Spring Semester (Not!)

So even though the spring semester is called the “spring semester”, it really should be called the “WINTER semester”. This term has consisted of more snow than I have ever seen in my entire life…which is not saying much because I’ve only experienced snow three times before coming to Iowa City….

What with the cold weather, dreary skies and seemingly-endless snow, it’s not surprising if you feel homesick, unmotivated, cold and just wanting to hibernate until the real spring comes. I know that I sometimes do! But the important thing to remember: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” (Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Book 3 of my absolute favourite series of all time….) Huge Harry Potter fan, woot, woot!!!

Anyway, here are my top tips for staying motivated:

1. Enjoy the sun when you can. I know that this isn’t easy, especially if you’re like me and have five classes a day, a rehearsal or work every night, meetings or performances or organizations on the weekends…. I could continue with this list until next winter (haha, joking) but the key point is to appreciate the sun and the warmth in those rare snippets that there isn’t any snow falling and the sky is not dark.

2. Find a good group of friends. Friends are basically my family when I’m here at the University of Iowa; I suspect it’s the same for everyone since hardly anyone stays with their family, although they may have the opportunity to go home on weekends. At any rate, good friends can be great motivators, emotionally, physically, mentally and even productivity! (Productivity in terms of studying because we’re still at university….)

3. Skype (or Facetime) your family back home! As an international student, I don’t get to see my family until summer comes around. But I know that my family is always here for me, even if we don’t have a lot of time to chat every day. I WhatsApp them every day and try to Skype at the weekends as much as possible. A simple message to or from your family can make you feel so much happier, I promise!

4. Join a new organization, club or activity. So if you’re already as busy as I am, it might not be wise to add another activity to your schedule, but I recommend adding something you really love and/or something new that you are really keen to try. If you want to do something, you’ll get out and do it, even if you’re feeling really lethargic and not in the working mood. Plus, meeting new people is always a fun bonus!

5. Don’t fall sick. Okay, okay, I know that one is so much easier said than done. So many of my friends have fallen ill over the last six weeks, myself included. But eat healthily, take vitamins, try to sleep as much as possible, get your homework done…and you’ll be as safe as you can get from winter bugs….

6. Take a break. From personal experience, even the shortest break can do wonders for your motivation. Five minutes to half a day; that period of relaxing your mind and body for the briefest of times can do wonders for your mental psyche.

7. Give yourself a massage. Okay, that one might sound weird, but I promise, it’s not as strange as it sounds. In my Major Modern 1 class with Professor Jess Anthony, we had a massage day once this semester. We partnered up and just massaged all the muscle pains in our friend’s body. Even if you’re not extremely physically active, a massage can feel incredibly good. Massages are great for relieving tension, which you might not even realize you have in your body until it’s going, going, gone!

8. Take a hot shower. I recognize that not everyone enjoys showers, but we don’t have bathtubs here in the residence halls. So bath bombs are out of the question…but don’t worry! Hot showers can be fabulous too. Don’t forget to sing in it…

That’s all the advice that I can come up with at the moment. Keep your chins up, smile and don’t forget that there’s “Nowhere to Go, But Up!” (Mary Poppins Returns!!!)

Go Emily Blunt!!! Hey, she shares my name….

Anyway, until next time!

Emily (not Blunt)