Katie: So, first, let's have a chat about study-life balance. It's something that we all struggle with, I think, where we want to be learning and doing our school work or college or uni work, but also we wanna socialise, we wanna do all the other things that we like to fit in our day that makes us feel good, and Doctor Julie had a brilliant piece of advice for us actually, she said that the best way to deal with that is to compartmentalise your day.

Vick: Oh, yes. Because when we're locked down, when we're in these four walls. It feels like everything is happening in the same space and we have no boundaries. So, you find yourself scrolling when you should be doing your homework, you find yourself exercising in the same space that you're supposed to eat your dinner, and it all gets a bit mixed up and we don't do anything to it's full. So, I found trying to have boundaries, trying to compartmentalise, making a timetable, so that I've got some time set aside for social media, some time set aside to go outside. So I'm not distracted by it, 'cos I know it's coming, it's a treat, it's in the diary and using my space in a way that means that I finish work, I finish work, and it's not leaking into my night and I'm not getting stressed about it. I saw someone say on Twitter the other day, we're not working from home were living at work, and it's so true. We shouldn't be doing that, we should be giving ourselves space and time for both play and work and trying to keep them separate.

Katie: Yeah, I think if you're giving yourself a daily timetable and a daily routine is good as well, because some of these things can distracts from the other. So, for example, if you're studying, but also your phone is there and it's pinging and you're distracted and you want to, kind of, go and scroll, and I'm terrible for wasting hours scrolling on my phone, It's definitely a good idea to put that to one side and say, right, I'm going to study, I'm going to learn for this next hour, then I can have half an hour sat on the sofa, scrolling through my phone, watching TV, doing whatever it is that makes you feel really good. And actually you get a lot more out of all those activities then, cos you're focusing on that one particular thing, you're not, sort of, doing half a job and being distracted by everything in the world.

Vick: That's so true, cos another one of the tips that doctor Julie had, was to set a timer for different parts of your day. So, a timer or pieces of work or study, a timer for time spent on social media, and when you've got a limited amount of time, you get more done, don't you? Because, you use the time wisely. You're not wasting any of it whiling it away.

Katie: Yeah, and it's so important whether you are studying, or not, to get that balance across your day, because then you just make sure you've made time for all the things that make you feel good. So, resting, socialising, working and studying, exercising, all those things are so, so important, equally, so, you need to put that timetable together and it will just mean that you can strike that balance and have a good day. Get the most out of your day.

Vick: And I know that we're going back to school now, but it still counts. It's still this same situation, try and compartmentalise even though you're back at school and there is a little bit more to help focus you because it's so, so helpful for making the most of your time.

Vick: OK, up next motivation! Yes, Katie. I know you love the advice that we got about motivation. What have we learnt about motivation?

Katie: It was mind-blowing to me what Doctor Julie told us about motivation, 'cos I always thought 'why don't I just wake up in the morning full of energy, wanting to workout and do all my chores, and just do everything in the world?' and she told us you can't just expect to feel motivation, you have to bring it on yourself. You basically have to act motivated and then the motivation usually follows. So, for example, you might not want to do a workout, but if you say, right now I'm going to do it and you sort of throw yourself into it, you'll probably feel motivated afterwards, and I always do. I'm like sat on the sofa thinking, I can't be bothered doing that exercise and then when I do it, I'm like, oh yeah I'm so raring to go now, I'm going to take on the world.

Vick: It was so small, but it was such a revelation wasn't it? It was like boom, and I did it today, I've been doing it ever since so, this morning I woke up, I didn't feel like going for a run or an exercise, but I thought you know what? It's really easy, really small bite sized bit of exercise, ten minutes, just do ten minutes. I went for a little ten minute run, came back and felt so motivated because I'd made myself, that I was then able to later go for a twenty-minute run cos I'd seen the fresh air, I'd seen the sun, I'd felt it and was, like, yes, it feels good, let's do more of this. I just need a taste of it to whet my appetite. So, like Doctor Julie says, don't wait for the feeling to arrive, we create the feeling. So if your goal is to get up and exercise in the morning, accept, look, it's normal, you're not gonna necessarily feel like it when you wake up. So make it as easy as possible for yourself to do it. Just start moving a little bit, a little bit here, a little bit there, even when your motivation is low, because when you've done it you usually come back feeling great.

Katie: Yeah, it's like Doctor Julie's piece of advice about setting a timer for your study-life balance. You can set at a certain time in your day to exercise or maybe to do your chores, so, for example, sometimes I can't be bothered tidying my room, sorting out my handbag and I'm like I should really do some washing – can't be bothered with it, but after you do those things, notice how you feel, and if you're anything like me you'll feel great afterwards, you'll think 'why didn't I just do that sooner?' because, actually it's made me feel really motivated and good.

Vick: Yep, such good advice.

Katie: Ok Vick, one of my favourite subjects now that we did as part of our Lockdown Wellbeing series... SLEEP!

Vick: I know you're a fan, I know you love your naps. Well, like Doctor Radha said, you have to make sleep a priority. A lot of us have struggled with it this year, there's so much going on in our minds, but there are some really simple, very practical things that you can do. So, Doctor Radha's tips are: Sit down, work out how much and the quality, as well, of sleep that you're getting right now, and what is causing the problems with your sleep? And if you do have worries that are impacting your sleep, write these things down, get them onto paper, talk to somebody about them. Don't leave it to just before bedtime, because by that point it is too late, and they're already in your head and they are going to stop you from sleeping. Turn off devices, at least a couple of hours before sleep, put the phone in another room. We are so connected to everything that's going on in the world and it can really eek into our dreams, eek into sleeping time, I've had a word for how I've been feeling, it's 'worldwhelmed', its that we're so connected to so much stuff, we're too small for this, it's too small to be thinking about all these big things all the time and it can make it really difficult to sleep and something that Katie, I know you do so well, make your bedroom a lovely, cosy haven. Create a regular routine around the time you sleep and what you'd do leading up to your sleep. Katie, what do you do?

Katie: Well, do you know what? I'm quite bad at doing the turning off my devices and the routine as well, sort of going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time. Those are the two that I really need to work on. But, you're right, I'm all for the cosy sleep haven. I have nice, cosy fleece bedding, I have lavender room sprays, I've got salt lamps, sometimes I put some nice whale noises on, or some sounds of waves, something like, like I'm all about that chilled-out before bed routine. So that, I really love and also the biggest, most important piece of advice Doctor Radha gave, I think, is that writing down a list of all the things that you're worried about, or just writing down a paragraph, almost like a diary, in your phone or on a notepad, if you're feeling stressed about something, because if you are worried or anxious about something, no amount of lavender oil is going to switch you off, but if you write those things and think ok, I'm going to deal with that tomorrow, I'm not dealing with that tonight, it's bedtime, that's just so, so helpful.

Vick: Oh, and I can vouch from first hand experience how much of a difference it makes. Look, I did a breakfast show for three years, I got up at half four every morning for three years and I did not get to sleep early enough the night before. So I just didn't get enough sleep and it really impacted my physical health, my mental health, and it's only on the other side of that, learning how important it is and getting enough sleep I feel like a whole new person. It is so impactful, it's so important, so please do prioritise it.

Katie: Yeah, so you know more than anyone Vick, how much not getting enough sleep can affect your daily life and we need to have a little look at our routines and think about how we can improve them, because then you've got more energy for work, for play and something else that we need energy for is creativity.

Katie: Something else that we need energy for is creativity.

Vick: Yes, creativity, it's so, so good for your wellbeing and it can take so many forms. So, I love to draw, I love to paint, probably the best way that I like to get creative, and this is not necessarily something people necessarily think about straight away when they think creativity, but it's dancing, its expression, it's freedom. I love, every single day, to put an absolute banger in the morning and just dance around like crazy around my house or my kitchen, or living room, like there's no one watching, cos there is no one watching... I'm here alone. And it's just pure joy that no-one can take away from me and I'm expressing myself. I'm not doing specific steps, I'm not doing choreography or routines, I'm just enjoying myself and once you let that creativity flow... you just feel so good.

Katie: Yeah, I completely agree, and I love.... I often think of you, if I do have a little dance around my room Vick, I think of you and I think this is what Vick does every morning. Sometimes I will, there will just be a song on and I'll have a little dance to it, and I think this is what Vick does every morning to get her going, and I can imagine it just puts you in a really great mood. I sing, so that's something I do round the house all the time. I'm always singing I'm always humming a tune and Doctor Radha says, you know, you don't have to do painting or writing or making art, those are the obvious things that we think of when we think of creativity, but it could be that you enjoy making spreadsheets or computer programming and you might not think that is a creative hobby, but it is, you're creating something. It's the same with dancing and singing, I mean, you know I love karaoke, I love singing in my car, singing just makes me feel so good, and do you know what? I'm not good at it, you don't have to be good at these things either, you don't have to be someone who's gonna sell masterpieces, or gonna win The Voice. If you enjoy that creative hobby, you just do it.

Vick: Sometimes, it's when you're not good at it. That the most joy is to be found in it if you know what I mean? I remember when I was at school we did a lot of reading and writing, and it sort of became a bit of a chore because it was part of the work, whereas once I realised I could read and write for fun, for pleasure, on my own terms, in my own time. It turned into this really beautiful recreational activity that I love so, so much. So it was almost distancing myself from it as a thing that I had to do and it becoming something that I wanted to do, that's when it became creative. And I know that writing, a lot of a lot of the young people that we talked to her life hacks, do journaling and writing down their thoughts and feelings, which is a brilliantly creative activity, but it's also it's a really good way of getting onto paper any thoughts that might be jumbled in your head and all of a sudden, on the page, there less insurmountable, so it helps you and you just feel a little bit lighter and you can sleep better as well then.

Katie: That's true. All of these things tie in together. Yeah, that's one of the biggest takeaways for me, actually, sort of notice how you feel after you do these things. You don't have to be doing this creative hobby because it's gonna be your job or it's gonna make you money, or you have to do it for school. Do it because it makes you feel good and notice how do you feel afterwards.

Vick: And look, remember talking to someone – it helps too. It is so, so important. If you're not feeling great, there is loads of support there, please, please remember that. Whether it's your friends, your family, do reach out and there are some links below as well, you are not alone.

Katie: There is always someone to help you. So take care of yourselves and thank you so much for watching.

Vick: Bye!