It’s that time of the year again: papers are due and exams are approaching. April affords us one last chance to tie up loose ends before heading into the summer, but how can we stay motivated to wrap it up all nicely (with a bow)? In my humble opinion, there’s very little merit in speeding up with the world around us. While there is an optimal amount of pressure that increases productivity, I’ve found that among most individuals, rushing through life and working as quickly as possible can produce a lot more harm than good. Slowing down can actually result in more productivity if practiced correctly, and consistently. 

Now these tips and tricks to slowing down are not one size fits all. In fact, I encourage you to modify and try out new strategies to fit your wants and needs. Here are just a few simple ways to find moments of space throughout your day. Instead of writing the tactic and listing its definition, I thought it would be more practical and enjoyable to list various scenarios and apply the technique listed. 

Meditation/breathwork/taking in your surroundings: Oh no! You have a lengthy lab report due in a couple of days that you really haven’t thought much about. You might be tempted to pull an all-nighter after you get home from lacrosse practice, but maybe doing a quick meditation or breathing exercise (hey siri, google box breathing) would put you in a better space to sit down and write down the steps for finishing the report in the next two days

Tune into your brain tapping out: My dear friend shared this tip with me, and I absolutely love it. You’ve been trudging through a novel for your English class and you still have 200 pages to read before tomorrow. You try to fit another page into your brain but you are full of swirling British literature. Instead of pushing through, try acknowledging that your brain has been storing and analyzing tons of information and could probably use a break! Go for a 10 minute walk and get back to reading!

Be thoughtful about your commitments: Your lab partner is wondering if they could meet tomorrow to go over your results section. However, you planned to have no commitments that day so you can volunteer at the hospital. Instead of saying yes to your lab buddy, it could be beneficial to say no in this scenario. By saying no, you are managing how much is on your plate, which can help us slow down.

Put the cell phone away: It’s the final day to turn in your politics paper and you still have a couple of pages to go. Every few minutes you find yourself being distracted by having your phone beside you, even though you aren’t technically scrolling through texts or social media. Turning your phone on Do Not Disturb and putting it out of sight can help bring awareness to what you are working on at that moment, and reduce your screen use time. 

I hope you find these tips useful as you push through the final stretch of the semester this April! Don’t be afraid to try something new as you navigate the stressors that come with finals and job search, and most importantly, practice slowing down!