Why Sweat?

We all workout for different reasons. Whenever I am asked or think about why I choose to sweat things out as opposed to other hobbies or interests, it is always a little challenging to describe. Yes like most of us, a huge reason is so I can squeeze into pants when the opportunity presents itself. Yes, so I can go wild and get desert with dinner from time to time. I can even admit that I workout because I fear what my backside would look like otherwise. But the more I think about it, the more I know it is for more than that.

People try to start loving fitness all the time, and half the time this attempt at the treadmill results in reinforcing why Netflix and ice cream made you feel much better. It is pretty mind blowing that some people would kill for a full day of gym time, while others would rather go get a splinter and then slam their finger in there car door before they looked at the weight room.

After considering possible reasons as to why there is such a great exercise divide, I have decided that it comes down to individual motivation. Are you the 'will sweat for beach season' kind? Or the 'it fulfills my soul' type? Even having a combination of the two can put you at various points on the 'why bother working out at all' spectrum.

Your workout goals can be the deciding factor in the future of your fitness minded lifestyle. It is important to understand your motivation towards an active lifestyle which will allow you to more easily anticipate how you will handle potential obstacles and the experience as a whole. If you had to generalize the one major reason why people push themselves to the point of physical exhaustion one answer is probably for happiness. You want to feel happy with yourself, your thoughts, your appearance, etc. From there everything else will start heading in the right direction...at least it should if your goals are in order.

Where those trying to break into fitness fall short, are those goals that are materially focused. Meaning you ellipticize because you will be the best looking naked person in the room. You strut around hoping to bump into that gorgeous dumbbell dude you see every day. Or the classic doing laps for the best gym candid to hit Instagram in 2013. These are all extrinsically minded goals. When you are shooting for status over fulfillment, chances are your plan to become a fitness enthusiast will last about as long as your new Nike shoes are in style. Really at this point the goal isn't even to enjoy a workout, but you still pretend that was the original goal. As a result, you the gymstagramer will resolve yourself to the fact that it "just wasn't for you", and bitterly recall that one time you tried...insert grand workout plan here. 

People who act on extrinsic motivations are dramatically less happy and successful than those who are intrinsically motivated.

A few CHAARG girls reaching their goals

The majority of researchers agree that when it comes to the human brain you've gotta use it or lose it. Contrary to how you may feel after your first date with the personal trainer, your mind loves change. One of the best ways to enhance happiness is to change it up in simple ways. Intrinsic goals and trying new things in hopes of personal growth end up being more rewarding and keep you feeling fulfilled. These motivations are why you all of a sudden can appreciate stepping in someones sweat imprint after hot yoga, or why sweat flinging off the back of the treadmill doesn't make you nauseous. When you are in the process of trying out a lifestyle in fitness, it is a beneficial choice to try it for the reward of the sweat, or the sheer accomplishment of trying something new. If you have realistic expectations and hope for how a workout will be rewarding, the habit will catch on and become a part of your lifestyle.

There is a reason material wants are objects. They remain detached and only surface level. Utilizing intrinsic goals in your workout journey will ensure that whatever the outcome is, it will be a meaningful one. This idea clearly applies to anything you could want in life from careers to relationships, and it certainly pertains to achieving a more worthwhile existence.

Whether fitness is already a lifestyle or something you have considered pursuing, have balance, an open mind, and you will never cease to surprise yourself!

 

-R

So You Want to Follow a Health Plan

I recently started following an exercise plan. A full blown this is what you do every day scheduled agenda. This was my first time ever tackling something that involved commitment and accountability in terms of fitness.  Usually my attention span fails me once I get a week in and I'm on to the next thing. I'm sure this tendency is linked to some deeper trait that reflects qualities in personal character, but for now I'm choosing to look at it for face value.  It is just such a foreign concept. Usually my decision to either go to the gym or run outside is decided on a 5 minute walk in between classes where I gauge the weather and/or how enjoyable it would be to run outside. I have run half marathons and never followed a strict race schedule, and I rarely know what I weigh (the universal agonizing number for most gals). I am quickly realizing that my "fitness routine" is more like a trip to IKEA you never know what you'll be walking home with.

This method has benefited me in numerous ways, primarily though keeping everything guessing from my body to running buddies; it's all just up in the air, non-committal and pressure free. For some reason I have always disregarded the 90 day shred, or whatever intense daily commitment a lot of people choose to make. It's not that there is any issue with doing something every day, but more so attempting to avoid the stress that comes with accountability. The thought of analyzing every single day's work is intimidating, especially when the last time you paid this much attention to your personal daily life was coping with the emotional aftermath of the Dexter series finale.

some of the lovely fitplan participants

 When it comes to workouts, finding what works for you can be hard enough on top of keeping track of the fit schedule you willingly registered for.  Here are a few things I felt the need to write out in hopes of motivating others who are wary of things with a specific time of commitment.  

Adjustments a non-commiter must make towards commitment:

One commitment doesn't need to turn into 5: It was like once I successfully accomplished a few days of the plan I had these adrenaline induced muscles that allowed me to be in 5 places at once.  Once you are productive in some aspect of your life, you suddenly find this motivation to start giving 150% at everything you do. While this is a really amazing thing, one day of power yoga isn't going to give you the ability to seamlessly rehab your entire life resist the urge to spread yourself too thin.  

Change IS stressful: This workout just asked me to go into the weight room. Like the room that has the bar and the sweaty dudes slinging weights around. It is a place where neon Nike frees and Luluemon tights are like having an extra limb coming out of your chest.  I have always been amazed at people who can just move to a new place, transition into a new job, break up with their boyfriend, and go on like all is right with the world. Tackling a workout regimen will challenge you to accept change both with your body and routine. It may feel a little stressful, but a little change can go a long way.
 
Routine is a good thing: Non-commiters are no stranger to chaos. In fact a day filled with simultaneous failed plans, spilled coffee, and forgotten exams is almost expected.  Once you avoid commitment for so long the idea of a routine can seem daunting.  Let your new workout plan help bring you back to some semblance of a schedule.  Just when you are feeling too overwhelmed by the day, your daily workout can help ease the stress. 

No 'do this to do that' mentality: The beautiful thing about a fitness plan is that it is solely focused on producing change for YOU. None of that SHAPE magazine run for an hour to burn off the two cookies you had at lunch, or swimming a bazillion laps equals the calories in your sliver of cake.  "Motivators" like that can make anyone turn towards a pack of Oreos to avoid all of the calculations.  Your fitness plan is meant to be an aid, not a tool through which you continue to over analyze your life.  

Let go of control: I know...you have run a for half hour on the treadmill every day since you were in the fourth grade.  Your fitness plan is going to challenge that need to control your routine.  Whatever it is about working out it seem like once you find what you enjoy the thought of missing your squat reps can seem downright insane.  A fitness regimen will help broaden your interests as well as reveal new opportunities you may not have considered. 

It doesn't mean you are doing it wrong: Now you didn't get to do your squat reps and some other weird rep came and took its place. I found myself  going back and doing my 'comfort zone workout' after completing the new plan's daily routine.  It took a few days for it to sink in that whatever plan you are following is called a plan for a reason.  The new workouts may not be the same, but they still count!

Thank you Share it Fitness for challenging us to step out of our comfort zones and try something new. It will be exciting to see the changes!

-RV

The 10 Workouts you Already Dominate

A friend of mine was talking about the fact that she was going to three different workout classes the other day for a total of three straight hours of activity. Besides the fact that she was able to find three straight hours to fill, I was dumbfounded as to why on earth someone would feel the need to inflict that kind of personal exhaustion for the time it takes Dexter to off 4-5 criminals. I realize that I am not one to talk being known to spend the majority of my time doing various active things, but that doesn't mean I go spin for three hours straight (at least not yet).

Then I realized a lot of people around me were rattling off the 50 new awesome workouts they tried this week one of which being karaoke spinning...excuse me? Suddenly I felt like I had missed the memo. You hear every day about all of the workouts you need to start doing, how you aren’t doing enough to be active. Basically you can’t turn on the TV without being made to feel insecure about the freshly scooped ice cream you just busted out because supposedly everyone else is just constantly going on runs and all 'sweat is weakness leaving the body'. I would say most people know where to draw the line between inducing a heart attack and glistening after the elliptical, but recently I have had my doubts. Basically my primary concern is that you and your working out are not turning to a microphone on a spin bike just like iPhone turned to selfies and filters; rather than pure exercise goodness. 

This little article is meant to highlight how you may be overlooking your already fit choices you are making without running 10 miles to feel validated.  So you may not be killing it in the gym every single day, but I can think of 10 pretty legitimate workouts that you do daily that go unaccredited because you aren’t wearing cool Nike swag, or eating colorful quinoa, or ready for the classic instawitter combo (that’s when you tweet and gram it at the same time fyi) when you do these things, and no one really cares unless its documented through 5 mediums of social networking right? 

10 Workouts you Already Dominate 

I led a hip-hop yoga...not quite karaoke status

1. Walking...with your life on your back: Jobs, class, workouts, clubs whatever it is; usually demands at least a few extra articles of clothing and/or every textbook you own. Come Tuesday I usually have enough in my backpack to last me a week. 

2. Your life without a dishwasher: enough said. If you added the hours spent scrubbing with that 'leaves your hands smelling like mold' sponge, you may realize you just fulfilled a week of workouts. 

3. Logging on: I don't know about you but I have at least 10 different email accounts for myself and jobs that I am forced to regularly check. Not to mention the 40 different sites that require a username and password. I have every variation of my dogs name and capital letter with an exclamation point you can imagine and remembering them is no walk in the park.

4. Scaling the climb to your front door: That super cute vintage gaslight apartment up on the hill located on the 5th floor that was the best idea you have ever had...probably not as awesome once you make it up 6 flights of stairs carrying that bag that has your life in it. 

5. Research Methods and Analytical Patterns (insert torturous class here): maintaining consciousness through 15 weeks of PowerPoint presentations without collapsing on the floor in a heap of boredom exhibits the endurance of a true champion.  

6. Brushing: your hair, teeth, the stains from last nights fun, only because a load of laundry costs $3 these days, whatever it is you brush you know how your arm burns after wrestling with the knot after mere minutes.

7. If you have ever tried to decipher how to operate a Clifton lock and key: the chances of you actually having the right key to the right lock are about as likely as the lock actually being installed right side up and clockwise.  They are a mental puzzle that even the brightest have failed to accomplish.

8. Carrying 30 bags of groceries simultaneously: similar to the brush workout. I'd like to see any of these new hip workouts make you feel as if your arm is literally going to rip off of your body. Combine this workout with #1 & #4 and you're spring break ready. 

9. Getting clothes on for Friday night: 4 pairs of pants=20 burpees...and a strained hip. 

10. 9-12 hour part-time job shifts: everyone complains about their 9-5 and there are plenty of reasons as to why this happens, but I would say anyone working a part time job for more than 8 hours a day has every right to complain a little bit. Corporate professionals deal with meetings, ridiculous bosses, and monotonous days. The part-timers deal with this corporate person who is miserable after leaving their full time job and now they are hungry, miserable, angry, and their shoes are too small.  Dealing with the public provides a lifetime of tactical moves.  If you have ever powered through your full day at a part time job congrats you earned your workout. 

Did you get your workout in yet today?

-R

10 Things you Realize after Visiting Africa

Last spring I spent 2 weeks in Africa.  I didn't go live in the jungle without electricity, nor did I help rehabilitate cities for an extended period of time. I wish I could confirm that I spent a year of my life giving back to a community that needs it. I went with a study abroad opportunity to learn about public health and how care is managed in this part of the world, more specifically Ghana.  While we didn't volunteer our services, the information gained was incredibly eye opening and perspective broadening. We focused on major diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.Throughout our stay we were able to travel to clinics,hospitals, and related organizations to meet with health and medical professionals (and tons more than I can fit in this little background shindig).

   

I have thought a lot about why I wanted to travel to Africa. I guess it wasn't because I have always had some deep desire to fix the world and save lives. I can't even say that I went because I wanted to help the children (please don't get me wrong here! I would have loved to help and volunteer at a site, but it was a general public health trip). I think I went because I needed to see it first hand. To understand why and how a region on the same planet with the same people could live in such an entirely different situation.  I needed to see the poverty, abundance, and infrastructure (or lack thereof) to grasp how I felt about it all. You see the commercials and hear heart warming tales of how someone came to aid and lives were changed. But then that someone leave to go home, the money runs out, and then what? What happens in the day to day? Does the help make a difference, or enhance the problem? I wanted to face the big health issues from the ground level and try to imagine some shred of a possible solution.  

It was hard while there to face the blaring possibility that there is no single quick fix. We think the answer is a vaccine, or volunteers, or money.  While all of those are positive steps in the right direction the issues go much deeper than that.  There are deeply rooted variances in thought processes that hinder a mindset towards universal problem solving.  When it comes to health there is no single answer, but more so a lifestyle shift that must occur.  Lifestyles and societal norms must be addressed. You can sit all day and consider every "if-then" scenario and wind up not having arrived at a conclusion, but opened one hundred more doors towards problems that must be overcome.  When people as me why Africa I really can only say "to know what things are really like." Here are a few things I learned as a college student in Africa.  They aren't necessarily understandings that tackle the big ideas, but simply are lessons that matter to a 20 something looking for answers.

10 things you realize after visiting Africa in college

1. Value your health: health is something denied to many and is not a guarantee. While finding time
to go to the doctor can seem like the worlds most inconvenient and bank account draining burden we need to remember that we live in a culture where even the grocery store has a clinic. We can literally go buy break-n-bake cookies and then go get a check up.  In most of Ghana there are only about 1.5 doctors per 100,000 people.  It is easy to forget what a luxury it is that we have the information available at the mere tap of an iPhone or trip to Kroger.  

2. Having options is not a burden: I was honestly stressed out yesterday because three of my favorite yoga classes are now scheduled at the same time. You get upset when the grocery store is out of one of your 10 favorite types of shredded cheese (sorry clearly groceries are on my mind). I feel so ridiculous when I get overwhelmed by the fact that I have more electronics than I know what to do with. The majority of the world doesn't know what a twitter handle or Pop Chips are. 

After a run through Africa

3. We live in a 'me' centered society: At this point in life we are so focused on answering questions like "what will I do after college?" "how can I make the most money?" "why don't I have more likes on this status?" A huge difference that struck me about Ghanaians was their communal mentality. They live in a culture where you have an obligation to serve your family, or your community.  While the environment may not give people living in east Africa much of a choice, seeing this mentality from the outside is a beautiful thing.

Ghana Kroger

4. Your roommates aren’t as bad as you think: Not even having a sink where dishes can pile up, a shower to clean because you run so much water in it, or never having space on the DVR are the age old roomie disputes that accentuate and reinforce the 'me' focus discussed above. They, believe it or not, are not issues in other parts of the world because they simply don't have those things. 

5. Embrace help: This one was interesting to see. How willingly help was sought after, and how graciously it was received. As a young college aged person you feel conditioned to fiercely guard your successes and do it all on your own.  From dislocating your shoulder carrying 20 bags up the stairs to landing a big job we have a hard time accepting counseling and aid when needed. It is hard to consider letting someone assist you; any more you are just terrified that they are going to tell you there is a service charge (thanks for that Time Warner). In the Ghanaian culture many people genuinely helped one another out for the sake of doing the right thing. 

6. Independence is empowering: We get choices. You can say what you want to say and think whatever you want. In fact not taking advantage of this is viewed as downright wasteful.  It is taken for granted that we live in a society that embraces these freedoms.

7. The world is bigger than your 2 bedroom whatever: I am talking thousands of people crammed into the smallest of public spaces.  There are more people in this world than we can even comprehend who live in areas that don't make the nightly news.  It is so easy to forget about the rest of the world outside your bedroom door.

8.You won’t always have an answer: In life there will be problems bigger than you can solve. They will cause your head to spin.  Even the best bullshitters have to admit defeat sometimes.  We spent much of our time in Ghana considering the big issues and for the first time in a long time, I didn't have an answer.  Discussion and experiences like this give people the ability to ponder these answers and a perspective that is capable of contributing more than what happened on the Real Housewives of New Jersey last night. 

9. Reality isn't easy to face: Just like it wasn't easy learning the truth about the tooth fairy, the reality of global regions can pose a discomforting picture.  In life we are challenged to live truthfully and build a future that encompasses success.  Being present in the reality of your life is incredibly important while accomplishing future goals or working towards change.

10. There is not a Sarah McLaughlin song playing when you do a good deed: Difficult situations and facing challenges are a part of being human and growing into who you are meant to be.  You may not receive the recognition that you feel you deserve, or obtain the positive feelings you anticipated from giving your time or aid and that is okay.  We expect glamor. If only John Mayer songs played when we fell in love and Josh Groban raised you up when you finished running a marathon.

This may all sound a little deep for what is normally up on here, but these are lessons that I think have helped change my thinking for the better. Maybe some of them can apply to you also :]

-R

The Best Workout you Haven't Tried

I have always been a serial workout dater. There are only so many ways you can repeat those sun salutations in yoga, or sit up and down on your spin bike. When I meet a new one it doesn't take long before I'm signed up 4 times a week giving up my independent freedom to workout on my own time and consuming myself in the workout of the month.  Like many serious relationships that interest begins to fade. You know they start being too needy, taking up too much of your time, trying to hold your hand too much, and being generally smothering.  Basically my attention span to fitness is comparable to that of a two year old at the zoo.  Every foreign sweat session is my new favorite animal without the public yells of excitement and Velcro shoes of course. I have actually enjoyed the majority of new ones that were tried with the exception of this one yoga class where we had to make animal like sounds while breathing the entire time. That one threw me off a little bit. 

When summer rolls around and college students are given the choice to pay for a gym membership or wait until they are members through studentship again chances are my bagel and oatmeal budget is going to take precedence. Every summer I wonder how on earth I will fill the gym void. I wish I could be one of those people who can magically run 50 miles a week and never feel pain, not the case for this average runner (click to read more on what it means to be average). My legs tend to lose it upon consecutive days of hilly runs which leaves me sore and without gym relief.

However, this summer I believe I found my workout soul mate.  It is the perfect compliment to my exceptionally short attention span in the midst of adrenaline pumping fitness.  This workout encompasses aspects of the tons of different little workouts that have come in and out of the routine, minus the bizarre animal sounds you can make through doing a headstand and restricting your breathing (post to come on this experience). If you feel the same lack of focus towards one monotonous fitness routine then this workout is for you.

Tabata

I realize it is fairly common by now and a general practice among those who prefer high intensity interval training, but the amount of people I have talked to about it look at me with this perplexed reaction and proceed to butcher how the word is either spelled or spoken.  I get it...it's a weird word.   It even isn't recognizing it as a real word when you type it.  Why tabata you ask? Here is why

hill run tabata day in AZ

1. It goes fast: Tabata works like this-20 seconds on 10 seconds rest.  During your 20 second interval you go as fast as you can until the timer beeps your rest period. Then repeat 8 times. For those math whizzes out there that's only a mere 4 minutes per tabata.  I do the routine and it is over before I start getting bored of it. With an incredibly hectic schedule this workout fits perfectly if you need a quick and thorough workout.  You can pick a combination of moves and alternate throughout the 8 rounds to give a more total body workout.  

2. User Friendly: My mom who I can guess would rather do just about anything else than participate in a high intensity interval training workout even enjoys tabata. This routine is absolutely perfect for anyone interested in trying new moves or a quick and potentially painless routine.  You are able to pick moves that are as difficult as you want them to be. So you want to walk in circles as hard as you can every 20 seconds? Do it, it's still tabata!

3.You sweat...a lot: transitioning from burpees to tuck jumps and back to burpees 8 times makes me start sweating at the mere thought. Upping your heart rate so suddenly and then tricking it by stopping for 10 seconds really gets the blood pumping which means after a thorough tabata it would not be abnormal to be sweating as if you just ran uphill with a bag of bricks strapped on your back wearing a vinyl body suit.

 

4. High calorie burn: hello ice cream for dessert! The elevated heart rate combined with the muscle confusion of always changing up the move= tons of calories burned in a much shorter time period. As opposed to stuffing grass and heads of lettuce in your mason jar ice water to conserve calories try to sweating it out instead with tabata. If you pick moves that target multiple muscles and incorporate cardio you will feel the results of your self inflicted ass kicking. 

5. Expand your horizons: ugh one hyphenated word.... push-ups.  I just can't learn to love them no matter how hard I try, but tabata makes trying them out a lot more bearable.  Just when I'm starting to look like a slug crawling up the driveway the timer beeps and I can begin forgetting how ridiculous trying to bench my body weight ends up looking.  Whatever moves you have in mind just try it, it's only 20 seconds. Hope you love it!

-R

The Boringer the Better(er?)

I have always had a big issue with people who seem to think their life is just so much infinitely more interesting than others and everyone else is boring. They are that person who hears you say “oh I just worked all weekend” and responds all big eyed “oh sounds like a blast” paired with the awkward ‘I pity you because I think your life is boring as shit’ nervous laugh (story of my life).  Then he/she will launch into some story about how their car got stolen as they were at dinner so they called the cops and Eminem showed up instead and went clubbing with them and who gave them a free cell phone and a song appearance on his new album, all weekend long.  I don’t necessarily resent people who seem to live above the level of cool in terms of their general life, but I certainly do not appreciate my 24 hour work weekend being knocked as excitement-lessly boring.  Hey…it was so exciting to see how busy a Saturday was and to get take out for lunch. That salad was the bomb! So you met Eminem, while I once again ate from plastic cutlery and had to eat one bite every half hour due to how swamped we were. Basically…I have always appreciated a routine and revel in the down time when it’s available.  Being boring really is way more fun than most people think. It poses all kinds of benefits like the security of a full night’s sleep, avoidance of ‘lost all my personal property at the bar’ nights, and the ability to answer what are your plans for this weekend (uh let me check…yep working again). It is okay to have consistency especially in your personal life.

 In class the other day we had to go around and do those dreadfully painful introductions that professors make you do when they feel too awkward about reading you the syllabus and then letting you leave too early. The worst part is seeing the pain on everyone’s face as they stand up and try to look as nice and approachable as possible. I am constantly amazed at my ability to forget to answer a mere four statements about myself…I always leave out “what was the most interesting thing you did this summer?”  The entire class went around and there were the exciting people who had amazing hanging with Eminem summers. As the three exciting summer people rattled off their vacations the mood took a turn for the worst when the rest of the class responded by saying that everyone didn’t do anything fun or interesting, we all apparently just hung around and worked.  It was like we all were so let down by the lack of coolness in our lives. We went on to each new person, and every time it was like the entire class had such high hopes of hearing just one skydiving story only to be crushed to hear that they just stayed home helping Grandma (which I thought was absolutely adorable to say!). I looked around wondering if I should make something ridiculous up like swam with alligators while harnessed in a meat suit just to up the morale during the first hours of what is sure to be a very long semester.  

I didn’t really start to feel inadequate about my generic answer that was to come until the professor interrupted saying, “Is that really all you guys do? I’m sorry your lives are so boring.”

Aw man again with the why is your life so boring thing?  I even felt a little offended.  You should know that the most exciting thing he did this summer was that he made it to every single reds game. Look out we are in the presence of a regular old Nik Wallenda. Without ranting too much…what about repeatedly cooking in pure summer inferno, squished in between crowd members dressed in camo and sweaty jean shorts, sounds like fun? Not to mention that most of the time you go and the biggest excitement is the fact that you get a hot dog for a dollar. I love a baseball game as much as the next person but come on...my weekend takeout easily competes with your dollar hot dog. 

What I ended up taking away from the class that day was that boring is in the eye of the beholder.  And even if you are legitimately boring you are a perfectly acceptable member of society. Us boring people are the reliable ones, you know where you can find us, and we will listen with ‘edge of your seat anticipation’ to how exciting your life is in comparison.  

Exhibit A

-R

Switching Gears

I was looking around my room last night and was horrified to find out that I had been forgetting to clean it the past two months. Not that it looked atrocious or really all that unmessy to the general visitor, but after being in the habit of obsessively cleaning my hardwood floors every other day, the dust that I knew I would find and that pile of laundry in the corner weren't making things better.  All stages of summer were just hanging around sucking the motivation out of the place. For example... I should be working on my resume but oh look there is my tennis racket...anyone want to hit?! The entire day I mentally prepared for the intense cleaning I was going to do when I got off work because both myself and my room needed it. I had bags of things. It was like I spent my entire summer living on foot out of some random over sized bag that looked horribly banged up and worn from grinding the skin off my shoulders as I trekked around doing whatever I just spent my entire summer doing (working). Literally I had accumulated four tooth brushes, random un-matched socks, and for some reason lots of unused napkins.

I finally got home so excited to clean it all and found myself done a mere half hour later. So the big room cleanse wasn’t as eventful as I thought… nor was it as messy as I was hoping. Classes were starting the next day and I realized a lot of the stress was coming from the fact that we are transitioning back into school. The thought of managing 7 classes, jobs, workouts, clubs, and a social life made me want to drop kick my planner out of the third story window in hopes that it could all just work itself out...clearly not the case. For some reason my brain didn’t (and still on day two of classes really doesn’t) want to go back to school. I don’t know why it wouldn’t want to change gears…obsessively relying on blackboard to tell you what you will be doing next and discussion boards that won’t load on your computer that are due in 30 minutes for 50% of your grade sound like a blast! Anyways…I tried to think of other things that could be done to help trick myself into thinking that colder months, hours of note taking, and the fear of not graduating could be more enjoyable than spending afternoons by the pool, or having the time to read a book that doesn’t cost $500.

loved these relaxing summer mornings

Here are a few that I came up with…

1. Throw away unnecessary last year school junk: as I was cleaning I came across this 6 page handwritten mess I actually turned in for a grade last year and the wave of school anxiety began to surface. Looking back on all of the hard work you put in during previous year’s work for many can feel intimidating, unless you are truly one of those go get em’ students who lives for long weekends of APA formatting. 

some gals working on their fitness

2. Restock hygiene products: your deodorant-less summer may have been acceptable since you spent it on the beach, but intro to sociology doesn’t need to know about your brief lifestyle change. You will feel better if you show up feeling clean and sanitary.

3. If all else fails…run through it: Figure out how to sweat about it.  What screams sweltering 90 degree summer day like sweat dripping down your face and awkwardly sporting a t-shirt that is soaked in all the most flattering areas? Integrating fitness into your new school schedule has infinite health benefits (that I am sure we will tell you more about :]).  Exercise allows you to channel all of the back to school energy into something productive.

4. Look in the mirror really fast: so the last time you got a hair cut there was snow on the ground. And your makeup may have gone missing since it melted off in the heat anyways.  No big deal but you may want to consider not looking like a member of the white walkers (Game of Thrones reference see picture here) on the first day. Besides, nothing resets the dread of anything like a new hair-cut and fresh appearance.  

5. Don’t hate me but, check your check book (Had to say it): When you are about to transition back into a new phase of your life your entire daily routine will change as well. This means that while you may have avoided knowing the true balance for the past few months, chances are you will need to assess the damage done on those three vacations you took.  Dread is a very accurate way to describe how many students feel about finances, but the more you understand where your money goes, the easier it will be to avoid those emotional back to school shopping sprees. 

sorry for this moody candid but I <3 tea

6. Do spend money on: a travel coffee mug (or the alike). Whether you are on the morning caffeine or not the daily habit of starting your day off in a certain way is extremely beneficial. Research studies show that daily routines as simple as a morning cup of coffee can help calm stress and give the individual the comfort to go and take on the day in a slightly more coherent manner.  Your daily stress reliever may not come in the form of a travel mug, but find something that works for you.  For many it is a workout, listening to music, sitting down to breakfast etc. As long as your cute travel mug doesn’t become 12 donuts on a daily basis (i.e taking healthy to sugar coma). 

Once you establish your routine, the rest will follow. 

GOOD LUCK WITH CLASSES!

Click here to check out more health and wellness postings at the UC Student Wellness Center's Blog written by yours truly

-R