Self-care at university? What an interesting concept.
As students, self-care usually isn’t at the top of our priorities list, often coming second to assignments and socialising. Yet, self-care is arguably the most important thing on your to-do list; you can’t be efficient if you’re running on fumes.
When you are trying to juggle too many things at once, something’s got to give. Let’s be honest, it’s usually your sleep schedule and your eating habits. Students certainly have a rep for all-nighters and living on Pot Noodles. But we all know that isn’t exactly the best form of self-care.
But hey, don’t you want a break from the stereotypes and prove that students are much more than their media portrayal?
Disrupt the norm and take some much-needed rest
Making sure that you are getting eight hours sleep a night is the most basic form of self-care. As is ensuring you stay hydrated by drinking lots of water (you simply can’t survive on coffee) and feeding your body the nutrients it needs.
Don’t get me wrong. Having a takeaway every now and then is a form of self-care in and of itself. But your body needs some fruit and vegetables to help fight that Freshers’ Flu off.
Now that we’ve ticked off the foundations of self-care, let’s look at some other additions which can help.
Me-time
Carve out time each day for yourself. Yes, working is productive and yes, socialising is great. But you need some ‘me’ time. Even if that is simply spending 15 minutes in bed scrolling on TikTok.
No need to fill every minute
Remember that you don’t need to be productive all the time. I’m definitely guilty of this one! Even though it might not seem it, self-care is pretty productive.
Every second of your day does not need to be spent achieving goals to make it a day you can feel good about. Sometimes, spending the whole day in bed watching Netflix is just as important, because burning out isn’t fun.
Fresh air
On a completely opposite note, despite the days off you might have, try to get outside every day, even if it is just to sit in the garden for five minutes or popping to the shop for a snack. With the age of Zoom, and the ease of doing all your classes from your bedroom, it is very easy to spend most of your time within four walls. But we all need a bit of fresh air.
Phone break
Every so often, try to turn your phone off for an hour or two. My tactic is to simply not charge my phone when it inevitably dies at some point in the evening.
For many of us, going days without using our phones isn’t feasible. But we can all manage 60 minutes! And you can’t deny that social media and technology is exhausting sometimes.
Other interests
Try taking up a hobby or setting dedicated time aside for one you already have. Be wary with this pointer, as many people turn their hobbies into another element of productivity – something they need to excel at. But hobbies should be purely for enjoyment.
They shouldn’t feel like something you have to do but, instead, something you want to.
Support network
Even if you are overwhelmed and stressed with your workload, make sure you aren’t distancing yourself from family and friends. Having social activities in your calendar will give you something to look forward to.
Real friends
This is a slightly more negative one, but make sure all the people in your life are true friends. Cutting out toxic friendships which make you unhappy and take a toll on your wellbeing is a form of self-care that is often forgotten.
Pay it forward
Flipping back to the positive, do something nice for someone else. It might seem counter-intuitive for ‘self’-care but trust me – it will make you feel good about yourself.
Stay tidy
Mini cliche one here but…make your bed! We all know it is a boring task and often question the point of it when we’ll be back in bed by the evening. But it really makes all the difference.
Spending more time in our bedrooms now more than ever, trying to keep as much separation possible between work and unwind-time is essential. Although I am currently writing this from my bed!!
Treat yourself
This wouldn’t be a self-care list without a pamper evening. Get some face masks, snacks and put on a good movie.
Those are my top tips…so maybe I should start following them!