When life gets hectic it can be easy to get caught up in the assignment that’s due, your work, and social life which might cause a person to become stressed for a long period of time. This was me and something that I had to learn is that while it’s good to maintain your relationships and to pass classes, it equally is just as important to take care of yourself and your mental well-being. Here are some tips that relax me whenever I feel lost and overwhelmed.
1.) Spend time alone — this one I find the most helpful. Being alone at times is completely healthy. It’s a good thing to become comfortable with going to places on your own. In doing so you allow yourself to do the things you want to do when you want to do them without having to accommodate another person. Spending time alone allows you to be left with your thoughts and to really reflect on your life and what may be the cause of you feeling the way that you do. While having experiences with people helps a person grow, likewise sometimes keeping your thoughts to yourself while making decisions without an outside source impacting your thoughts is another way to find yourself and to keep yourself centered whenever you begin to feel off-balanced. But of course, this is totally circumstantial.
2.) Write — Mindlessly word vomiting on the page without thinking about what’s being written and how you’re saying it is alleviating. If you haven’t already tried this, I recommend it. I have a journal and in this journal I free-write about how I feel which is a nice way to organize and vent out thoughts.
3.) Treat yo self — Take it easy. Show yourself some love. Go buy yourself a shirt that makes you feel good! You want ice cream?? Go get ice cream and sweets because you deserve it no matter how low you feel. After midterms and finals, it has become a tradition of mine to take myself out to get cupcakes because why not???
Having a healthy mindset is so important because the way you feel affects the way you see the world and your mood which has an effect on personal relationships. This also can affect your grades, think about it… have you ever been so exhausted that you couldn’t fathom the thought to think to the point that you’re trying to do work but then the exhaustion takes over and becomes a distraction on its own? Mental health is something that is real and totally normal. It doesn’t always mean depression, but if your well-being isn’t a good one for a long period of time, things can become serious. I hope you know that if you’re going through something you aren’t alone and hopefully my tips can be of help to someone out there.
Treat yo’ self always~
Photo by Victoria Delamora
Photo by Victoria Delamora
Photo by Victoria Delamora
Photo by Victoria Delamora
Photo by Victoria Delamora
LA is best known for its mural and contemporary art that began to flourish since the 1960s. Compared to New York or Washington DC — the relatively more distinguished art hubs of the United States — the LA art scene is pretty new. As of now, however, LA is one of the biggest markets for buying contemporary art in the States, housing many of the most prestigious museums such as LACMA, The Broad, and our very own Hammer Museum!
Currently, the Hammer is exhibiting works of contemporary artist Adrian Piper: “Adrian Piper: Concepts and Institutions, 1965-2016”. It features more than 270 works across 50 years, and the audience can see a wide variety of her multimedia artwork. Under the calming ambience of the Hammer, you can get to know one of the most renowned contemporary artists, who has influenced the art scene since the 60s. She addresses social, political and spiritual issues on gender, race and xenophobia through a humorous perspective — definitely an enlightening way to begin your path into the field of art. The exhibition is on display until January 6, 2019, so there is still a lot of time to visit!
Asides from just being a museum institution, the Hammer is also a multipurpose area that would be perfect for a date, studying or even just to grab a quick bite amongst an artistic environment. The outdoor atrium (where the spinning chairs are), is normally pretty empty and spacious, a great place to move your studying away from Powell Library and into an aesthetic environment with great lighting. There is also a café open in case you get hungry!