Hello, readers! Welcome to your second article of the year from the Lifestyle column! I’m Loly, your writer of the month, and as a brand new IBDP candidate, a lot of changes have happened in my life since the beginning of the school year. To organize my tasks and keep everything on track, I had to come up with strategies to keep myself balanced, and today, I’m here to share some of my tips with you!
As Gen-Z teenagers, we all understand how it has become difficult to have a full, productive day with so many distractions that live as distant as a touch on our phones… TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter; we all have a trigger that might ruin our days without any warning. So let’s suppose you wake up, go to school, spend almost your entire day there, and finally get home. The first thing you need to do is rest a little bit, don’t you think? So okay, fine. You grab a snack and create a thought in your head. “I’ll eat this while watching some TikToks for just 30 minutes. Then, I’ll get up and go exercise. When I get back, study until dinner time for my exam tomorrow.” One hour, two hours, three hours pass, and with it, several links are shared with your friends on your Whatsapp groups. When you come back to real life, it’s dark outside, and your mom is at your door, warning you that dinner is on the table. Then, the only things crossing your mind are how unproductive of a teenager you are, how you could let yourself stay distracted for so many hours, and finally, your test tomorrow. As your plans of exercising were ruined by the magic of TikTok, you eat your dinner and take a quick shower to open your book. You try to study, but the tiredness is speaking louder, and your body is craving some sleep. “You know what? I’ll call it a night and ask God to bless me tomorrow morning!” So that is what you do.
The problem comes when this becomes a routine.
Watching TikToks and resting for the whole afternoon is a scientifically proven pleasing activity to do, as it releases an enormous amount of dopamine to our brain, but hellooo, we are teenagers!!! The things we will flourish in life come from the hard work and effort we do right now! For the results to actually come in the future, we need to know how to work hard while also having fun . Having a balanced lifestyle can make not only your humor but your whole life happier! I know there might be days where pushing yourself out of bed is difficult. I know that 5 extra minutes of sleep you put on your timer are very much needed and sacred, but just imagine going to sleep excited to wake up, and when you do, you’re relaxed and ready for a brand new day?
There isn’t a “Balanced Routine Recipe” that will certainly work for everyone; however we know that to find the right balance for life, there will be attention needed on your physical, mental, and social health. To simplify your journey to the perfect routine, here are some tips on how to improve these aspects to make the most out of this ride we call life! 🥰
Physical Health
First of all, drink water. It can be as simple as that. I’m not trying to be cliché, but drinking the right amount of water is extremely important for your body, your health, your skin… Nutritionists recommend the calculation of 3.5 milliliters x your bodyweight to find out how much water you need to consume on a daily basis. For example, if you weigh 70kg, your calculation would be 3.5 x 70 = 245 millimeters daily.
Even if it might seem boring or even impossible, I need to start highlighting the importance of eating colorful and nutritional meals. Changing your eating habits might take some time, but you can start by separating some time in your day to divide your plates into meals filled with protein (meat, fish, chicken…), carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes…), and salads (lettuce, tomato, carrots). Also, you certainly don’t need to restrict or take out the things you like to eat from your diet. If you want, you can have a dessert once or twice a week; it won’t change your process if, on the remaining days of the week, you maintain healthy habits. When your diet is rich with nutrients, your body works healthier and moves smoother to do the important element in this topic: physical activity.
Moving your body in any kind of way is essential for the easy functioning of your body. It helps with focus, cardiovascular health, strengthening bones and muscles, and MUCH more. Physical activities such as going on walks, playing soccer, or going to the gym, even if for the smallest amount of time, are all ways to create habits that will keep you active and motivated daily. YouTube is filled with 20 min functional workout tutorials, “move your body” dance classes, and, worst of cases, just ask Chat GPT to create a workout routine for you! There are thousands of solutions, so you get rid of excuses.
Mental Health
Maintaining activities to preserve your mental health is probably the most important thing as a student, especially for the IBDP candidates. I know how hard it is to keep yourself organized and mentally well when so many activities, projects, and tests are at stake, but it is essential to take care of yourself so you don’t reach a burnout.
Some strategies I use to keep myself and my brain motivated are using a monthly planner to remember birthdays and due dates from school and a weekly planner to keep track of everything I have to do in the day, from the time I have to study, clubs I have to attend and what time I’ll workout. This helps me with organization and time management so I can do everything I need to do and make the most out of everyday life. I also use studying strategies; that’s probably the most helpful thing I do. One of them is the Pomodoro Method, where I study for 25 min and rest for 5 min continuously. The trick about this method is focusing 100% of your attention on the time you’re studying, but on your rest time, you don’t even touch your notebook and do whatever you need to do the most out of your break. I also make time every day to do things I love, and as my passion is going to the gym, I make it an obligation in my routine.
Social Health
We finally reached the point! To maintain a true balance between obligations and having fun in your teenage years, it is essential to cultivate your friendships and social life. Personally speaking, I am very animated and cheerful. I make friends everywhere I go, and to sustain so many bonds, I need to make sure I’m giving attention to everyone. So, my advice: answer that Instagram story from that person you met one time but you enjoyed their way of being. Send that message saying you miss that one friend you haven’t talked to in a while, go to that party with your best friend, and enjoy every single moment you have with your school classmates that you adore the most. Those are all things that will keep your relationships alive, and you’ll never feel alone. Those are the moments you will cherish and remember with the most passion in the future. With such an agitated routine as Pan American School students, we might end up leaving our social life on weekends aside, but it is SO important to create core memories in your teenage years. With these experiences, you will have fun, you will fail, you will learn, and most importantly, you will mature. That’s what it’s all about.
Conclusion
Finally, after so many tips and strategies that I use myself, I have an extra push that might help you a little bit more. A few months ago, a trend went viral on social media called “the 21 Days Challenge.” This technique surrounds a belief that individuals only need 21 days to create or break a habit, so people on the internet would give themselves a goal they wanted to pursue in their routine and repeat this same habit for 21 continuous days. Some examples were drinking 3L of water every day, going to the gym, studying for one hour, doing proper skincare, sugar-free diets, and much more. You can use your creativity and think out of the box to reach your goals.
That’s all, folks! I hope you guys enjoyed this month’s article. Go check out the other columns; they are filled with different contents that will certainly inform you about something you’re interested in. See you next time! 😉
