONTH

love,

J

[ilikesparklythings]

𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔

use two notebooks when taking class notes (one for in class and one for at home) the one for class, make it messy with footnotes and subtext. the one at home, make it neat (these are the ones to study off of; easy to read and short)

quizlets or kahoots

write down your plans for the week

put effort in your projects (trust me, it’s worth the time)

make school life feel cliche and try to romanticize things (it works)

when you’re studying, rewrite your notes to match your own words

relate the information to yourself and your life. if you have chalk, draw math formulas on pavement, match your physics to life situations, randomly say history facts when relevant

study in shorter intervals and take a decent amount of breaks (ie, 30 minutes spent studying with a 15 minute break; don’t go on the internet during that break)

have a routine. study for a period of time in the morning or study before bed (do this every day; even on the weekends)

stay hydrated; drink water or tea (not to much coffee)

[ilikesparklythings]

Handwritten letters with wax seals and dried flowers need to come back.

[ilikesparklythings]

studying tips

(from somebody with adhd)

HIGHLIGHT!! i know that sometimes highlighting can't be done (i.e. image files or textbooks that you've rented), if this is the case, i suggest writing a note of the thing instead. then, write why it's important, why you need to remember it. i've found that this helps me with memorising things easier.

don't write down complete sentences if you're reading through. it takes too long and means you'll be getting less done in your study sessions. i've found that making sure i know ALL of the context at only 50% is much more effective than knowing 1/7 of the content at 100%. of course, you can go into further depths once you know the basics, but it's better to do step one of all the tasks than completing just one task.

reward yourself for studying! sometimes it can tiring to study, which i understand. i keep a bag of snacks with me, and for each couple of pages, i have a handful. this one relies on your self control and it can be difficult at first, but i promise it works after a while.

flashcards! this doesn't work for everybody, but if it does, quizlet is a good site to use. they have user made flashcards, all you need to do is type in your curriculum/board and topic, e.g. "physics, grade 10, *board*". double check the packs you're using, though i've found most to be very reliable. however, you are able to make your own too!

small tests on yourself! doesn't have to be serious, but pick out a handful of questions, answer, then check! it's a good way to see which topics you're more confident at, therefore allowing you to spend more time on your struggles!

most people would suggest against this, but - passive learning. this works best if you're too tired to continue studying, and something is better than nothing. i use youtube videos a lot (same wording as the quizlet example (: ), and sometimes hearing somebody physically say it to me helps it stick easier. youtube often uses images and demonstrations too!

i already mentioned this but please do not copy word for word from the textbooks. i know it can seem most effective because it's in terms that you understand, but it usually leads to forgetfulness over the longer sentences. instead, read it once, write it down quickly without looking, read again, then update your definition. keep testing yourself on the shortest possible definitions that have all the information. fancy filler words are unnecessary.

make sure that you aren't dreading every moment of studying. it can be boring sometimes, yes, but god, romanticise it! i've found that making some coffee, listening to orchestras and settling down have made me much more excited to study and learn because i feel fancy. whatever works to make you in the mood is great!

[ilikesparklythings]

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