Learning Challenge: Empathy

I read the article, "10 Reasons to Stop Judging People" and I think everyone needs to read this piece. It's such good reminder because we often judge people as second nature and that really needs to stop. I think society has taught us that we're special so we make up reasons why everyone else is not. Let me tell you this: THERE'S ROOM FOR ALL OF US! It doesn't need to be a competitive world where only one person needs to win. We can all be successful in our own unique ways.

The article gives 10 reasons we should stop judging people and here are my favorites:
-Depersonalize: We take what a lot of people say as something directed toward us when that is most likely not the case. We need to remember they have a reason for saying and feeling what they do and it most likely has nothing to do with us personally.
-Look at your own behavior: Like I said before, judging people is second nature. But the more we catch ourselves judging people, the more we can learn and break the habit.
-Give the person the benefit of the doubt: It's so much easier (and better) to spread kindness rather than judgement. Let's all live our own lives the way we want to!

I'm going to try to implement these every day so I can become a better and less judgemental person! We should all do they same and remember to spread kindness as much as we can and love on one another! That's the only way we will be successful in the long run!

Empathy Quote. Source: Flickr

Learning Challenge: Deskercise!

This week, I decided to challenge myself to Deskercising! Deskercising is when you do little things at your desk or while you're working to stay active and keep the blood flowing! It's important because it keeps you awake and focused while you're working too, and it's good for your health! I read 17 Exercises You Can Do At or Near Your Desk for inspiration and here's what I tried:

1. TMJ Exercise:
I really liked this one because I actually suffer from TMJ (or jaw pain) and when I get stressed out, the pain only gets worse because I clench my mouth so much! This move requires moving the jaw right to left about six times to loosen up! You'd be amazed at how much better you feel after with only doing something little!

2. Shoulder and Neck Stretches:
This move requires you to turn your head one way while you turn your torso the opposite way. It makes for a great stretch! My back cracked when I did it and I felt less stiff after!

3. Shake it Up
The final move I tried is the Shake it Up move. This requires you to shake out your wrists and hands every hour. When I write and type, my hands get cramped and this really helped relieve tension and cramping within them! 10/10 would recommend!

All of these moves and so many others helped me increase productivity and made me feel just overall better throughout my day. I highly recommend doing some to help you too!

Stress. Source: Pixabay

Learning Challenge: Time Management

Time management is very important to me. This semester I am battling taking 24 credit hours, being a student athlete, and being involved in my sorority. This requires me to manage out every aspect of my time. I have found that using even a free hour in the day to get as much done makes a big difference in the end. A lot of times when I get home from the day, I just want to lay on the couch. But that results in me staying up later at night to finish my homework and be tired the next day. By getting as much done early in the day, I can actually have less anxiety in the long run. With a busy schedule like mine, time management is a requirement!

Time Management. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Learning Challenge: The Benefits of Sleep!

I read the article "Why Sleeping May Be More Important Than Studying" by Katrina Schwartz because I'm a big advocate of getting a lot of sleep. The article makes great points about how sleep can hurt you in school by saying lack of sleep can have a negative effect on test scores and academic performance. This doesn't surprise me at all. I know when I don't get enough sleep, my attention span plummets. I try to get close to eight hours of sleep per night. That isn't always possible with my busy schedule but as long as I'm in bed at a certain time, I know I will have more energy the next day. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule can be difficult but is very possible once you're in a good routine and budget the time in the day wisely so you can relax at night. My next challenge is going to be trying to wake up at the same time each day to make my sleep schedule even more consistent and regular.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation. Source: Wikimedia Commons