Made My Desk Study-ready!

All day with pharmacology. Colored pens, paper, scrapbook. Green tea and fruits.

16/02 // love my bullet journal, it’s so easy to use and it really help me to stay organized.

New post on the blog! I haven’t posted this kind in a while, but they seem to be so popular I think I’ll start doing it again :)

5 Habits of Organized Students | Study-Hack

Read the post for more details and helpful links!

Studying When On Your Period

If you’re like me, that period thing can be a life-ruiner. Your mood-swings are off the charts. You have to pee all the time. Some days you go through more tampons/pads than you want to admit (even if you change it “just to be safe”). The back pain is killing you. And don’t even get me started on the cramps from hell.

But life doesn’t stop just because you started menstruating. You still have an essay due; that exam on Friday is still happening. You need to study when all you want to do is curl up and watch Clueless for the 106th time.

Let me share the knowledge I gathered over the last 6-7 years of menstruation & school/uni.

Wear something comfortable. If you have to go to class, you don’t need to look like a super model. Leggings (or sweat pants) and an oversized shirt will do. You’re there for the knowledge, not other people’s approval of your jeans’ fit.

Get comfortable. If you can study at home, choose a study spot that allows you to get into a comfortable position. (Lying on my side is my go-to anti-cramp position.) If you need a smooth surface, take a kitchen tray into bed with you. You might even want to invest in a laptop table. They’re as cheap as £2.90 (Ikea) or £9 (Ikea)

Take a hot water bottle with you. Even to class. (I’ve sat with a bright red hottie in lectures before…) The heat will help your muscles relax and soothe the cramps. It even serves as a natural pain-killer. (More info here.)  

Drink water. Lots of it. Even if you’re going to have to pee every 30 minutes. You’re losing blood. Staying hydrated is vital!

You might want to get iron supplements. If your period is very heavy, you might be losing too much blood too quickly. Which means the iron levels in your body are dropping, making you more tired than usual. (And causing worse pain than usual.) Look into iron-rich foods or get iron supplements from the pharmacy. The ones I have taste like cherry. :) (More info here and here)

Take breaks. During your period, your life can seem extra stressful and you just want to curl up and watch Netflix. That’s okay. Do that. But only watch one episode. Then it’s back to work.

Try doing Yoga. If your cramps aren’t too bad and you can somewhat move (there have been days when I was barely able to walk to the bathroom), you can try doing some yoga. You don’t even have to invest in a yoga book or class or instrucional DVDs. There are lot of yoga videos on youtube. Start off easy. You just want to relax your muscles and calm your mind. You can exercise when the blood has stopped pouring out of you.

Take those pain killers if you need them. If all else fails and those damn cramps won’t stop and you have to get to class and get your shit together, you should take some pain killers. Please be aware of the negative effects that chemical drugs can have on your body! A lot of pain killers can have nasty side effects if you take too many of them. Don’t let (non-medical professional) others limit your intake – but limit yourself. Only you know your body and how bad the pain is. If you need medicine to deal with the pain, that’s okay. Make sure you don’t take more than you need though.

Please feel free to add to this list. Let’s make life a little easier for all the female students on tumblr!

Planner Printable // http://ift.tt/1CnsrY0

FEED YOUR BRAIN

You can’t expect to get the best out of yourself if you don’t nourish your body properly. Adding these foods to your diet will benefit your study and lifestyle in general, trust me

HEALTHY OILS olive oil, avocado oil, peanut oil etc. — Healthy oils are high in antioxidants such as vitamin E and they boost your memory. FISH sardines, salmon etc. — Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which improve memory and focusing! COFFEE — Caffeine wakes you up but don’t overdo it: 60 ml per day (the equivalent of two espresso) or less is enough to keep you alert, too much caffeine causes insomnia and anxiety and we don’t want that. Don’t like coffee? Try apples instead! EGGS — A source of energy, they contain proteins and choline (also called “memory vitamin”… the name speaks for itself!) CHERRIES — By adding cherries into your diet, you’ll get better sleep, since they’re high in melatonin BANANAS — I’m not kidding when I say I eat a banana a day. They contain magnesium, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6 and more. What are you waiting for? Go eat a banana, your brain will thank you! NUTS & SEEDS walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds etc. — Their nutrients reduce stress, boost memory and help your cognitive functions in general DARK CHOCOLATE — Contains antioxidants, magnesium and flavonoids. It stimulates blood to flow to your brain and lowers blood pressure AVOCADO — Avocadoes are filled with healthy fats, magnesium and lots of vitamin E. it regulates blood pressure and improves blood flowing resulting in general brain developement and stress to decrease. BERRIES blueberries, strawberries, acai berries — another food that should never miss in your diet: being high in antioxidants and flavonoids, berries actually do improve your memory and focusing a lot! LEAFY GREENS lettuce, spinach, kale etc. — these are loaded with magnesium, vitamins, iron… force yourself to eat at least one serving per day (but if you can eat more, then go for it!) BROCCOLI & ASPARAGUS — these guys are full of folic acid (1 cup = 2/3 of your daily value). Be sure to have your daily dose of folic acid, as it helps relieve stress and depression. ORANGES — full of vitamin C which is good for your immune system and also helps relieving stress OATS — oats will boost your serotonin levels, consequently boosting your mood. i personally recommend whole-grains TEA — green tea is good for focusing and stress relief, but you know what’s even better? black tea!

tips

1. eating colorful is the easiest way to a more healthy diet (same-color foods often share same nutrients) 2. if you’re a picky eater, try disguising tastes with seasonings, spices (and everything nice) or by combining them with foods you like 3. drink water!!! at least 1 L per day!! carrying a bottle of water wherever you go is the trick! 4. plan ahead + prep your meals!! thereby you will avoid that unpleasant “i don’t know what to eat” situation (which often leads to eating junk food :// ) 5. make your grocery list before going to the supermarket!!! pros: less time wasted, won’t get distracted by other things you don’t need to buy, know ahead how much $$ you’re gonna spend 6. ALWAYS check the expiration date of products you buy + know when to consume your fruits&veggies

RECIPES

Tbh, when it comes to study snacks im a very lazy person (plus in my world time is money and i hate wasting precious study time) so i usually eat rather simple dishes. Then, what do i prep when i feel more creative?

FRUIT SALAD (easiest snack ever tbh everyone can do this no matter how bad u are at cooking)

all you need is

love

fruit of your choice

(optional) cocoa powder / cinnamon / lemon juice

what u gonna do now

wash the fruit, peel it (if needed) and then slice it

put everything in a bowl and it’s good to go

BUT if you want, you can add cocoa powder, cinnamon or lemon juice for extra flavor. use your creativity, (almost) anything can work!

i love fruit salads bc they’re healthy, easy + quick to make (not to mention super delicious)!! here you can see one i made w/ strawberries and cocoa powder

FRUIT PARFAIT (another easy option, but a more creative one *sunglasses emoji*)

all you need is

fruit (u don’t say)

oat bran

yogurt

what u gonna do now

wash, peel and slice the fruit

grab a tall glass/mug/whatever and make the first layer with fruit

then add the yogurt for the second layer

third layer is going to be the oat bran

depending on the height of the glass/mug, you may go on w/ the layers

this is optional but you can add toppings if you want to make it look even cuter (and yummier)

what i like about this big bad boy here is that it’s SO fulfilling!!

BAKED PUMPKIN SEEDS (for my savory lovers out there)

all you need is

pumpkin seeds

thats it. thats all u need

what u gonna do now

take a pan and cover it with baking paper

place the seeds on the paper and cook in the oven for 20 mins at 200°C

done!! B)

super simple, isn’t it? and guess what? they actually taste like popcorn!! no lie!!!

BAKED ZUCCHINIS

all you need is

zucchinis!

lemon juice

pepper

what u gonna do now

wash and slice the zucchinis french fry style

put them in a bowl, add lemon juice + pepper and mix all well together

cover a pan with a sheet of baking paper and place the seasoned slices

cook in the oven for 20-30 mins at 200°C, flipping them over when they’re half done

now you have a more healthy and tasty version of french fries to eat while studying!

(on a side note: you can’t even imagine how painful typing ‘zucchinis’ was to me)

OATMEAL BANANA COOKIES (my fave!!)

all you need is

oatmeals

a banana

cinnamon or cocoa powder

what u gonna do

peel and slice the banana

smash the banana w/ a fork in a bowl, then add the oatmeals + cinnamon/cocoa powder and mix

cover the pan w/ your trusted baking paper. using a spoon, place the mixture on the paper forming little circular shapes (they don’t have to be perfect)

cook in the oven for 20 mins at 200°C (remember to flip them over at the 10mins mark)

let them cool off for 30-40 mins and they’re ready to eat!

these take quite a bit but you can prep them before starting to study, then you do your revision/practice while you wait for them to cool off and finally you can take a break + enjoy them!

more recipes

10 smoothie recipes healthy study snacks 22 healthy snack ideas 10 healthy snack ideas (vegan) snacks for students 1 2 (!!!!) frushi (fruit sushi!!) recipe muffin recipes 1 2 black bean wrap caramel cashew chocolate cookies (gluten-free) 10 healthy pancake recipes 2 ingredients pancakes (!!!!) easy cheesecake (vegan) avocado + tomato toast w/ balsamic drizzle

more links

my food tag staying healthy in college minimalist baker the domestic geek fablunch cheap lazy vegan food masterpost by @studiyng stay sated whilst you’re motivated by @areistotle how to save money on food by @studybudyblr 10 study snacks by @saturdaystudying

pictures credits: { 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 }

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Note-Taking

How to Take Notes

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How To Study 

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Breathing Exercise to Calm Panic Attacks

9 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Now

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hey guys!!! i love listening to instrumental + classical tunes whilst studying and recently some of you guys have asked me to make a study music masterpost so here it is :]

classical music + instrumental sounds [by me]

my classical favourites

+ another study playlist by me

+ another for a new semester

+ my spotify playlist [updated regularly!]

spatial tunes collection

spotify playlists for studying

intense studying

instrumental study

superior study playlist

peaceful piano

deep focus

soundtrack for study

music for concentration

reading soundtrack

perfect concentration

instrumental rock

electro-chill

spotify classical music playlists

50 handel picks

50 classical era picks

epic classical

gentle classical

classical essentials for beginners

classical romance

the complete chopin

50 bach picks

ballet class!!!

50 baroque picks

indie classical

game soundtracks

v6 youtube playlist

assassin’s creed

super meat boy!!!

journey OST

braid

the legend of zelda: the wind waker

bastion OST

the last of us

halo 4

study play on 8tracks

tv series soundtracks

hannibal’s music [love love loveee!!]

torchwood soundtrack

doctor who soundtracks [1-5]

game of thrones soundtracks [1-5]

sherlock season 1

film soundtracks

harry potter soundtrack

amelie soundtrack

gladiator soundtrack

pirates of the caribbean soundtrack

intouchables soundtrack

lord of the rings complete soundtrack

interstellar soundtrack

best movie soundtracks on spotify

vaporwave music [i heard it’s good for studying but i only listened to macintosh plus bear with me please]

macintosh plus

blank banshee

dream catalogue

2814

supreme space race

other calming sounds + apps

coffitivity

infinitestorm

rainymood

relaxing nature sounds

white noise

+ my masterposts

notes, studying, and self-study resources

self-study resources

supplies

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how to studyblr

literature masterpost

organisation

aesthetically pleasing notes

annotating

studying a foreign language

really great apps

math

college + uni

motivation

biology

space!!!!

chemistry

physics

summary writing

the discursive/argumentative essay

the narrative essay + the descriptive essay

the ultimate english masterpost!!

stress relief

what i’ve learnt throughout my years of being a student

how to stay productive during holidays

bullet journals

+ more

i hope this huge list helps you all out with studying + not losing focus!! + also i wish all of you a very happy 2016 <3

-helena xx