Tips for Maintaining Self-Care During an Immersive Course
Immersive courses are hard. Add to that the wildness of being amidst a worldwide pandemic, and you’ve got yourself a big ball-o-stress. Luckily, I went through Flatiron School’s 6-month UX immersive, and am here to help you devise a plan to maintain your well-being throughout any type of course you’re taking.
1. Set boundaries around your time
I did this by taking a morning coffee break, lunch, and dinner at the same times everyday. By having these times blocked out, it was easier for me to know what to expect each day and how to plan my time.
I also worked with my teammates to develop an agreement around what hours we wouldn’t work. For example, we tried our best to keep all Zoom group work between 9am-7pm. When we had to extend beyond 7pm, we’d reevaluate our plan and see how it could be adjusted to complete what was absolutely necessary for the following day.
Setting boundaries is beneficial for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to voice how you feel, because burnout is real.
2. Take time to revisit your goals
I’ve found journaling to be a super helpful tool for life in general, but even if writing isn’t your thing, taking a couple moments a week to revisit your goals and evaluate your track can reenergize you.
It’s easy to get swept into the day to day doing of projects, and it’s important to take a step back and remember the big picture.
Why did you sign up for the course? What have you learned so far? What can you talk about now, that you didn’t know a month ago?
3. Write yourself kind sticky notes
However cheesy this might seem, reading notes from myself helped me push through some of my lowest moments. Phrases like, ‘Remember why you’re doing this,’ or ‘Do the best you can with what you have’ were my favorites. If you’re able to, it’s also helpful to have encouraging notes from others — even if you write something nice someone else said on a sticky.
4. Get a stress ball
…or another object you can fidget with. I was skeptical at first, but I received one during a time of intense stress, and now I’m a believer.
Just do it.
5. Schedule alone time
I was previously never a big fan of time blocking my days, but the practice became essential during my time at Flatiron. It helped me feel more in control of my days, and allowed me to know when I would get time to do personal things, such as talk to friends or watch HBO (Watchmen & Chernobyl were my two main escapes).
Whether I’d be dancing, scrolling TikTok, meditating, or talking to my therapist on the phone, having planned personal time allowed me something to look forward to and reminded me that, while my education is important, my mental health is more important.
If you’re about to start an intense course, I hope that these little reflections give you a jumping off point from which to create your own self-care plan. You got this!
