It’s one a.m. and I am officially more than halfway through my week from hell. Tonight someone was playing “Float On” by Modest Mouse in the graphic design lab — I hadn’t listened to the song in months, but in that moment it felt so fitting. I promise a bigger update tomorrow, but for now I will sleep.
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Hello readers! So late last night as I attempted to juggle a full load of homework, responsibilities for my internship, a new article for my fashion column and duties for my sorority, I had a stunning realization — this is my first “Week from Hell” of the semester. To clarify, by “Week from Hell” I mean a week where every part of your life seems to converge and there don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to make it all happen. Fortunately, these weeks only come about every 1 1/2 to 2 months for me, and I have developed some tried and true methods for handling them as gracefully as possible.
Photo Credit: Sephora
These two items will do wonders during your week from hell. I have been using Makeup Forever’s Full Cover Concealer every morning for the past three months and it makes 4 hours of sleep look like 8 hours. Not that buying a new concealer should encourage sleep deprivation, but desperate times call for desperate measures — or in our case, a super blendable, buildable concealer that will keep you looking fresh until you’ve managed to catch up on your sleep.
Taking a multivitamin every morning is a habit I just started this semester but it’s a routine I will continue to stick with as the year progresses. I don’t know if this is the works of a placebo effect talking, but I simply feel healthier when I have it in my system. Whether or not it really boosts my immune system can be up for debate, but I haven’t gotten sick yet (knock on wood) so I think I’m reaping some of the health benefits.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
I have always prided myself on not being a coffee drinker. Sure, I would order the occasional tall skinny vanilla latte from Starbucks, but on the whole I try not to drink it on a daily basis. However, during a stressful week when tension is high and sleep is scarce, coffee can be a life saver. For me the key is moderation. Usually one small cup in the morning and another in the late afternoon will cover me — any more than that and I turn into a cracked out crazy person with little ability to focus on any one thing for more than 3 minutes at a time. I learned this particular lesson the hard way.
Photo Credit: The Harry Potter Lexicon
Some people like to work to classical music, others prefer the sound of a crackling fire or thunderstorms — I happen to find comfort and relaxation in Jim Dale’s narration of the Harry Potter series. If you haven’t listened to Harry Potter books-on-tape (or should I say, books-on-mp3?), I one hundred percent recommend giving it a try. It is my go to soundtrack for late night study sessions, rainy days and nights when I have trouble falling asleep. If you have trouble concentrating with all of the voices, might I also suggest any of the Harry Potter movie scores — that’s what gets me through my final exams.
Photo Credit: Sleep & Wellness Medical Associates
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Sleep. Even it’s only for a few hours. You are not invincible and all-nighters are best left to nocturnal creatures. Go to bed, wake up, and start fresh.
This blog is my mental health break. Going to the gym is my mental health break. Cooking is my mental health break. Taking like 30 minutes to an hour to just do my own thing between work and class is a saving grace. Even if it’s a trip to get ice cream or taking a really long shower, setting aside those little moments are a big part of staying sane.
What do you guys do to stay calm during your most stressful weeks? Hope some of these tips were helpful, I’m off to tackle a logo design!
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As I reflect on the highlights of my weekend, I am realizing that key parts of it were centered around personal growth. A few weeks ago I decided that I would go to the Bon Iver concert instead of a sorority event that some of my closest friends were attending. I had a few good reasons for making this decision, but I was still unsure of whether I had made the right choice: would I regret missing out on the experience? Would going to Bon Iver be worth it? I figured these thoughts would be a good thing to write about on SLB because in this situation my biggest fear was the unknown, going against what most of my friends were doing.
So, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and embraced the experience. I went with two good friends, and then met up with another group half way through. Everything about the show was beautiful. It was held at Merriweather Post Pavillion, a venue I have grown to love, and Bon Iver’s music was even more powerful live. While I was there I had the opportunity to snap a few good photos, including street style of some on-trend concert goers:
Sweet friends, Hillary + Rebecca
Overall, the experience exceeded my expectations and all of the doubts floating around in my head vanished by the end of the night. It gave me the chance to reflect, to stare up at the stars, listen to the melancholy chords and realize that beautiful, inspirational things can come out of life’s hardest circumstances. I will end this post with one of my favorite Bon Iver songs, a cover originally sung by Bonnie Raitt:
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