What I do to improve my mental health as an Architectural Assistant
It is Mental Health Awareness Week this week (15th -22nd May) and I thought this was a great time to reflect on things I have done recently to aid my own mental health as an Architectural Assistant in the last couple of months.
As an architecture student, I was always aware of my mental health and its decline if im being honest, but I never really consiously did anything to improve it. Now as an Architectural Assistant with my experience and knowledge of how to improve it and why its important, I thought it best to share with you.
Using a pen and paper
Is this considered ‘old-school’, if it is it shouldn't be. It to me is an absolute essential in helping me throughout the days, weeks, etc. I use a bullet journal most weeks and update it on the odd day - very helpful when I stick to it - and constantly make notes or do quick sketches at work.
I spend time outside
A truly undervalued activity that I feel a lot of students, not just architecture students fail to make time for, especially during these deadline months. As a student I was only ever outside to get to and from uni or my job.
Now as an Architectural Assistant with a little more free time to play with before and after work and at the weekends, I make a conscious effort to spend time outside. I make the effort to walk to and from the office, rarely but sometimes go for a lunchtime walk and at the weekend I like to explore new places (usually a historic building in massive gardens that I walk around).
Summer is coming, and there is more to see than the bright light of my/your computer or laptop. If you must, do some work outside - sketch, think, talk but please if you’re able, get outside.
I spend less time on social media
I wake up pretty early at about 6am and I recently spent a morning on social media watching random videos for at least a couple of hours before I got into work. I barely even realised that that amount of time had actually passed and if I’m honest, it’s quite embarrassing to admit.
So, I have set up a time limit on Instagram and TikTok - my most used social media apps. This way, my phone tells alerts me when I have reached my set limit and any additional time I spend is part of a more conscious decision!
Such an unknowingly time consuming task - picking up your phone for 1 thing and then ending up wasting an hour - I currently limit my time using inbuilt settings
Regular Exercise
I won’t lie, the addition of regular (or in some cases semi-regular) exercise to my routine has been a very new addition… Exercise has never really been a priority for me, especially as a student where I was working in the studio, working at home or working my part time job. Technically I there was time but I never made the time.
Now as an Architectural Assistant, I feel that I am making time to exercise. I have joined the gym, I walk into work and I actually think and consider my health with regards to activities which has been iunblieveablly helpful. Not just in myself and how I feel right after I finish a workout or even a walk - but it is also teaching me a lot about procrasination and motivation.
Aiming for 7 hours of sleep
Ah sleep. I know for an absolute fact that I do not get enough of it. I go to sleep at a reasonable time, but as I mentioned before, I wake up far too early with a body clock that gives be around 6.5 hours of sleep. Now recently, I have been consciously aiming for 7 hours, not a huge jump but changes sometimes need to made gradually to stick.
I am hoping in the next couple of weeks to bring that up to 8 hours which is pretty much unheard of me but I am looking forward to trying and experiencing the impact! So far the extra 30 minutes of sleep is working well, I feel and am a little more productive, stay more alert during the day and have more motivation to do more for myself!
I don’t always get 7 hours (usually just under) but the more sleep I get the better I feel during the day. I am way more focused, alert and motivated to complete the tasks I set myself or are set for me in the office
So, there it is - 5 things I am doing to improve my mental health as an Architectural Assistant, using my experience as an Architecture student and Graduate to inspire me.
I hope this was helpful for you and if you have any more ideas or comments, please feel free to leave them below.
See you in the next one!
