I am a true believer that self-care is one of the most important things to incorporate into our daily routines. Now that the stress of final exams is piled on top of election panic, COVID anxiety, social upheaval, taking care of ourselves emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally is crucial. I try to do one thing every day that brings me joy and comfort. Self-care looks different for everyone, but here are some ways I like to wind down to make sure I don’t get too burned out. Some might work for you, some might not. Some take more time than others, and may only be accessible to you after finals are over. The important thing is to recognize what you love to do and make a little bit of time for it every day!
Re-read your favorite book.
Go on a long walk in nature. Even if it’s a short one, walking every day has been found to be very beneficial for our mental wellbeing.
Buy a plant and watch it grow.
Watch your comfort show.
Call a friend.
Make a collage.
Take a really really really long shower.
Set a schedule for yourself and stick to it.
Go to bed early.
LISTEN TO WKNC!
Buy yourself something you’ve been wanting for a long time.
Bake something sweet and share it with people you love.
Clean your room.
Organize your closet and donate your old clothes.
Paint or draw, even if you’re bad at it.
Dance around your room.
Dress up for no reason.
Journal, journal, journal! Writing out all the things I’m stressed about helps clear my head.
Redecorate your room/home.
Watch concerts of your favorite artists.
GET. OFF. SOCIAL. MEDIA.
Find new music and update your playlists.
Buy some new skin/hair products.
Light a candle.
Make some tea, hot chocolate, or any warm beverage.
This week my Friday Favorites are my favorite lofi beats to relax to in honor of finals coming up. Be sure to check out these songs and more on WKNC’s Spotify page.
1. this girl by Elijah Who
No lofi playlist is complete without the addition of Elijah Who, one of the most well known beat makers within the genre.
2. nagashi by Idealism
Simple piano melody plus a chill beat plus the sounds of rain make for an interesting track that anyone would love.
3. Cut My Hair by Mounika
This lofi song uses a sample from a Cavetown song I love, and it’s perfect for studying and relaxing.
4. Ms.Prettybooty by The Deli
Great song from a beat maker, you can find more good vibes on their BandCamp. The Deli’s albums, especially “Encounters” are incredibly well-produced works.
5. she only likes me when i’m drunk by frumhere
A hazy, chopped-up sample from Shannon Saunders and an addictive beat makes for a classic favorite.
6. Small Things by softy
A quintessential lofi mini-playlist would not be complete without a track that comes with a piano melody and a good beat.
Album cover art for Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version by Ol' Dirty Bastard
ALBUM: “Return to 36 Chambers: the Dirty Version” by Ol’ Dirty Bastard
RELEASE YEAR: 1995
LABEL: Elecktra Records
BEST TRACKS: “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” “Brooklyn Zoo,” “Raw Hide,” “Don’t U Know”
FCC: Every track
For the uninitiated, Ol’ Dirty Bastard was one of the founding members of the legendary group Wu-Tang Clan, and indisputably the most eccentric. RZA was the mastermind behind the group’s mythos (and not to mention their beats), GZA was philosopher, and Raekwon was the chef, but ODB was definitely the wild card. His erratic life in the public eye – from dozens of run-ins with the law, to riding in a limo to cash a welfare check, to escaping rehab – served only to feed into his image as hip-hop’s drunken uncle.
But I am not here to discuss his fame – or infamy – depending on who you ask. Let’s talk about his presence on the mic.
Fortunately, ODB’s vocal performances were just crazy enough to stand up to his life outside of the booth. Nowhere is this more apparent than on his debut solo album, Return to the 36 Chambers: the Dirty Version, released in 1995. From the very first track – which is one of the best intro skits on any hip-hop album – Ol’ Dirty Bastard is characterized as a larger-than-life figure that spends just as much time on wax rambling half-coherently as he does rapping. If he isn’t doing either of those things, he’s singing with a one-of-a-kind delivery that mixes feverish yelping with warbled vibrato. This complements his uncanny ability to switch his emotional tone instantly, which ranges from drunken sorrow to unhinged lunacy. The only thing that can balance out ODB’s volatility is the RZA’s calculated production. Throughout the album, he combines samples from soul, funk, and English-dubbed kung-fu films to create a variety of grimy beats.
On Return to the 36 Chambers: the Dirty Version, Ol’ Dirty Bastard makes it clear that he has no interest in sounding like other artists. With his unmistakable voice and idiosyncratic personality, he was truly in a lane of his own, or as Method Man put it: there ain’t no father to his style. This album is a must listen for any hip-hop fan, and an experience in and of itself.
What’s going on Butcher Crew it’s ya girl, your Master Butcher, The Saw and finals are creeping up on us!! It’s like this semester flew by and we are now almost on break. Thank God. BUT one thing stands in our way of being stress-free and relaxed… and that is FINALS; one of the most stressful times in a student’s academic career. But have no fear, the Saw is here to survive finals week; aka, “Hell Week.” Now, when I say “butcher,” I don’t mean failing your exams. I own a Butcher Shop, so I need to use some play-on words sometimes. You know how people sometimes say, “I killed it,” or “I crushed it” when they finish something that took a lot of time? Yeah, that’s what I mean by butcher.
I have several papers and final projects I need to finish and I have started them this week. I know finals can be a very stressful period for students during this time. It’s also so easy just to tell yourself “you have more time” and you will “do a lot of work tomorrow,” but end up staying on your phone, watching a movie or a TV show, or talking to your friends and family. Trust me, I have been there; but I have a few tips that I have been practicing that has helped me prepare and finish my finals with less stress!
Plan ahead: I look at the days all of my finals are due and write them down in my calendar. When the deadline gets a little over a month away, I start to write down when I am going to start researching and working on my finals. This reminds me that I need to start looking at ideas and topics to use for my assignments. I would also write down the days that you want to begin working on your projects. I usually do research two weeks before the assignments are due, I then write and do more research a week before due date, and finally the week they are due, I will make some final touches before I turn them in. Professors usually have assignments in the course that help you plan for your finals. It’s better to plan ahead so you can have more time!
Have a research week: Usually, a week before I start the writing process of my final papers, I will take a week to read textbooks, articles, primary sources, secondary sources, and any texts that will provide information to my topic. I take notes on these readings and this helps me begin thinking about how I want to form my paper and which way I want to go with it. This also helps you begin to write your paper; you will already have ideas that you can go ahead and write about (don’t forget to cite your sources in the correct citation format). It’s okay if you don’t get all of your research done that week! You will have more time to do more research if you need to.
Begin with the first thing that is due: After your week of research, the following week When having so many assignments to look after, I usually start with the first thing that is due since I will have less days. Then, I will work on the next thing that is due, and so on. I have an easy hint that will help you finish your assignments in a less stressful manner: divide the assignment throughout each day. For example, I have a 15-page papers due one week. Now, this isn’t so bad because I am going to write 3 pages a day for 5 days (I usually do Monday – Friday). That is a piece of cake! It doesn’t make the workload seem that big when you are writing a few pages a day. Do this with each of your assignments and you will have your assignments done a few days before the deadline in no time! By doing this, you will have time each day to do more research for your papers while you are writing. You can also use the weekends to do extra work if you need more time to work on your assignments. Then on the day your assignments are due, all you will have to do is turn them in!
Listen to a final exam playlist: Music makes everything better. Especially working on finals, it will help you concentrate on your work since you won’t get distracted by the things around you. I have a few playlists that I like to listen to while I am working. Sometimes I like to listen to metal because there’s just something about it that keeps me productive and glued to my work. I also like some more lo-fi/R&B playlists that also soothe me while I am writing.
Take breaks: It’s okay to take some breaks here and there! You gotta eat and use the bathroom at some point! I like to work for an hour/hour and a half, without getting distracted, and then take a 30-minute break. This will help me relax my mind so it is refreshed to do some more work. This is also when I will talk to my roommates, text my friends and family back, and get on social media. I set a timer so I know when to get working again. I usually put my phone across the table from me so I am not tempted to get on it. This has worked so much.
Don’t be too hard on yourself: Hype yourself up and tell yourself you’ve done a good job. You are doing the best you can and performing at the best of your ability and that’s all that matters. You’re getting it done and you are killing it! Be proud of yourself and everything that you have done. You can either be your biggest fan or worst enemy.
Finals are a stressful time, but hopefully these tips can help you survive finals and be less stressed. And always remember, finals week isn’t as stressful and terrifying as The Saw’s Butcher Shop 😉
What are some tips and tricks that have helped you survive finals?
Thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, systemic police brutality and other unprecedented events, never has it been more enticing than in 2020 to abandon civilization and live in a cute hut in the woods, befriending forest creatures and making homemade soap. Yes, it would seem the “cottagecore” ideal is alive and well, but what if I told you its aesthetics are nothing new?
Enter Japanese recluse literature. Like cottagecore, this genre embraces living in harmony with nature, separate from society, but unlike cottagecore, it has no interest in romanticizing neocolonialism. Buddhist disciple Komo no Chomei was rejecting modernity in a time that would now be considered antiquity – around the turn of the thirteenth century to be exact – making him something of a hipster in the cottagecore scene.
Chomei’s masterwork, An Account of my Hermitage, establishes its themes from the get-go:
Though the river’s current never fails, the water passing, moment by moment, is never the same. Where the current pools, bubbles form on the surface, bursting and disappearing as others rise to replace them, none lasting long. In this world, people and their dwelling places are like that, always changing.
By equating us to the flow of water, Chomei brings into question the ephemeral nature of life. This comparison sets the tone for the rest of the piece, as he recalls several natural disasters – fire, windstorms, floods, earthquakes and famine – that spelled catastrophe for thousands of people. He also recalls human conflicts, such as the war between the Minamoto and Taira clans, but to him these are inconsequential when in the face of mother nature. To this end, Chomei paints a rather bleak picture of the human condition, and raises the question: “Where can we live, what can we do, to find even the briefest of shelters, the most fleeting peace of mind?” This is a question that I think is especially relevant today.
The remainder of the memoir is tasked with answering that question. Chomei’s solution was simple: since the source of man’s despair is his attachment to worldly desires, he would abandon them. In practice, this meant leaving the home he inherited from his grandmother and building a ten-foot square hut in the mountains where he would spend the rest of his days. With no connections to other humans and no attachment to material possessions except his hut, Chomei devoted the rest of his life to following the Way of the Buddha.
Buddhist monks were living with no attachment to the outside world long before the Western construction of cottagecore. By possessing little they suffered little; by rejecting desire they embraced enlightenment. You don’t have to be a Rinzai Zen master to see that sometimes, it’s the little things that matter the most.
Ok so obviously I understand that listening to these songs is not going to cause you to astral project. In fact, I’m not even 100% sure if I’m fully convinced of the idea. For those of you that don’t know, astral projection is a term used to describe an out of body experience, assuming that the soul is able to detach itself from the body. This would imply the immortal separate existence of the soul, but that’s a conversation for another day. I have personally never had this experience. Although, if I did, I feel like this is what I would be playing as I looked down from my projection.
“Jungle”- Tash Sultana I feel like I would just have to start off the astral projection with this song. It starts off with a little bit of light, bouncy, guitar but progressively adds more and more layers as the song goes on, coinciding perfectly with the feeling of your soul floating up into space.
“Changes”- A$AP Rocky Changes is the first in a long list of beautiful A$AP songs that I could make. This song is off of Rocky’s most recent album, “Testing,” and shows how truly diverse his music is able to be. The background harmonies are like no other, and there is an undeniable storyline that follows the flow of the song.
“Still”- JJ Switching over to SoundCloud for a bit, we hear one of the best uses of the ‘Still D.R.E.” sample to date. From start to finish, this whole song is just beautiful. The introduction includes a series of distorted, off-beat harmonies, which eventually flow into the iconic piano sound of “Still D.R.E.”
“4 Morant”- Doja Cat This is one of Doja Cat’s earliest songs and my favorite on this list. The lyrics are actually pretty sad, but it honestly adds to the astral projection experience. Because, just like Doja Cat, we have to go through hard times to grow. And this song is the perfect thing to emulate that idea. The ending of the song is the best part and it is best listened to at loud volumes.
“Same Ol’ Mistakes”- Rihanna This is a Rihanna cover of “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” by Tame Impala. But to be quite honest, her voice just fits the song better. The song deals with change, overcoming self-doubt, and dealing with criticism from others in spite of who you want to be. And if that isn’t the perfect song to end an astral projection to, then I don’t know what is.
Again,not saying that these are songs that will cause astral projection, but that I think it would just elevate the experience if they were played.
Now that Halloween is over, the holiday season is officially underway. What better way to celebrate than supporting local Raleigh artists, listening to Christmas music, and never leaving the comfort of your car?
This year, the City of Raleigh is teaming up with WRAL and Artsplosure to create a COVID-safe holiday light show at Dorothea Dix Park. Attendees will be able to circle the 1.3-mile-long loop that surrounds the park in their cars to view art installations and light displays created by local artists. The beautiful oak trees that make Dix Park so special will also be adorned with holiday cheer.
Vortex Pro Wash, a local Raleigh business, will be responsible for the majority of the light displays. Their designers, Nick and Melissa Rhodes, will be putting up over 400 light arrangements around the park, totaling over 500 strands of lights!
As apart of the experience, the creators of First Night Raleigh will have a special edition installation available to view on December 30 and 31 to commemorate the beginning of 2021. The iconic Raleigh Acorn statue, which is traditionally dropped on New Year’s Eve, will take on a new role this year as it’s combined with the holiday light displays at Dix Park. Mix 101.5, another local radio station, will be putting together a Christmas-themed set to play at the Nights of Lights as well!
Artsplosure Director, Michael Lowder said about the holiday experience, “The board and staff of Artsplosure are grateful to WRAL and the City of Raleigh for the opportunity to enhance the inaugural Nights of Lights festival with elements of First Night Raleigh. The primary focus of First Night has always been to gather our community together in celebration of the arts and a common purpose. In the age of COVID, this platform gives us a unique setting to continue this tradition.”
If you’re interested in attending, here’s some more information:
Where: Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, NC
When: Wednesday, December 16 – Thursday, December 31
Tickets: $10 per person, online purchases only
For ticket purchases, route maps, and other information, visit this link!
