Browsing: productivity

Taking a gap year does not mean abandoning your goals. It means strengthening your ability to pursue them. It allows for reflection, growth and, perhaps most importantly, recovery. When you return — whether to school or another path — you do so with clarity rather than exhaustion.

When we allow ourselves to be useless, we’re going against the idea that the value of us as living beings is tied to our output, our bank accounts or our GPA. We give our brains a chance to rest, and more importantly, we give our minds a chance to catch up to our bodies. We remind ourselves that we are human beings, not human doings.

From improving mental health to growing productivity, dopamine menus are becoming popular amongst the self-help community. Here is an explanation of what it involves and how to implement it into your life.

In recent years, platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn push content toward young adults, glorifying nonstop productivity and six-figure salaries — often at the cost of sleep, social lives and mental health. These unreasonable standards can lead employees to equate their self-worth with career success and ultimately lose their sense of purpose.

For some people with long commutes, it can be a lifesaver. But too much freedom can be a bad thing. Without a structured environment, it can lead to procrastination or working in small bursts surrounded by long periods of distraction.

We live in a culture that glorifies business. A culture that says a packed schedule makes you successful. However, taking time to slow down and do nothing is not only OK — it’s necessary. Rest isn’t some guilty pleasure to be earned after pulling an all-nighter or completing a marathon study session. It’s a basic need. When was the last time you permitted yourself to just… be? No deadlines, no to-do lists, just a moment of calm where you could catch your breath.

Even though I don’t necessarily want to follow Newton’s advice, building momentum is essential to boosting productivity and getting the hard stuff done. Working very hard in short episodes is one thing, but consistency will keep you afloat in college, yield higher self-esteem and make you feel like a winner.

Heavy class loads often make opportunities for free time few and far between, but it’s important to keep your body healthy, and that includes working out. Whether you pick HOTWORX, Pure Barre, Club Pilates or the McLane Student Life Center, workout classes are a great option.