Mental Health
Stress less(on)
Panic, help, no focus, I’ll get it done tomorrow, procrastinate, lying awake over procrastinating, exhaustion, chaos, distraction, heart rate racing, worries and more stress, stress, stress? Recognizable? If not, you should probably stop reading now…
The Corona-Winter-Blues
Is it extra difficult to get out of bed these winter months? You are not alone! Read our blog for tips on how to deal with this cold dark Corona Winter.
Sometimes everything feels like it is too much, and you feel your sadness grow. You notice that you prefer to shut yourself off from the world and when you are in the outside world, it feels like you must put on a mask with a fake smile. You feel lonely. You worry about past pains or see a dark future. Fatigue, despair, and powerlessness increase. It is not surprising if this has started to feel even heavier in these times of Corona. How do I ever get out of this negative cycle?
https://www.wakkerbijbakker.nl/single-post/the-corona-winter-blues
Is your attention going offline because of all that online?
The new academic year started in September – this time online. The introductory weeks had quite restricting measures and there was a bit of a grim atmosphere among students. Especially for first year students, student life has started in an unusual manner. In a time where you are supposed to be tightly packed together in bars and clubs, you’re specifically being told not to. Read this blog to find out more about how to stay motivated when you are forced to study, sleep, cook, eat and relax all in the same room.
Love in times of corona
Mostly, when talking about ‘love’, we mean romantic love. But other important forms of love are the kind you feel for your parents, your friends, or for yourself. This blog will focus on romantic love, self love, challenges that go hand in hand with the current situation and suggestions on how to deal with those.
https://www.wakkerbijbakker.nl/single-post/2020/07/07/love-in-times-of-corona
Emotional intelligence: controlling the influence of your emotions
Certainly, you have experienced one of those days in which nothing seems to be working out. You woke up uncomfortably and stressed to begin with, followed by traffic disturbances and fellow students who were even more annoying than normal. What started off as a ‘simple’ emotion related to stress has now turned into acting in a dysfunctional way, together with the related consequences. These kinds of emotional escalations are, however, easy to prevent in most cases. In this blog, therefore, I would like to give a short introduction on how emotional intelligence can be a weapon against these kinds of emotional ‘escalations’. Lately, a lot has been written on emotional intelligence and its positive effects on our well-being, performances and interpersonal communication. In some cases, it is even described to be thé skill of the future. But why is that, and how does it work?
Studying in times of Corona
These are peculiar times. Our daily lives are significantly emptier as a result of COVID-19 and there are a lot of insecurities about the future. Paying attention to your (mental) health is essential these days; besides your studies, your social life will mostly take place in a digital environment, and this takes its toll on you. How do you structure your days? Wakker bij Bakker has provided us with another blog filled with tip on how to take care of yourself during the current situation:
https://www.wakkerbijbakker.nl/single-post/2020/04/01/Studying-in-times-of-Corona
‘Self is not alone’: Asking for help
In the student world, asking for help or taking a step back may feel like failing. “I also notice this in students and teachers at work at the Haagse Hogeschool, and I am also not immune to it myself,” Hannah Boekesteijn mentions in her blog for Wakker bij Bakker. Sometimes you seem to be the only one that struggles. The idea that you are the only one that keeps failing to do something right, while others seem to have no problem at all. In a time of social media we have a great say in what others get to see and what not. We tend to share only our ‘happy’ moments. This, of course, results in a wrong image. Many students quickly get the feeling that they are exaggerating and have to continue in order to meet expectations from the people around them. They tend to ignore their inner struggles, which in most cases just results in an overflow of emotions and stress. What makes asking for help so difficult? And what is the effect of this difficulty on us?
Read more:
https://www.wakkerbijbakker.nl/single-post/2020/03/18/‘Self-is-not-alone’-Asking-for-help
Switching gears! A game between making an effort and relaxation
The exam weeks are (almost) over again. The first syllabuses with the upcoming assignments start to arrive and it is time to mentally prepare yourself for a new block. After a week of relaxation, getting rid of exam stress by means of partying and bingewatching in bed, it is time to surrender to the new courses. You need to get back on that horse.
Wakker bij Bakker writes in an instructive manner about these switching situations: how do you regain complete focus after a period of intense relaxation? And what about the other way around? Read more about letting go, finding new energy between exams, and the best ways to open up your books after an evening of partying. Convenient tips that are useful for every student, we figured. After all, switching gears is hardly ever without struggles.
Getting to know yourself better through writing
In times of important exams and dissertations, stress will probably find its way back into your life. You feel distracted, your head overflows and preferably, you stay in bed 24/7 with the lights turned off. Try and ignore it, that will make it go away. But staying in bed for days will not help you go over the things on your to-do list. Eventually, you realize that ignoring it is not the way to go. But how, in heaven’s name, do you get rid of all the stress? And what about the impossible winter depression? How do you find the energy and will to go on?
By writing! No complete essays or perfect articles, but simply about your thoughts and feelings. Namely, this can provide you with insights in the way you react to certain situations and the motivation behind it. Help, but how? Read more here on how to make these stressful and difficult situations more bearable.
Wakker bij Bakker Student Coaching
Wakker bij Bakker offers student coaching for students who deal with common challenges:
- Psychological complaints
- Study and career choices
- Studying in an effective way
- Balance between study and student-life
Feel free to visit their website www.wakkerbijbakker.nl , for further information or send an email to meldjeaan@wakkerbijbakker.nl.
