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Virtual Pamphlet Collection Index 1. Creating Your Life Map 2. Getting a Good Night’s Sleep 3. Grief: Coping With The Death of Someone Close To You 4. Goal Setting and Motivation 5. Journaling Resource List 6. The SQ3R Method: A Reading/Study System 7. Test Taking Tips 8. More Journaling Ideas ................................................................................................................................ Creating Your Life Map By Theresa Sharpe, PhD
What is a Life Map?
A life map is an illustrated autobiography which visually depicts significant events, decisions, accomplishments, experiences, people, hobbies, and transitions in your life. A life map is a guide to your own unique life journey. It provides an opportunity to reflect upon and illustrate your own personal history. What to include in a Life Map......... In order to decide what to include in your life map, you might first consider what periods or spheres in your life you wish to represent. Do you want to trace your personal history from childhood or do you prefer to chronicle the more recent past, the present, and/or the future? Here are some questions to help you generate ideas about what you wish to include in your life map: - places lived? - favorite foods? favorite games? favorite hobbies? favorite toys? favorite pets? favorite interests? favorite clothes? favorite movies? favorite vacations? - major events? significant life experiences? salient memories? - accomplishments? -significant people or relationships? Constructing the Life Map............... Your life map might resemble a road map, a treasure map, or a geographical survey map. Your life journey might be represented as a road, a winding path, a river or stream, or an aerial flight path. Alternatively, you may find other ways to represent personally relevant information on your life map. Many people find that ideas for constructing the life map emerge as they jot down ideas, or page through magazines. DO allow yourself to be creative and avoid judging or censoring your work. DO use whatever materials appeal to you (crayons, markers, magazine pictures, photos, yarn/ribbon, dried flowers, glitter) There are no rules for making a life map - experiment and enjoy yourself. Here are just a few possibilities: - create a chronological time line of your life. Label the years, and illustrate your time line with words, cartoons, symbols, and/or photos. - draw symbols or signs that represent significant markers in your life (e.g., the hospital where you were born, the park where you learned to ride a bike, your first job, your first love). Weave streets, highways, rivers, and sidewalks into your life map. - create a “life book” with each page corresponding to a particular “chapter” in your life (e.g., infancy, adolescence, college etc.) Decorate each page with meaningful words, poems, written excerpts, magazine pictures, or personal photos. - create a composite collage which represents you and/or your unique personal life journey. - create a treasure map: draw an image of your “buried treasure” (e.g., unrealized dreams or goals, dormant talents, unexplored interests, special qualities) with a path leading to the treasure. Who/what are the obstacles and helpers along the path? How can barriers be circumvented? - draw, paint, or collage your desired future Your Life Map may become an ongoing project. You may wish to frame it, keep it in a special folder, and/or share it with someone special..................
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Getting a Good Night’s Sleep By Kasey Wojtek, M.A.
Have a regular sleep schedule.
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. If you stay up later during the weekend, try to alter your schedule by no more than a couple of hours.
Avoid napping during the day. Make your time for sleep at night only. If you must nap, make it earlier in the day and for 30 minutes or less, if possible. Rid yourself of distractions. Make sure that your room is quiet, peaceful and at a comfortable temperature. Develop a “wind down” routine start approximately one hour before your bedtime. Have a light dairy or carbohydrate snack. Avoid sugar and chocolate snacks and caffeine late in the day. Avoid drinking large amounts of fluid late in the day. It is important to get your daily 8-10 glasses of water a day, but try to knock most of these out earlier in the day to keep from waking up in the middle of the night. Heavy meals close to bedtime can also interfere with a good night’s sleep. Alcohol can relax some individuals, but tends to promote irregular sleeping patterns throughout the night, so it is best to avoid alcohol right before bedtime. Try to exercise and take hot baths/showers earlier in the day. These things can actually keep you awake longer if done right before bedtime. Exercising earlier in the day can help promote a deeper sleep during the night. Avoid a lot of physical and mental activity late in the day (except sexual activity). Avoid “clock watching. Try not to have a clock within clear view from your bed if you tend to stare at the clock when you are in bed. Strengthen the association between your bedroom and bedtime. Use your bed to go to sleep. Don’t work, study, watch TV, worry or eat in bed. Don’t worry in bed. Many people tend to worry about things when they are trying to go to sleep. If this happens to you, try to designate a 30 minute “worry time” for earlier in the day, when you can write down your concerns and brainstorm about solutions. Don’t lay in bed awake for a long time. If you don’t fall asleep within 30-60 minutes, get up and leave the room. Come back when you start to feel sleepy and try again. Allowing yourself to lay in bed and become frustrated because you are not asleep yet is only going to make matters worse. Some students find that reading a dry textbook or listening to a book on tape makes them drowsy. Use relaxation techniques Your body is best prepared for sleep when it is in a relaxed state. You are also much less likely to focus on external stimuli when your attention is focused inward. Try some slow, deep breathing, focusing on each inhalation and exhalation. Focus on your body sensations one at a time. Another relaxation technique is to start from one end of the body and begin to relax all of your muscles, one muscle group at a time. Ask for help. If you have been having serious difficulties sleeping for several months, contact your doctor or a counselor to insure that there is not a more serious problem that should be addressed.
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GRIEF: COPING WITH THE DEATH OF SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU
It is natural to experience a variety of physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions after the death of someone we care about. Initially it may be difficult to accept the reality of the death due to feelings of shock, numbness, and denial. As time passes, other feelings (anger, confusion, guilt, yearning, despair, anxiety) may emerge. Physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, tightness in the throat, and digestive problems may also occur. There is sometimes a tendency to try to avoid all of these intense feelings. The reality, however, is that we cannot avoid these feelings indefinitely. Giving ourselves permission to grieve is essential for healing and acceptance of loss. It is important to be patient and gentle with ourselves as we experience these reactions. There is no particular timetable for the grieving process and the mourning period will vary for different individuals. The following are some suggestions for dealing with the pain of losing someone close to you:
Coping With Grief and Loss: Give yourself time and space to grieve Slow down. Avoid taking on extra responsibilities or making big decisions. Share your memories of your departed friend/family member with others Be gentle with yourself when memories and intense feelings come up - remember this is a natural and important part of the grieving process. Be as open as you can in expressing your feelings. Cry if you need to. Talk about any sense of unfairness, anger, or sadness that you may be experiencing. Take extra good care of yourself - your body needs plenty of sleep, healthy food, and exercise to cope with this stressful loss. Resist any urges to numb your pain with alcohol or other drugs. Spend quality time with special people in your life Find your own personal way to honor the memory of your departed friend/family member. You may find that journaling, prayer, meditation, contemplation, or creating a special ritual(s) (e.g., lighting candles, special gatherings, music) provide a means of both mourning the loss and cherishing the memory of your loved one. Find and use support systems (e.g., friends, family members, clergy, counselors) Campus & Community Resources: University Counseling Center 825-2703 University Health Center 825-2601 Baptist Student Ministry 825-2707 Newman (Catholic) Student Center 993-5898 Latter Day Saints Student Assoc. 825-5753 Christian Fellowship 825-5753 Family Counseling Service 852-9665
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Goal Setting and Motivation By Kasey Wojtek, M.A.
Focus:
What things would you like to change in your life? How would you like your life to be different? Think about how you can get from where you are now to where you would like to be. Be Specific: Categorize the changes that you would like to make in your life into smaller, more manageable and realistic goals. Be specific in stating these goals. Example: I need to stop procrastinating and study more often. Ask yourself the following questions: Am I doing this for myself or for someone else? Is this really MY goal? Is this goal realistic? Does this goal tie into long range goals that I have for my life? Can I emotionally and physically support this goal? Can I visualize myself after having reached this goal? Plan of Attack: Create a list of things that might stand between you and your goal. This can help you be aware and alert while working towards your goal, helping you to stay clear of roadblocks. Create a list of resources and personal strengths that will help you to achieve your goal. Take advantage of available resources and focus on the strengths you have as you work towards your goal. Write out exactly what you will begin to do to work towards your goal and stick to it. Example: I will study for my history class for two hours in the library every night between 6 and 8 p.m. Set a realistic time frame, in which you would like to achieve your goal. If necessary, set up certain levels you would like to reach by a certain time, working your way to the final goal. Include others who can help you monitor your progress. Enlist a friend or classmate to study with you. State to your friends what you will do; for example, tell them when and where you will study for your history class. Also, if there are workshops, classes or programs that might help you work toward your goal, take advantage of them. (Example: Attend a study skills workshop or a presentation on procrastination.) Realize that there will be times that you succeed and times that you will fail when working towards any goal that is worthwhile. Step back and reassess your goal each week. Are you being too strict? Too lenient? Is your goal realistic and manageable? If not, refine it! Don’t forget to reward yourself along the way as you accomplish different steps to your goal and as you stick to your action plan!
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Journaling Resource List
Compiled by Theresa Sharpe, PhD
Journaling Guides Adams, Kathleen. (1990). Journal to the Self: Twenty-two Paths to Personal
Growth. New York: Warner Books. Baldwin, Christina. (1990). Life’s Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual
Quest New York: Bantam Books. Capacchione, Lucia. (1979). The Creative Journal: The Art of Finding
Yourself Athens, OH: Swallow Press. Chapman, Joyce. (1991). Journaling for Joy. North Hollywood: Newcastle Publishing. Offner, Rose. Journal to the Soul. A gorgeous journal workbook with journal exercises and space to write/draw these. Rainer, Tristine. (1979). The New Diary. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. SARK. (1993). SARK’s Journal & Playbook: A Place to Dream
While Awake. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts. A lively and colorful journal workbook.
Self-Nurturing, Comfort, Creativity and Journaling Ban Breathnach, Sarah. Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort
and Joy. New York: Warner Books. *guidelines for creating a “gratitude journal” and an “illustrated discovery journal”. Cameron, Julia. (1996). The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative
Heart. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. Louden, Jennifer. (1992). The Woman’s Comfort Book: A Self-Nurturing Guide for Restoring Balance in Your Life. San Francisco: Harper. *suggestions for creating a “comfort journal” and lots of wonderful self-nurturing ideas.
Creative Writing Goldberg, Natalie. (1986). Writing Down the Bones.
Boston: Shambala. Newman, Leslea. (1993). Writing from the Heart: Inspiration and Exercises for Women Who Want to Write. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press. Rico, Gabriele L. (1983). Writing the Natural Way. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc.
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The SQ3R Method: A Reading/Study System By Kasey Wojtek, M.A.
Use the following tips to get the most out of your reading assignments:
Survey: Look over the material before you begin reading. This will help you gather information and focus on what you are about to read. Focus on things like the title, introduction, headings and subheadings, bold or italicized print, graphics (maps, charts, diagrams, etc.) and the summary. These things are important tools you can use to help formulate goals about what you want to understand when you are done reading. Question: Take the heading of each section and turn it into a question. This will help you engage in the learning process and make important details stand out as you read. Creating these questions will also bring to mind some things that you may already know about the subject, as well activate your brain to search for new information. Your comprehension of the topic will increase as you read and you can always add more questions as you go. Read: Actively read each section, one at a time, in search of the answers to the questions that you have created. Recite: After you have read one section, look away from your material and see if you can answer your questions. If you cannot remember, look over the section again. Do not go on to the next section until you comprehend the one you have just read. Once you can recite back the answers to your questions, go on to the next heading and formulate the question(s) for that section. Another helpful tip is to write down key points and phrases in outline form on a piece of paper to help comprehension and to use for later review. Review: After reading the entire chapter, look back over the section headings and see if you still remember the answers to your questions. Cover up your notes and see if you are able to remember the key points. As you use the SQ3R technique, the process will become faster. Students often find that exam questions seem more familiar because they have been formulating their own and finding the answers as they read the text. This system also helps students to avoid wasting time by making the most out of their study time. ................................................................................................................................
Test Taking Tips By Kasey Wojtek, M.A.
Test Anxiety is very normal and most people report experiencing at least some anxiety when faced with an exam. Too much or too little test anxiety can lead to poor performance on an exam. The key is having a manageable level of test anxiety to optimize your test taking performance.
Preparation: Be prepared. Do not begin studying the night before an exam, which puts you at risk for not having enough time to effectively learn the material. Get a good night’s sleep. Pulling an “all nighter” will probably only leave you exhausted and unprepared the next day. Getting a good night’s sleep will give you a better chance of walking into the exam with a clear, fresh mind. Do not use substances to manage stress (this includes caffeine, alcohol, or any other drugs). These can inhibit clear thinking and may even make symptoms of anxiety even worse. Learn different relaxation techniques that can help you to ease tensions before and during the exam. Strategies like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation (alternating tensing and relaxing muscle groups throughout the body) can help to reduce tension, lower blood pressure and regulate your heart beat. These are all things that you can do in the classroom and no one around will even notice! Take good care of yourself! Eating right, getting enough rest and regular exercise will also help. Exerc,brising before the exam can also help to increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, which can help you think more clearly! Before the Exam: Be on time. Rushing into the classroom either late or last minute will start you out in an anxious state. Give yourself plenty of time to get to class at a relaxed pace. Avoid negative self talk. If you focus on negative thoughts, you are more likely to see them come true. Replace negative self talk with more realistic, positive thoughts. Avoid anxious classmates who are talking about the exam right before the test. If you have to, stand outside of the classroom and walk in when the professor arrives. During the Exam: Relax and don’t worry about your classmates. Read through the exam before beginning. Look at the types of questions on the exam and at how many points each type of question is worth toward your grade. This will allow you to better budget your time and allow more time for the questions that weigh more toward your final score. Make sure that you answer all of the questions. If you guess, you may or may not get partial credit; but if you turn in the exam with questions left blank, you are sure not to get any points for them! If you are uncertain of an answer, mark it and come back to it later. Move on to questions that are easier. Remind yourself that you probably know the answer to the questions, they will just come to you later. Other questions may even jog your memory and help you out with the answers that you may not know immediately. Practice your relaxation techniques if you become anxious or begin to draw a blank. This will help you to relax before returning your focus to the exam. Objective Questions: Read the question carefully, being aware of key words like “except”. Try to think of your own correct answer before reading the choices given. Then, read through all of the possible answers and eliminate any answers that are obviously wrong. Make your best educated guess from the choices that are left. Essay Questions: Read any instructions carefully and be aware of any special instructions, such as, “answer two of the following three questions”. Be aware of any key words like “describe, compare, contrast or identify” which will give you a better idea of what the professor is looking for and how to organize your answer. Organize your thoughts in a brief outline first. Then write a short summary paragraph, separate paragraphs highlighting any major points you need to make, and a conclusion paragraph. Be sure to include any related information that the professor may have emphasized in lectures. After the Exam: Review your test and make sure that you answered all of the questions. Take advantage of any extra time you have to refine your answers and re-check your work. Don’t go over questions with other students after you leave the exam. You are done with the exam and there is no point worrying about how you answered versus how your classmates answered. Reward yourself for a job well done!! If test anxiety persists, it may be helpful to work with a Personal Skills Counselor at the University Counseling Center to develop an individualized plan for managing test anxiety.
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More Journaling Ideas Compiled by Theresa Sharpe, PhD
1) make a collage of comforting images OR draw/paint a comforting scene
2) make a list of things that make you happy, add to it weekly - read this list when you’re blue 3) make a list of adventures you have had or would like to have 4) make a list of your dreams and desires 5) make a list of ways to nurture yourself 6) make a list of your fears 7) make a list of things that you find stressful 8) make a list of things that you’re disappointed about 9) make a list of things you need or want 10) make a list of your favorite movies - are there any common themes? 11) make a list of your favorite places 12) make a list of your favorite musical selections 13) make a list of things you’re grateful for, add to this list often. 14) clip pictures, quotes, or articles that appeal to you, paste these in your journal, & write about them. 15) clip favorite cartoons and paste these in your journal - reread these when you need a chuckle 16) create a personal timeline with words, images, and/or photos (include significant events, dates, memories) 17) draw/paint/write about your past, present, and future self 18) visualize a current challenge or problem and draw it. Name your drawing. Imagine that the drawing could speak to you - what would it say? how would you respond? Record this dialogue in your journal. 19) collage one of your relationships. Write about this collage. 20) write a character sketch of a friend or family member 21) listen to a favorite song, what images/ideas does it conjure up? draw/write/paint about these. 22) light some incense, potpourri, or a scented candle, what images/ideas does this aroma elicit? draw/write/paint about these. 23) paste envelopes into your journal, decorate these and/or create a background for them - fill the envelopes with whatever you choose (e.g., cherished letters, ticket stubs, photos, unsent letters etc.). You might want to create envelope “pockets” with different themes or contents (e.g., love, anger, treasures, personal, garbage bag). 24) create a “treasure map” - draw an image of your “buried treasure”, draw a map with a path leading to your treasure, illustrate the obstacles and helpers along the path (the path = your life). You might want to create treasure maps for different areas of your life (e.g., work, relationships, achievements). 25) describe a fantasy. 26) make a valentine for yourself (a collage out of pictures, lace, ribbon etc.) that celebrates your loveableness 27) write a love letter to yourself and mail it. Keep the love letter in your journal |
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