Tag: Studying

Motivational Monday ~ 13th December

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We are less than two weeks from Christmas and today we celebrate Lucia in Sweden (Click here to find out more about what Lucia means). I spent my morning watching a Lucia celebration on tv and now I trying to get my week started. I have so much to do this week that I am going to write a to-do list so I won’t miss anything.

The closer I get to Christmas, the less motivated I feel to get my studying done, which sucks since I have a paper due the 28th of December and then another one due the 2th of January. Many years ago someone told me this quote that I have chosen to be today’s Motivational quote:

Just like one step at a time still is a step, I try to remember that success and working towards something is a process. It motivates me to keep going and for me it works to put up goals of what I need to do each day.

Now I am going to write my list and dive into getting it done, but I just wanted to add one thing. On my list for each day I put something that has to do with taking some time for me and I try to do that each day. Self-care is important.

I wish you all a magical week.

Love, Nea

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Motivational Monday ~ 6th of December

On By NeaIn Motivation, Motivational Monday, quotesLeave a comment

Monday again and we spent the weekend getting things done at home. It was so nice to see things get crossed off the list. Now we don’t have so many big things left to do this year. Just some ordinary things like dusting and cleaning and decorating, but the ceiling is finally up in the bathroom. Two kitchen cabinets are over the fridge and freezer. More isolation around the patio door. One of the closets has gotten shelves so now I can use the whole closet. It just feels amazing and it is a great start to the new week.

This week I got a lot of smaller things to do around the house, and I got a lot of studying to do. I feel pretty motivated at the moment, but I know motivation can disappear pretty fast. So this week’s motivational quote is the following:

I think it is important to remember that you are in charge of your own day. You can make goals or plans for the day. If you want to take a day of rest, take a day of rest. If you have a list of things you want to do, then do it. I have a list of things I want to get done this week. I will try and get them all done, but most important is to do the things I need to do. But on my list, there are also things for me. Like, take time to read. Take a walk with the dogs. Enjoy the snow.

It is important to take time for yourself. Self-love and self-care are important. Don’t forget that. Now I am going to continue on with my school work.

Motivational Monday ~ 11th October

On By NeaIn Motivation, Motivational Monday, quotes, StudyingLeave a comment

A late Motivational Monday post today. I was going to ignore posting today, but I wanted to post it so here I am doing it anyway.

Last week was both a great week and a hard week. I will not go in to the hard parts of the week, more than I got to know how long the waiting list to see a psychologist in my county was. Some other things also occurred, but I am choosing to keep those private, because they are not really mine to talk about.

But the great things that happend, or the greates was that I finallly got the results of my Master Thesis. The week before I defended my thesis and last week I got the news that I passed. My thesis was accepted and now I am one step closer to getting my Masters Degree. I am so happy I could burst. I have worked so hard on this and it paid of. Even times I wanted to quiet I still continued to work.

But now its time for this weeks Motivational Quote.

I choose this as I thought it was fitting to my situation and not giving up made my master thesis become finished and now accepted. So don’t give up. Keep on fighting. You can do it!

I wish you all a fantastic week.

Love, Nea

Important to remember

On By NeaIn Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health, StudyingLeave a comment

Sometime you need to make decisions that are hard, even though you know that it is for your own sake. Like today. I had to withdraw from a course, because I need to finish my master thesis and I can’t do that and study 100%. That would mean that I would be putting in at least 80 hours weeks until the end of September. And my mental health would not handle that. I would be a wreck.

It feels like a failure, but I needed to do this for me. For my health. For my well-being. I need to be better at realizing that it is: It is okay to put yourself first. It is okay to make sure that you don’t stress to much.

Maybe some of you also need to remember that. I don’t know. But I have promised myself as well as my husband to be better at putting my health above studying and getting good grades. It is not the end of the world if I fail, my health is more important.

Just needed to get this out of my head, and I though it might be something someone else needed to read (hear).

Life happens

On By NeaIn Anxiety, Depression, Heriot-Watt University, Mental Health, Panic attacks, Study Abroad, Studying, UniversityLeave a comment

In the middle of January I started my fifth year at University. Saying it out loud seems crazy, for two reasons. First, because a lot of people did not think I would even make it through one term at University because of my mental health problems. If you were one of them, well than I just want to say: “Fuck you!” I am stronger than you thought.

Secondly, because I was only planing on studying at University for 3 years to take my Bachelors Degree, which I have taken, but life happens. Or more exactly I had one exam hanging over me when I finished the thesis in the begining of January last year, so I had to retake it in March. Which meant that I studied one more term to have something to do while I waited to retake that exam. Than Covid happend and a lot of places would not hire people right out of University, so I countinued to study. And now I am here working on my Masters Thesis and If I take one more term after the summer I will have my Masters. And that sounds even more crazy.

I have showed so many people who doubted me that I am stronger than they think and that I will not be defined or limited by my mental health. It has not always been easy doing this, but with the support of my husband and my family and friends I have done this. I also managed to study one term abroad in Edinburgh, an experience I will always value.

I have lost a couple friends over the time, but that is mostly people who can’t handle my success or that have not been able to handle that I still have mental health problems. But I am better without these people. The friends I have gotten over the time I have studied that have stayed with me are true friends. The kind you can call whenever just to talk.

If I can do this then I know that you can go after what you want as well! Go after your dreams.

Love, Nea

150 %

On By NeaIn About me, Studying, UniversityLeave a comment

Yesterday was Monday and I did not post a Motivational Monday post. And the reason why was that I yesterday started studying 150 % and had three lectures back to back with only one hours lunch. I did not have time to write a post in the morning, since I needed to wake up, take care of the dogs and get ready for my day. My lunch hour was spent trying to calm down and get through the rest of the day. I though about posting a motivational post today, but so far I have studied, watched a recorded lecture and planed a bit of my studying for the next couple of days.

Some of you might wonder why I did not just write my Motivational Monday post this weekend and then schedule it. The truth is I did not think about it. I spent this weekend kind of stressed over my next 10 weeks with all the study load I have and how I will make it work with my dogs, having time for my husband and family as well as having time for housework and me time.

I am going to try and get a Motivational Monday Post out next week, but we will see. I have my first assignment due on Monday.

I wish you all a fantastic week and keep on fighting. I know I will.

Love, Nea

No Motivational Monday?

On By NeaIn About me, Life, StudyingLeave a comment

As some of you probably noticed I did not post a Motivational Monday post yesterday. And the truth is that time just ran away for me. I though about it when I got up, but then I had so much going on with the dogs, the washing-machine that decided not to work properly and studying for my exam on Friday. If I could sum up yesterday it was a crappy crappy day, but today is a new day and we will forget about yesterday and concentrate on the now.

So today I am sharing the song that inspires me the most at the moment. It is a song that’s been out there a while, but since I heard it the first time it has kind of stuck with me.

All I can say, maybe I really need my Motivational Monday to start the week off in the right way. I am going to try and do a post next Monday, but I don’t think that will be an issue. Next Monday I am starting a new course for Uni, since the course I am taking now ends after my exam on Friday. I am a bit nervous over the exam, but I will do my best and that is all I can do.

I am also going into town today to pick up the food I have ordered. My husband is having a full week as well and this will be the second time that I have ordered food to be packed in the foodstore by employes. This is great, becuse I saw a lot of time, I don’t have to be out and about with a lot of people who can be sick and I can stay safe.

But I know that before the year is over there are some stores I need to go to. I been doing the social distancing since early March. All my uni work I can do online, which is great and I have only been out with people when I know it’s safe and that I can control it. I never been in a shop when there are a lot of people there and I am careful. And I will continue to be so until this pandemic is over.

I hope you all are taking care of yourself and keeping your distance from people. Now I really need to start my day and get some studying done.

Love, Nea

Fall

On By NeaIn About me, Studying, UniversityLeave a comment

Yesterday was the first official day of fall, but let’s be honest. It’s felt like fall a couple of weeks not with the crisp air, the leaves turning yellow, orange and red. We have started lightning fires in the fireplace and having more candles burning in the evenings. The other day I literally stumbled over some chanterelles in the woods when we where out walking. I picked them up so my husband how loves them could eat them with his dinner.

I have a fall cleaning in mind for the whole house, but I still have a lot of things I had planed on doing this summer left to do, like paint the hallway uppstairs. I hope I have the time to do that, with uni and everything else.

I also have a full shopping list of things for the house, like more blankets and candles. You can never have enough candles living in the woods when the electricity can go out at any second. Our supply is currently a bit low, but I will fix that soon.

I have a lot of work for Uni this week and in the end of next week I have a big exam. I am kind of nervous about this term paper I am working on and the exam, but I will do my best and try and keep my anxiety in check.

I wish you all an fantastic Wednesday and I hope I can post more updates and other things soon.

Love, Nea

Bye Bye 2019, Hello 2020

On By NeaIn About me, Depression, Edinburgh, Everyday life, Love, Mental Health, picture, Study Abroad, Studying, Thankful, Throwback, Travle

Happy New Year! I know this is very late.. I mean we are already 20 days into the new year, but I got the flu on Christmas Eve and had it for almost 3 weeks.. After that life has been about getting caught up with all. But now I finally have a bit more time and I wanted to share a post with you.

2019 is over and it was a good year, for most parts. The year started with me following a dream and moving to Edinburgh to study a term. It was so scary but wonderfully at the same time. The first two weeks where filled with a lot of tears, but I am happy that mu husband made me stick to it. Because studying there was one of the best experiences I have ever had. And I got an amazing friend, Cat, as well.

Under 2019 we moved three times. It fells kind of crazy now, but we moved from Sweden to Edinburgh in the beginning of the year. And then back to Sweden again in the beginning of summer. We actually bought a car in Edinburgh that we drove through Europe to get home to Sweden. It was full of all our things, but it was a trip I never will forget.

Then the weekend before Christmas we moved to out new home. It was really bad timing of us to get the flu at Christmas, because it has meant that we the last couple of weeks been living in our suitcases and boxes. We are slowly getting things in the right places, but we still have a lot of things and furniture left in the old house. And one of the hard things with this is that when you are looking for something and remember that it’s in the other house 30 minutes away, by car.

The view from out front porch the other day.

But I am thankful for 2019. A year I will never forget. Now I am ready for 2020. And I am going to make the year as good as I can. I know my husband and I will have a great year together, renovating our new home to make it more ours.

I wish you all an fantastic, magical 2020.

Love, Nea

First snow, exam studying and remembering our loved ones

On By NeaIn About me, Life, Studying

Today the first snow of the season fell. It was so beautiful and we took the morning walk with the dogs in it. I just love snow. But of course, it melted away when it hit the ground. But the cold weather is coming this week and I hope we get a proper white Christmas and winter this year.

I spent the weekend studying for my exam on Friday. I really need this exam to go well. And I also have a presentation on Tuesday that is very important for me because it is in front of some people who works for the company I want to work for in the future.

Yesterday evening my husband and I went to two different cemeteries to light candles for our loved one who is no longer with us. It is a tradition to do once a year. I have heard it is called All Saints’ Day in English, but I don’t know if it is true. It is so beautiful with all the candles lit at the cemeteries. And we visited the grave of a where special person, a family friend, who died when I was studying in Edinburgh. I have not had the courage to visit his grave since I came home. But yesterday I did and we left a candle burning on his grave. I cried and got to say my goodbye for real. Because it became real when I saw his name. He really is gone. And he is missed.

I just wanted to stop by with this short post and let you know that I am still alive, but I can’t guarantee I will be able to post anything this week. Maybe next weekend. I need to study for my exam. I wish you all a fantastic week.

Love, Nea