Steps: (not necessarily in order)
1. Get up and walk around.
2. Move to a different spot.
3. Drink some hot tea or warm milk.
4. Use some relaxation techniques.
5. Listen to soothing music.
6. Listen to white noise or other repetitive sound.
7. Read or write.
It seems like for me, I either sleep like a rock or I don't sleep at all. I have pulled my share of all-nighters, but not necessarily by choice. I just have a lot of issues sleeping, and sometimes they have a cause and sometimes they don't. I even went through this phase when I was in second grade where every night I would wake up at 2:00 am on the nose and I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. I think my all-time record for consecutive hours awake is 38 (set shortly after the school year started), and a close second is sleeping for 11 hours over the course of 72 (set over our weekend at MBLGTACC '12) Not being able to sleep is a huge annoyance at best and a debilitating problem at worst, and most of us have issues sleeping at one point or another. It always seems to get worse for me over summer and I have quite a few friends who struggle with insomnia, so here are some of my tried and true methods for dealing with rough nights.
One suggestion I have is getting up and walking around or moving to another spot. I'll either walk around the house a few times or move to a couch, something I know my dad does as well. Usually I just hang out on the couch for a half hour or so and then move back to my bed and magically I'm able to find a comfortable spot and drift off. I think trouble sleeping has a lot to do with restlessness--either the body or mind gets stuck in one spot, so try changing it up a bit. Move to a couch or get a different pillow or something like that.
Now, I'm a huge tea fan and there are a lot of brands and types of tea marketed for their calming effects. My family swears by Sleepytime from Celestial Seasonings, and there's also Quietly Chamomile by Lipton. I think hot liquids help a lot in general as a means of relaxation. It may be a placebo, but I absolutely swear by a mug of warm milk. It works every time for me. I also recommend using some relaxation techniques, such as progressive relaxation which involves tensing and relaxing individual muscles. I usually start with my feet and work my way up, and it also works well for anxiety. Google it for more info. I also listen to music a lot, especially if I can't sleep in summer. There is some really great Native American flute music as well as acoustic guitar on Youtube which never fails to help me out. Also, listening to white noise or something repetitive. If you like to fall asleep to rain, you know what I'm talking about. I found that I could fall asleep pretty easily to the ticking of my watch or my dog's heartbeat.
Often times when I can't sleep it's due to thinking too much. I just
can't seem to turn off my mind either because I'm worried about
something or I have an idea that's bugging me. I suggest getting out a
notebook and just jotting all the stuff down to get it out of your head. I
also find writing things out, especially in a way that others would
understand them, helps me to organize and better comprehend my ideas or
the situation as a whole, instead of everything being jumbled up and
scattered. Who knows, you might even find out you wrote something
brilliant when you wake up. I keep a notebook under my bed and it has
come in handy quite a bit. Also, reading a book for a little while
might help relax you enough to fall asleep.
I hope some of these things work for you if you're having trouble sleeping, and you can always look up some techniques on your own. Good night, good luck, sweet dreams, and whatever you do, don't drink caffeine before bed!
With love and hugs,
-Megan
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
How To: Transition Back Home
(Here is our summer series - How To. To keep the blog going and to give you all something to read, I'd thought we'd give you updates in a different way than normal for the summer.)
Steps:
1. Move everything back into place - make it like it was before or even improve. Make sure everything that you don't want in your room at home is stored away from view. Make yourself as comfortable as possible in your space at home.
2. Find a job or at least something to keep you busy.
3. Talk to your friends from college about the transition - tell them it's hard if it is. Just be honest. But find a balance of when to talk and what to talk about.
4. Reconnect or make new connections with friends.
5. Don't be afraid to make plans for the next year.
Ah, summer. It's a wonderful time. Right now, it's about 90 degrees out and sunny as ever. I'm excited that I can finally wear tank tops and shorts and go barefoot outside, but lately, I've been a bit down. The transition back home has been rough for me, as for many of the other writers here and many of my other friends. I've spent some nights crying, some days unwilling to get out of bed, and other days are full of energy and joy.
We spend about 8 or 9 months away from home, determining how we should live our day to day lives, having a life that our parents have no idea what it consists of, unless we tell them. I flourished while in college (read previous posts for evidence). I became closer to people than I ever have and spent nearly every moment of my life in contact with someone. Now that it's summer, it's yet another change. My best friend from high school now lives in another state and my friends who are still in high school are, well, still in high school. It was easy while classes were still session to hang out with people because they were only two steps away in their own dorm room.
In the past few weeks since classes have finished, I've discovered a few things. First, I miss a lot of people and miss them more than I have missed people before. They became a part of me and it really does feel like I've lost part of myself. Second, it's hard to find a balance of communication with people. Not only the frequency, but what we talk about. And third, time alone is hard. It just is.
So here are some solutions I hope will work. First, be comfortable. I still have some of my dorm stuff sitting in my living room (my microwave, a shelving unit, etc). And because I'm in my living room a lot, it just reminds me of people and events and such. The more stuff I put away, the easier it is to enjoy my summer. Second, keep busy. I started my job about a week and a half ago and it makes me tired as ever and keeps me busy. I don't really have time to miss people. Third, talk to people about how you're doing. And it's ok to tell them you miss them. I've found that chances are, they miss you too. But don't just talk about that - talk about what you did that day and such. Also, find a balance of communication. If you are staying up or delaying an activity to wait for them to respond, something's wrong. Focus more on other relationships. Which leads me to thing four. You had 8 months to build relationships - they can be put on slow-mo for a few months while you develop other relationships. I'm really excited for when the high schools are done because then I have more people to reconnect with. Oh and take pictures! Document your epic summer to show people when you get back to school. And the final thing is make plans for next year. Just get excited.
Yes, this transition has been hard. Yes, I've had days where all I want to do is sleep and watch movies and cry. But there are beginning to be more days where I can't wait to see my friends at work, learn new things, or start a new project. It's simply a change and this one - summer - is a good change. Soak up the sun. Enjoy life.
Peace!
-Nicole
Steps:
1. Move everything back into place - make it like it was before or even improve. Make sure everything that you don't want in your room at home is stored away from view. Make yourself as comfortable as possible in your space at home.
2. Find a job or at least something to keep you busy.
3. Talk to your friends from college about the transition - tell them it's hard if it is. Just be honest. But find a balance of when to talk and what to talk about.
4. Reconnect or make new connections with friends.
5. Don't be afraid to make plans for the next year.
Ah, summer. It's a wonderful time. Right now, it's about 90 degrees out and sunny as ever. I'm excited that I can finally wear tank tops and shorts and go barefoot outside, but lately, I've been a bit down. The transition back home has been rough for me, as for many of the other writers here and many of my other friends. I've spent some nights crying, some days unwilling to get out of bed, and other days are full of energy and joy.
We spend about 8 or 9 months away from home, determining how we should live our day to day lives, having a life that our parents have no idea what it consists of, unless we tell them. I flourished while in college (read previous posts for evidence). I became closer to people than I ever have and spent nearly every moment of my life in contact with someone. Now that it's summer, it's yet another change. My best friend from high school now lives in another state and my friends who are still in high school are, well, still in high school. It was easy while classes were still session to hang out with people because they were only two steps away in their own dorm room.
In the past few weeks since classes have finished, I've discovered a few things. First, I miss a lot of people and miss them more than I have missed people before. They became a part of me and it really does feel like I've lost part of myself. Second, it's hard to find a balance of communication with people. Not only the frequency, but what we talk about. And third, time alone is hard. It just is.
So here are some solutions I hope will work. First, be comfortable. I still have some of my dorm stuff sitting in my living room (my microwave, a shelving unit, etc). And because I'm in my living room a lot, it just reminds me of people and events and such. The more stuff I put away, the easier it is to enjoy my summer. Second, keep busy. I started my job about a week and a half ago and it makes me tired as ever and keeps me busy. I don't really have time to miss people. Third, talk to people about how you're doing. And it's ok to tell them you miss them. I've found that chances are, they miss you too. But don't just talk about that - talk about what you did that day and such. Also, find a balance of communication. If you are staying up or delaying an activity to wait for them to respond, something's wrong. Focus more on other relationships. Which leads me to thing four. You had 8 months to build relationships - they can be put on slow-mo for a few months while you develop other relationships. I'm really excited for when the high schools are done because then I have more people to reconnect with. Oh and take pictures! Document your epic summer to show people when you get back to school. And the final thing is make plans for next year. Just get excited.
Yes, this transition has been hard. Yes, I've had days where all I want to do is sleep and watch movies and cry. But there are beginning to be more days where I can't wait to see my friends at work, learn new things, or start a new project. It's simply a change and this one - summer - is a good change. Soak up the sun. Enjoy life.
Peace!
-Nicole
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Note: Wrap Up
First off, too wrap up this blog's "first year at college", here are some statistics.
Most common tag: Friends
Total posts: 107
Most viewed post: Note: Glances with 66 views
Best month: October with 1,009 views
Total views: 5,562 (as of right now)
Oh and we have 235 views from people in Russia (2nd next to the US)
This summer, all of here on Dorm Room 718 will be taking a break. There will be occasional posts, but it won't be on a regular schedule. Us writers will be brainstorming some ideas on what will come next for the blog during our sophomore year that will be revealed just before we start school again in the fall. But until then, enjoy our other blogs (plus a few I enjoy reading):
My Epic Life: Megan's other blog
Musings of a Poetess: My poetry blog
Undefined: My friend Meg's blog (she wrote the article on the blog for our school's newspaper)
Bound South: A classmate from high school is just finishing up his bike tour across all of the Americas
Late Nights, Street Lights: My friend Andrew's blog
Sleeping with the Sunrise: My friend Geneva's blog
The Zenith Perspective: My friend Blake's photo blog
Enjoy reading and enjoy summer and enjoy life.
Peace!
Until next time,
Nicole
Freshman Year
1. It's been amazing.
Well, it's done. Freshman year is completed and summer has officially begun. It's been a bit emotional but I honestly could not have asked for more. I wrote a few letters to friends before they left and nearly every single one of them said something along the lines of "This year has been the weirdest, moodiest, and craziest year yet, but it's definitely been the best." And I think everyone agrees (see Megan's post here and on her personal blog and my friend Meg's post). When I started this year, I didn't expect it to go the way it did. Of course, the way it turned out isn't terrible or bad in the least bit - it has been the best. I became someone I didn't know was inside of me. I created relationships that are deeper than I could ever imagine (or anyone could imagine I think). I tried things I would have never dared to do. Now, looking back at it, I honestly could have not asked for more.
I would do a sappy post with a ton of pictures and emotional-ridden stories, but I feel like this whole blog is just that. The only thing I can say is...
Thanks for reading. It's been wonderful. And there will only be more shenanigans to come.
Until next time,
Nicole
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
How Do You Measure?
1. Speak up.
2. Migraines aren't fun.
3. Don't take lofts down by yourself, but if you do, you're gonna have some epic bruises.
4. Take time to reflect on the times life has been good to you.
Oh my gosh! Megan here... It's the last Wednesday of the year, so you'll probably be hearing a lot less from me. I'll post some over summer, but I think we're going off the usual schedule.
This week has been so strange. I've been emotional almost the entire week, and can't seem to get over the fact that freshman year is almost over. I'm taking a break from studying as I have 2 exams on Friday that I'm a little nervous about. When you mix the stress of finals with packing and having to understand that you won't see the people you've lived with, laughed with, studied with, cried with, learned with, for the next four months... It feels a little overwhelming. I go into my emotions a little bit more on my other blog.
I think it goes without saying that I've been doing way too much reflecting and thinking and feeling this past week about the year and the future... It was inevitable. I just feel so rushed with finals that there's little time to relax, have fun, and celebrate the year.
You know, the first movie night of many in my dorm was when Melissa and Nicole came over and we watched Rent--since I had never seen it before. I think Nicole and I stayed up late and woke up early just talking about anything and everything. It's kind of my first really happy, really groundbreaking memory of college that let me know this year was going to be something special. Since then, I've listened to the Rent soundtrack way too many times, especially over Christmas break. I almost have all of "La Vie Boheme" memorized I think, but the song that really gets to me is "Seasons of Love." It gets me--and Sally--every time. The song pretty much asks the question, "How do you measure a year?" So... here are some ways in which I will measure my freshman year in college, all with the fondest of memories:
2. Migraines aren't fun.
3. Don't take lofts down by yourself, but if you do, you're gonna have some epic bruises.
4. Take time to reflect on the times life has been good to you.
Oh my gosh! Megan here... It's the last Wednesday of the year, so you'll probably be hearing a lot less from me. I'll post some over summer, but I think we're going off the usual schedule.
This week has been so strange. I've been emotional almost the entire week, and can't seem to get over the fact that freshman year is almost over. I'm taking a break from studying as I have 2 exams on Friday that I'm a little nervous about. When you mix the stress of finals with packing and having to understand that you won't see the people you've lived with, laughed with, studied with, cried with, learned with, for the next four months... It feels a little overwhelming. I go into my emotions a little bit more on my other blog.
I think it goes without saying that I've been doing way too much reflecting and thinking and feeling this past week about the year and the future... It was inevitable. I just feel so rushed with finals that there's little time to relax, have fun, and celebrate the year.
You know, the first movie night of many in my dorm was when Melissa and Nicole came over and we watched Rent--since I had never seen it before. I think Nicole and I stayed up late and woke up early just talking about anything and everything. It's kind of my first really happy, really groundbreaking memory of college that let me know this year was going to be something special. Since then, I've listened to the Rent soundtrack way too many times, especially over Christmas break. I almost have all of "La Vie Boheme" memorized I think, but the song that really gets to me is "Seasons of Love." It gets me--and Sally--every time. The song pretty much asks the question, "How do you measure a year?" So... here are some ways in which I will measure my freshman year in college, all with the fondest of memories:
Tumblr posts
Facebook statuses
Dollars spent
Facebook events attended
Miles traveled
Ticket stubs
Movies watched
Cups of tea
Blog posts
Papers written
Hugs
Stories told
Times I laughed 'til I cried
Letters written
Text messages sent
Hours I should have been sleeping
Hours spent talking
Exams taken
Loads of laundry done
New facebook friends
Phone calls home
Photos taken
Meals in DS
Times I’ve redyed my hair
Times I wanted to cry
Times I felt overwhelmed
Times I felt loved
And last but not least, times I realized that I was where I was meant to be.
It has been such a wonderful year, and while it was honestly the most stressful and difficult I've had, it's also been the greatest. Nicole thinks this post is cheesy. I say it's nostalgic.
All of my love,
-Megan
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