Month: November 2019

How I’m Quitting My Bad Habit (After 8 Years)

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Welcome back everyone!

In my “Get to Know Me” post from a couple days ago (go check that out if you haven’t already!), I mentioned that I have a bad habit of picking the dead skin off of my lips. I’ve been doing this since I was in second grade- I’m not exactly sure how I started. Everyone picks the dead skin off their lips at some point, but I would pretty much do it all the time- during class, while watching TV, before I went to bed, literally all the time.

I tend to do it a little more frequently when I’m really stressed. I’ve tried to stop a few times, but it’s never worked out. It’s practically an unconscious habit; when I catch myself doing it, I’ll tell myself to stop, and then find myself doing it again.

However, this week, I challenged myself to try and quit once and for all. I think making it a challenge powered my brain into its competitive mode and made it into a game that I really wanted to win- I’m proud to say that so far, I’ve made it through at least a full week.

If you’re wondering how I did this, here’s the two main things that have helped me along the way:

  • When realizing I was about to start picking, I let myself sit with the feeling and think about the action – Being more conscious of my movements and actions was a big step to start with. If I could catch myself before I started picking, it was much easier to stop myself.
  • Letting myself run my fingers along my lips instead of picking – If my hands still needed to stay busy, they would reach up to lips. I would stop myself from picking, but I would still let my fingers have that sensation of at least touching my lips. It also motivated me to keep going with my goal of quitting since I could feel that my lips are a lot smoother than they normally are when I’m picking at them.

This is just the beginning of my journey with this, but I’m proud of myself for starting. I’ve let this habit go on for way too long, and I’m looking forward to finally getting rid of it. Let me know if you have any bad habits that you’ve broken, and what helped you do so.

-Brooke

5 Ways To Start Your Day Off Happy

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

This year, I’ve been working a lot on myself and trying to be more positive. I’ve found that a key component of having an optimistic perspective is starting your morning on a good note. Depending on what gets you in a good mood, there are plenty of ways you can do this. Today, I decided to share a few of my favorites with you.

  • Eat a healthy/delicious breakfast – You know what they say- breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Taking the time to make a nice breakfast (something healthy, if you’re into that) elevates the start to your day so much, and you won’t be super hungry during class leading up to lunch. I like to have scrambled eggs with some fruit and a bagel, but eat whatever you prefer!
  • Wear something that makes you feel confident – Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you look great, and make sure to smile! It sounds cheesy, but it’s a confidence and happiness boost- I promise. Wear one of your favorite outfits to put a little extra spring in your step.
  • Get up a little earlier so you have more time to get ready – Waking up late and being in a frenzied rush to get out the door is one of the worst feelings and will definitely get you in a bad mood. If you get up even just ten minutes earlier, you can get ready in a more relaxed fashion, and possibly enjoy it more since you can take your time.
  • Have your alarm be a peaceful sound/one of your favorite songs – I know this doesn’t work for some people, but it’s nice to wake up to the sound of something you like. It’s also definitely a lot less harsh than the standard alarm song.
  • Listen to your favorite music or a podcast while you get ready – This is another way to relax yourself while getting ready for the day. Some people love podcasts, but I personally haven’t found one that I can really get into yet. You can also watch TV or YouTube videos, I just find music more relaxing for myself.

All of these tips have one thing in common: they’re just little guides to making your morning more relaxing and enjoying the little things in your day. Mornings can be rough, but they’re still a whole portion of the day- put in the effort to make them as enjoyable as possible for yourself.

-Brooke

How to Study Smarter, Not Harder (5 Tips)

BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Are you tired of spending hours at your desk “hitting the books?” Are you looking for a better way to get your work done and still succeed? Are you trying to maintain your sanity but at the moment losing it? If any of these apply, keep on reading- there’s a better way to do things.

You’ve probably heard “study smarter, not harder” at some point, maybe from your teachers or parents. If you haven’t, then that’s cool too- you’ll still be able to reap the benefits of this strategy. The goal isn’t to spend the most time possible working; it’s to be as efficient as possible with the time you do have. Spending hours in the library or reading a textbook doesn’t necessarily equate to the best grades or the most success.

Here are the best tips to employ this strategy of doing less work in less time, all while still getting the necessities done and achieving your academic goals:

  • Work in chunks of time and take scheduled breaks – Set a mini schedule for yourself: work hard for 30 minutes then take a break for 5, etc. If you’re working in shorter chunks of time, you will stay focused and accomplish more within that period. The break helps you recharge for the next chunk- I promise this saves time.
  • Give yourself breaks!! – I know this is part of the working in chunks of time thing, but I can’t stress how important this is. If you don’t take breaks or you take them for the wrong amounts of time, you won’t be motivated enough to go back to working hard. Find the right length for you (5-15 minutes depending on the situation), and once you’re done with work for the day, give yourself the rest of the night off to recharge.
  • When you’re confused, don’t just struggle with it- go straight to the teacher (or the Internet if the teacher isn’t available) – It’s important to clarify any confusion or questions you may have. Stay after class to talk to your teacher if you’re having trouble, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. This can save you a lot of time in the long run- if you get your question answered before you even leave the classroom, it won’t be a problem you have again!
  • Study without distractions or interruptions – People definitely work differently in different environments, but if you really need to get things done quickly, I think it’s best to work alone. Listening to music, having some background noise, etc. is up to personal preference, but find a comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted and you can grind out the work.
  • Work actively, not passively – Don’t sit back at your desk on your phone in the middle of doing work- I know we’re all guilty of doing this (some more often than others), but this is a time KILLER. If you use the focused chunks of time method, stuff will get done so much faster and then you will be free to go on your phone. It’s so important to be intentional in how you spend your time, as it’s too valuable to waste.

I was introduced to this strategy by a couple YouTube videos and articles online, but the person I found who explained it best was Cal Newport. If you want to read his explanation or more of his articles (he has a lot of great stuff on productivity, etc.), check it out here: https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2007/09/13/three-ways-smart-students-reduce-study-time/

This strategy takes some adapting at first since it might be really different from what you’re used to, but the payoff is great. I hope you give it a try and it works out for you! Keep in mind you don’t have to use any single study method all of the time- if your current method is a little time-consuming but you’re still partial to it, you could save this for days where you’re in a bind.

-Brooke

ICYMI: ACT will let you retake individual sections

BrookeLeave a comment

Welcome back everyone!

Yes, I know- I’m a couple weeks late. But for my fellow underclassmen, you may not have heard this. The ACT will allow you to retake individual sections in order to increase your superscore, starting in September 2020. I believe this feature is only rolling out with the online version of the test/at test centers that do online testing, but they are also going to be expanding the amount of online test centers and allowing students to choose between online and paper.

Being able to take one of the four sections of the test individually can help a student focus all their energy on raising the score of that section. People have expressed that this update will grant an unfair advantage to middle-class/wealthier students who can afford to take the different sections as many times as necessary to get a high score.

Lastly, many believe that this change will push schools to change their policies to test-optional. If there’s some sort of advantage for supposedly “standardized” tests based on a person’s socioeconomic status, they shouldn’t hold as much weight in the college admissions process. I’m just waiting to see how the College Board/SAT counters this.

If you want to read a bit more about this, check this New York Times article out: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/us/act-test-superscore.html

I’m not sure if I plan on taking the ACT vs. SAT yet, but their significance is definitely about to change. Let me know your thoughts and which one you took/are planning on taking!

-Brooke