Journal 1: Mindful Noting
Report: Yes, I completed the exercise. I listened to classical music, Noah Kahn, and worship. The classical was peaceful and calming. The worship was uplifting and motivating. Lastly, Noah Kahn was calming but also unsettling in some ways.
Respond: The experience has been positive. It has made me take a deeper look at how music makes me feel. It has also helped me understand more about how different music can affect different people. Usually, when I am listening to music for an assignment or something along those lines, the teachers look for a specific answer. However, I like how in this class when we listen to music we are all entitled to our opinions on how the music makes us feel.
Reason: Yes, the exercises work for me. I am going to try and listen to the music outside next week
Rethink: Yes I want to continue with these exercises. Yes, I want to understand more about how music can affect us in different ways and influence our emotions.
Journal 2: Nature
Report: Yes, I completed the mindfulness exercise this week. This week it was so nice walking and studying around campus. Taking in the beautiful weather, and spending time in nature made my week so much better.
Respond: Listening to the sounds in nature for me was so much more relaxing. Especially when I am studying outside I can think so much more clearly. Rather than studying inside with music playing. While I was studying outside or just doing homework I noticed that time moved so much faster when I was outside rather than inside.
Reason: Yes, it does seem to make a difference because, for the most part, it is quieter than in my loud suitemate-style dorm. Yes, I definitely agree with Hampton that humans need to go outside and get away from man-made noises. However, I think unless you are completely secluded in the middle of the woods, hearing manmade sounds is inevitable. My favorite study spots on campus are the more secluded ones where there is not a lot of traffic and people walking by. In these spots, my favorite kind of sounds are the cicadas and hearing the leaves on the trees blow.
Rethink: My goal for next week is to continue studying outside. It allows me to think more clearly. I want to continue to learn more about how being outside in nature can be beneficial.
Journal 3: Sleep
Report: Yes, I completed the exercise this week. I attempted to go to sleep every night at 10:00 p.m. for three nights in a row.
Respond: How was the experience? What went well and what obstacles did you encounter? Did you notice any positive effects, or were the results disappointing? I started to wind down my body and not get on my phone around 9:30, however, my suitemates were being very loud so it was very challenging to also wind down my mind. The mind can be the most challenging part of my body to go to sleep. I don't know about everyone else but my mind starts to move even faster when I need it to be quiet. Even when I tried to fall asleep at an earlier time tits like my body couldn't go to sleep. I also realized once it hit midnight it was like my whole body was wide awake. To be honest it was disappointing because It was very challenging to fall asleep earlier than I usually do.
Reason: I think it definitely would have had a greater impact if I didn't have roommates, or if I had bought a pair of earplugs. It was very different from the nature exercises because the nature ones were more peaceful. I am used to falling asleep with something playing and I tried not to this week however that did not work.
Rethink: I think I am going to completely for an hour before I go to bed. I am hoping this will really change how fast I can fall asleep. I also want to try and read before I go to sleep to make my eyes tired.
Report: Yes I completed the exercise and the strengths I have noticed are being creative, intelligent, and persistent. By being creative I have been able to create a fun and aesthetic site.
Respond: Do you normally take time to celebrate your successes (even the seemingly insignificant ones?) How did it feel to keep a record this week? No, I normally do not keep a record of my success/strengths. However this week it has been really nice to actually give myself credit.
Reason: I don't think I gave myself a sense of false accomplishment because the things that I think are my strengths I have had other people tell me as well. I did track the things that didn't go as good but I tried to outweigh the good things with the bad ones. I hadn't really noticed how persistent I can be.
Rethink: Is this a worthwhile practice to continue? If so, how might you incorporate it into your routine? Do you have a network of support (people who help you build confidence) and a network of challenges (people who can offer constructive criticism)? Where might you find people for these networks? I want to try and start trying to look at the positives about myself rather than the bad parts/flaws. I can incorporate it when I think I am not good enough at something I can remind myself of the thing I am good at. I think I have a very good support system of people who will tell me what I am doing well at but also what I can work on.
Report: Yes I completed the exercise this week, I listened to music sometimes but then sometimes I didn't.
Respond: I noticed that if I exercised earlier in the day it made me feel more productive and more focused throughout my day. When I exercised later in the day I noticed that it made me more awake and gave my body a boost of energy. Whether it was earlier or later in the day it improved my mood.
Reason: How did your experiences with (self-directed) exercise involve or enhance your creativity? While it might seem a little grandiose, what did you learn about yourself this week? Instead of saying "I wish I would do this more" or that "I wish I could be as productive as them," I started implementing these things into my life. For example, I like working out or just going on walks more often. I found that working out not only made me feel productive but also made me more motivated. I don't know if it exactly made me more creative but I guess you could say it made me more creative about how I worked out/got my body moving. Instead of lifting heavy weights, I decided to try lighter weights.
Rethink: Yes, I want to continue learning how exercise can benefit me throughout my week. I also want to try new kinds of exercise different from the regulars like running, lifting, etc. I want my results to be making me feel and be more motivated throughout my week.
Report: Did you complete the task? Yes, I completed the exercise this week by practicing positive self-talk.
Respond: I have practiced journaling but only journaling about my day not writing down positive things about myself or self-talk. The first day was difficult because it was a new exercise like any other one. However, after a couple of days, the self-talk got easier. When negative thoughts emerged I had to remember the good things not rest on the bad things/flaws.
Reason: I decided this week to start listening to music without words. For example Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven. This exercise develops positive self-talk/confidence because I have learned something about a new genre of music. It makes it easier to talk better about myself and this means I have gained more confidence.
Rethink: Yes I think it would be beneficial to start implementing writing good things down about other things in my life not just about music in general. However, I don't think I would take 10 mins out of my day to write everything down. Instead, I could learn new things so I can be more confident with a lot of new things not just about music. I could read more and also maybe learn to play a new instrument.
Report: My priorities pie chart is attached above.
React: For me personally this exercise helped me see my priorities better and truly think about what I was putting first. I don't think this exercise was necessary however it did help me understand my priorities better.
Reason: Review the strengths you identified for Reflection 1. List five ways you can leverage these strengths to stay focused on your priorities. My strengths can help me stay focused because I'm motivated and with motivation comes being able to prioritize the right things because I know what I need to get done and how and when I need to accomplish them. I'm creative and I can find new ways to accomplish things. I'm smart and can get things done on time with efficiency. I am kind and have learned that my friends need to come first before school. Lastly, I am honest and will tell people the truth and this helps me prioritize my friends and family because I will not just tell them what they want to hear.
Rethink: What things are not priorities? How do you not want to spend your time and energy? Create a "To Don't" list of things to avoid in the next five weeks. I don't like spending my time and energy on nothing like just sitting on my phone because in college especially in college there is always something that needs to be worked on stand urned in. But I also think sometimes I need to just rest and not work on my assignments. Things that are not priorities are spending too much time on my phone.
"To Don't List "
Spend too much time on my phone
Not exercise
School over everything
Friends over family
Report: This week I made the small goal to read a book that was not related to school. My group really didn't check up on one another, This is something I will do a better job of in the weeks going forward.
React: This small goal I would say really affected me because it allowed me to be motivated and stick to something more than just 2 days at a time. I think it affected my sense of well-being a little bit but nothing huge that was life-changing.
Reason: I see setting goals as something that will make me feel more accomplished throughout my day, and sometimes I do feel like it is just something else I could fail at. I think it's a mindset that even though I don't wanna do this I need to because it will be beneficial to me in the long run. This is what I have to tell myself when I do not want to do something as simple as washing my face, but I know that if I don't, I will wake up the next day with a break out on my face.
Rethink: I think the biggest thing is that what you spend time doing is what your life will turn into. If you spend all your time on your phone then you will not get anything done. However, if you make it a priority to do things that will help you and make you more successful then you will be successful. In the past two weeks, I have been doing a better job of making time for my friends instead of just doing my schoolwork all the time.
Report: Ideally, you were able to track things that have gone well for you in this course at least three times this week. Did you complete the task? Yes, I completed this task. Some things that I have realized went really well were the priorities exercises and the mini-goals.
Respond: How easy or difficult was it to think of positive experiences? How have you been doing overall in the last three weeks? I don't think it was hard at all, these small but very effective exercises do make a difference even if I or other students don't realize it.
Reason: How have you grown as a person since the beginning of the semester? Have there been any defining moments or a gradual series of small things? Which experiences have made you a better person and which were simply trials? I have definitely grown as a person since the beginning of the semester. I think everyone has grown in some ways because of how big of a change coming to college is. I don't think there have been any defining moments throughout this semester but there have been several small things that have happened. I think my suitemate situations have taught me a lot, just about how people treat you. However, regarding this class, I think the biggest one during the last part of the semester has been the priorities. It really helped me see where I was putting in my energy and time.
Rethink: What do you expect to go well in the coming weeks? What resources/tools might you need to help them come out well? I expect for my schoolwork to continue to go well. I feel like I have a good understanding of how to manage my schoolwork. With this class, I am not excited to continue group projects, but I am hoping we're almost done with those.
Report: On a 10 pt. scale (with 10 being "Outstanding"), how would you rate your teamwork experience over the last three weeks? What factors contributed most to your answer? I would rate my teamwork experience at a 6. I really don't love working with other people who don't put in that much effort.
Respond: While the individual assignments were important, their actual purpose was the teamwork itself: if the most important grading criterion was to create an environment where everyone felt they were valued and would be taken seriously, what would your grade be? I don't really know I feel like my group was kind of hard because even when the more active members would try to engage the more non-active ones nothing would really motivate them to help.
Reason: What were some things that you did, or could have done, in order to have improved the teamwork experience for everyone? To be honest I have no idea. We made a group chat thinking it would be easier to meet together, but that didn't really help. I think we all do have a good time trying to complete the assignments, it is just hard to have people do the work they are supposed to be doing.
Rethink: While group projects are very frequently poorly designed, teamwork consistently appears on lists of job skills employers expect. How might you build these skills in spite of the limitations of the group projects you will be assigned in the coming years? I think really just assigning equal amounts of work throughout the whole group.
Report: Ideally, you were able to brainstorm at least ten ideas for things, activities, etc. to include in a personal "Self-Care Kit," and then choose the top five. Did you complete the assignment? Yes, I was able to complete this assignment and I was able to complete 10 things for the week. The first thing I did this week was to brainstorm different kinds of music/create music, and for my design class, I created concept boards for the kiosk I am designing. This I would say is the main creative activity I accomplished this week out of the 10.
Respond: How easy or difficult was it to come up with ten things? Did you think of more than ten? How many of these are things you already do, wish you could do, or wish you could do more? It was pretty easy to come up with 10 things. As someone who is in school for design, and is learning about the design process I would say it came pretty naturally. I think the things I already do would design different things through generators because of interior design. I listen to music frequently, and also love just walking around campus taking in the fall weather.
Reason: How practical is this list? Are these things you can incorporate into your routine, or has that been the problem? How do they reflect your priorities? I feel like the list is pretty reasonable at least for me and the list relating to my major/and minor. Yes, they were very easy to incorporate into my routine. They reflect my priorities because they go along with schoolwork and that is pretty high up on my priorities list.
Rethink: Part of the challenge this week was to reframe "managing time" as "managing energy." Ideally, you can build energy to tackle schoolwork, jobs, etc. despite taking time for self-care. Have you experienced this in the past with any of these activities? How can you remember to connect self-care to energy to work, in order to avoid simple avoidance or distraction from work? I think it is easier said than done and for me it was very hard to discern managing time and energy. Because most of the time I would say I am doing work 95% of the time when I don't have the energy to do it. However, this past week I have only been doing schoolwork when I have the energy, and I have also been taking breaks during schoolwork so I am not working on a project for more than like 3 hours at a time. I connect self-care to energy because schoolwork takes a lot of energy which is why this week it was really nice to conserve my energy.
Report: Ideally, you were able to go on a mental diet and track the results three times this week: did you complete the task?
Yes, I was able to complete this exercise this week.
React: Media just "is," it isn’t inherently good or bad. What did you find out about the way you (personally) consume media?
I discovered that when I get on social media several times throughout my day I find to be more judgemental of others throughout the day. In that example, it has a negative effect on me. On the opposite side of things on occasion, it can have a positive effect. When I post something on social media it can have a positive effect on me because I get to post.
Reason: How does the media you consume help you to achieve your goals, or recharge after a tiring day (or week)?
I think the media that I consume really affects me because it can either be motivating or unmotivating depending on what the video or media is promoting. It can recharge me by almost calming me down in some ways like listening to calming music.
Rethink: We often think in terms of "getting ready" for professional life, but there's no getting ready: our lives are already in progress. How do you want to spend your time?
I think this is something that is very important to think about because the time is now. We can't keep putting off becoming the person we're supposed to be. We can't keep saying we will do it tomorrow but the time is now.
REPORT
Yes, I completed all three exercises, and yes I continued to think of my future outside of class.
As I exit the elevator and start walking down a well-lit hallway there are 5 doors. To my left and right two doors say different outcomes of my future. Directly in front of me, I see a pink door that says best possible future. I see in front of me a light pink door that says best possible future. I decide to go through this door and twist the door knob to enter. As I enter I go through what looks to be rays of bright light and I soon realize I am standing in a large field. As I continue walking ahead of me I see a mirror and I am intrigued. I walk up to the mirror and I see a woman standing looking back at me. I soon realized that it looked to be an older version of myself, and she looked to be about 27. She motions me to follow her through the mirror and as I go to touch the mirror with my pointer finger it disappears through the mirror first then the rest of my body. After I enter the mirror, I realize that I am standing in a small building that looks like a store of some kind, a boutique maybe. I still follow as she leads me through this store or company until we walk out the front door. As I look behind me as we cross the street the building is titled Liz's Designs. I realize that future me owns her design firm. I tap her on the shoulder and she turns around. I asked her how she got here and what had to happen. She says "A lot, I graduated from High Point University and worked at a design firm for two years, then I decided to open my own firm, and it has been open for 5 years now."
RESPOND
It was very interesting because I think I envisioned my future exactly how I would want my future to look. However, no guarantee that how I portray my future self in the example above will happen. In this exercise, I was the one determining my best possible future but it will look different for everyone depending on what their goals and desires are.
I would say nothing was crazy surprising I mean I am majoring in Interior Design. My goal is to one day open up my own design firm, and I think about this in my future a lot.
REASON
I would say the future I envision for myself was pretty reasonable. Will it take hard work and a lot of long hours? Yes of course. However so will anything, the hardest things are always so worth it in the end, or at least they are for me. I envisioned myself owning my own company in the future because I think it is possible.
RETHINK
I think it is very important to think about your future, and college is the perfect place to know or establish those goals. I see myself in the future working or owning my own company. I am setting myself up for those goals by attending college and majoring in interior design.