Here's how to 'girl boss' this new academic year
For some of you, September is synonymous with the start of the academic year. I'm sure you are all aware, that school and university does not wait for you, the academic year will begin whether you are ready or not. Now more than ever is the time to build good and lasting habits for our future selves. Otherwise, our days will become blurred, and we might not make the progress we intend.
So, we are left with two options.
1. Prepare prior and thrive during the academic year
OR
2. Let the stresses overwhelm us as we try to keep afloat
Option one sounds much nicer right? So let's take a look at how we can take charge of our lives and enter this academic year ready to excel in sha' Allah.
Preparation: Physical and mental
Getting yourself ready for starting the academic year is not always related to tangible things you should do or read. A lot of the preparation is mental. So, ask yourself, what can you do to help yourself feel more ready? Some might do a meditation session to clear their mind, others may visualise themselves succeeding, I like to give myself a little pep talk!
Of course, there is the physical task needed for preparation. What do you need to do, buy, and complete? Try to space out these tasks to avoid them feeling like rushed chores. This way, you enter the academic year with a fresh mind rather than a tired and overwhelmed one.
Set small goals
Sometimes, we feel that we haven't made much progress during the year because we haven't achieved any 'milestones'. Here's a tip; break up the big tasks into smaller ones so you can see progress and keep track. Take each step at a time and try to avoid getting overwhelmed by the scary end result.
This is a reminder to celebrate the little things. Setting small goals is exciting and reaching them feels great, so do not neglect the little wins in life.
Set up a routine
For most of us, the summer holidays mean a lack of routine. Our day-to-day lives then drastically change once we begin school/university/work. This shift (especially waking up early) might even make you feel like a zombie during the day.
We know that keeping on top of all our commitments as busy Muslimahs can be difficult, so here's what to do; before you begin, write out a feasible yet pro-active routine for you to stick to, don't forget to add in breaks! They're also productive.
Make prayers your time-stamps
We like to say 'time is more valuable than money' because we know how important time management is, we even measure the effectiveness of our days through how much we were able to complete. Allah SWT has given us natural time pegs to aid us throughout our day, so let's use them. Plan our tasks around the five Salahs and in sha' Allah we will have lots of barakah. Use Muslimah's mosque prayer timetable on your app's homepage to easily view prayer times with just a tap.
Ways to avoid burnout
I'm sure you've all heard of burnout but what is it? Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion. If left unaddressed, burnout may even make it difficult to function. So how can we prevent getting ourselves from getting to that stage? Firstly, understand your priorities. A pro-active Muslimah has lots of things to balance. Understanding what is obligatory and important rather than extra-curricular or unnecessary can help you time manage your tasks. Secondly, know your capacity. Taking on more projects than you can handle will cause you to stretch yourself too thin, and this never ends well. Know when you stop and ask for help! And finally, keep a planner. Feel like you have a million things to keep on top of? Write them all down in one place, maybe in a planner. This way as you look through for a day's task, you aren't blind-sided by tomorrow.
I pray the academic year is a successful year for you all. Stay tuned for part 2 of our ' Fresh Start to the Academic Year' series dedicated specifically to students who are either resitting the year or taking a gap year and how they can make the most of the year ahead.
