TIRED

Dear Sean,

Ok, so I have a little bit of an issue. I am a sophomore in college with a very busy schedule. I usually have some sort of homework to do every night. BUT I can never seem to concentrate on it until the early morning hours.. In the meantime, I am on Facebook, checking Perez, and watching videos on YouTube. It makes everything more difficult to have to cram in all of my work the couple of hours before its due while being tired. Do you have any suggestions to help me concentrate on my homework??
Task Is Rarely Ever Done

Dear TIRED,

First off, don’t let this issue get you down; a lot of students have issues with time management. Trust me when I say that I know, because I’m one of them. I’ll pass along some of the advice that I’ve been given, although I must warn you that this issue doesn’t have one solution that is right for everyone. Many people say that managing your time becomes easier when you break down your day into segments and plan each one accordingly. Personally I’ve never liked this solution because I feel like I spend more time preparing to do something than actually doing it. Plus this solution doesn’t generally allow for a lot of flexibility.

I’ve found that the time management solution that works best for me is balancing those things that I know I have to do with things that I want to do. In your case this may mean that you can only check Facebook/Perez/You Tube a certain number of times per night, and the rest of the time should be devoted to studying or completing your assignments. If you know you work better in the morning hours before you have class, maybe you should consider going to sleep earlier instead of spending time online, and then waking up more refreshed and better able to complete the tasks at hand.

It seems like you might be a morning person, which means you probably kick-start your day with some kind of caffeine like many people in your age group. I won’t tell you to give this practice up completely, as often that does more harm than good, but I will say that it’s not the only way to wake yourself up and become alert. If you don’t already eat breakfast it’s a good idea to start. If you do, look at the foods you eat and see what changes you can make. Breakfast foods that are high in fat leave you feeling more sluggish, and those high in sugar may help you get going, but soon wear off and leave you worse off than when you started. Try to include more protein in your morning diet; it’s hard to digest which makes your body really wake up in order to accomplish it.

I’m not a big proponent of medication, but if your problems persist it might be wise to consult your doctor and see if there’s anything you should be doing differently. There are several over the counter vitamin supplements that they say can help wake you up that you can also ask your doctor about.

Finally, the best piece of advice I have to give you is to do your best to stop stressing yourself out. This is much easier said than done, but stress is more detrimental to your cause than it is helpful. It may be a factor as to why you can’t concentrate at night and why you’re so tired in the morning. Try pampering yourself a bit from time to time in order to relax and see if that helps you to better go about your day.

BORED

Dear Sean,
I have recently found myself in a rut. When it comes to relationships, school, and work. I am looking for something else out of life. Every day is the same thing. I am feeling very bored within my own self, and I'm worried because this is the first time in my life I have felt like this. I have been heavily drinking to self medicate and it's hard to see an end to all of this. The only thing that gets me through the day is knowing that someday I will die. So I am asking you Sean, how can I spice things up some?

-Basically Over Repeating Each Day

Dear BORED,
It's normal to fall into a rut every now and then, and the fact that you've never experienced anything like this before makes you one of a select few. As for the rut you're in now, I'd tell you to take some time to examine your life and see if there's anything specific that's causing these unwanted feelings. If you can't pinpoint a cause and remove it, the best advice I can give you is to shake things up. Set aside some time each day to do something you wouldn't normally do; whether it's trying new foods, making conversation with people you've never talked to before, or even going to places you've never been. If you have the time and money (although in these economic times most people don't,) why not take a trip? The point is, the only way to get out of your rut is to free yourself from the monotony of your day-to-day cycle. If your boredom continues, it may speak to a deeper issue, for which I would recommend consulting a doctor.

Just Ask

So this is my new blog, an advice column of sorts.

If you have anything you want advice on, whether it's relationships, professional issues, or just life in general, feel free to email me at justasksean@gmail.com. Hopefully once I've gotten some questions and been able to give some feedback, I'll be able to start posting them on the blog to help other readers who are in similar situations.

Everyone's identities will be kept secret of course, so there's no need to think that your name will be posted with your questions.

If you have any general questions, concerns or issues, feel free to ask.

-Sean