Category: Mental Wellness

Sharp Knives Aren’t Only for Chefs – Law Students Need Them Too

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By Nicholas Wall, 2L

“Sometimes you have to sharpen the knife to keep cutting.” It is a simple concept, really. To cut something, you have to have a sharp knife. No sharp knife, no cutting. In a less metaphoric sense, sometimes you have to take some time to relieve stress or do something fun, in order to continue producing your best work.

I heard it first from my girlfriend’s dad, a NJ lawyer who specializes in family law. “If you wake up and only live, breathe, and speak law school, you’re going to go crazy,” he said to me when I was stressed about potentially missing an entire Saturday of schoolwork in order to play in a rugby game. However, I don’t think he expected me to take the saying to heart as much as I have. Now more than ever we need to have a sharp knife. As Meghna pointed out in an earlier post, many of us have personal goals and expectations; and with the semester coming to a screaming, fiery, NASCAR-highlights level end, we need to have the sharpest knife possible to achieve those goals.

Now, everybody has different ways that they destress or have fun, so I won’t try to make an all-inclusive list. I asked around what people do and thought I would pass along what they said:

  1. Watch a new show. Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming sites are a law student’s kryptonite. However, if you’re able to do so in moderation, watching an episode of a new show while you eat or right before bed could be perfect.
  2. Get outside (respect the distancing). Getting outside when the weather’s nice and doing something you like to do will do wonders for your sanity. Personally, I thought this would be a great time to work on my rugby kicking. But if rugby isn’t your thing, (as it should be) go for a small hike, bike ride, or take a minute to work on your golf swing.
  3. Schedule Zoom meetings with friends. Just because we can’t physically hang out with our friends, doesn’t mean we can’t see them. Finding the time when everybody has a bit of free time to schedule a virtual hang out and catch up is an excellent way to destress.
  4. Watch a live music show or Broadway musical. In the wake of the shutdown there are a ton of channels popping up on YouTube that are offering free live shows or concerts from past performances.
  5. Read. No seriously, some people like to do that outside of law textbooks. Wind down at the end of the day, go outside (see above), or just take a few minutes to pick up that book that’s been waiting for you.
  6. Stay active. Doing yoga, running, lifting heavy things like taking out the trash, playing with your dog, these are just a few ways to continue to stay active. It is proven that keeping up with being active will mean you have a better ability to recall information when needed. This is essential for the end of the semester.

Again, this is not meant to be the end-all list. If there is something that is your go to for when you need a break, do that! Continue keep your eye on the goal, but remember, sometimes you have to sharpen the knife in order to keep cutting!

Suggestions to Stay Focused and Productive at Home

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by Meghna Srikanth, 2L Class President

Hello everyone! I know that many of us, including myself, are struggling with staying focused and motivated during the quarantine. Even though the school has provided us with some flexibility with the optional pass/fail system, many of us have our own personal goals and expectations of what we want to accomplish this semester despite the chaos in our lives right now. How can we accomplish these goals and expectations when we might be struggling staying focused and motivated in such atypical times?

I am no expert in this topic, and I, myself, have been struggling with this during the quarantine. However, after talking to some of our peers, here are some tips that we thought were helpful:

1.       Accept the fact that things are different now, and you cannot expect yourself to study in the same manner that you are typically used to.

2.       Break up your study time into much smaller increments, and do not force yourself to work past the set allotted time. It is okay to take breaks. However, if you are feeling motivated and able, feel free to continue studying. 

3.       Motivate yourself with rewards for accomplishing the tasks that you set out to do. These rewards can be small (e.g. baking your favorite dessert or watching the next episode of your favorite new TV show) or big (e.g. rewarding yourself with a hike or trip once we have this pandemic behind us).

4.       Try to create two different spaces in your home: a space where you are in your classes and a space where you study. It will prevent you from sitting in the same place for long periods of time in the day. 

5.       Try to create a balanced schedule for your day that outlines the tasks you want to accomplish and provides you with breaks to relax and have some fun.

6.       Quarantine can feel lonely, so take some time to check in with your friends. You can even schedule a Zoom study date with your friends.

Remember that no matter what happens, you are doing your best. These are unusual times, and it’s okay if you are struggling. Just take things one step at a time, and feel free to reach out and ask for help if you need it.

Need some more help staying motivated through online learning? Check out this article with more suggestions, courtesy of Prof. Louis Jim: https://theconversation.com/6-ways-to-build-motivation-to-do-your-schoolwork-now-that-youre-forced-to-learn-online-at-home-135493.