How to practice self-care when you’re a student
You probably came to university because you want to improve your chances of getting hired (which is already an act of self-care!). But now you’re budgeting your weekly shops, staring blankly at several deadlines, and going to bed wishing there were more hours in the day. How are you supposed to allow time for yourself?
Change your procrastination habits
Sometimes you need a break from all the work you do (or don’t do), and it’s easy to follow the downward spiral of defeat and discontentment.
What if there was a way to feel good about procrastination?
Instead of finding yourself in the deep dark corners of the internet trying to delay your coursework deadlines, try to take a break from work by doing something that will still make you feel productive. It sounds impossibly ridiculous, but such activities are as simple as stepping away from whatever’s distracting you and stepping outside for some fresh air or just doing some simple stretches in your room. Relax your body from tensing over a screen and focus on your breathing. I find that doing some (not-very-well-executed) yoga poses can be really refreshing after hunching over a keyboard for several hours. You don’t have to be an expert – just make sure that your muscles aren’t going to be stuck in the same seated position for the rest of your university life. If you’re really adventurous, you might go the gym and do whatever people at the gym do for 30 minutes. Not that I know anything about that.
Me Days vs. Me Extra-30-Mins-in-the-Shower
It’s totally okay to take a ‘Me Day’ to be a better you. For example, after I’ve handed in a piece of coursework (and I have no other deadlines), I usually spend the rest of the day watching pirated movies or playing torrented games (come and get me internet police). Totally earned it.
On days where I don’t have any coursework to hand in, but I still feel crap after studying for a long time, I’ll treat myself to my version of 5-star body care in the shower. I’ll play some music (so my flatmates can’t hear me sing horribly along to Ed Sheeran), wash my hair and do a conditioning hair mask (if you’re living in student accommodation and got a Dig In box, it came with an Aussie Hair 3 Minute Miracle conditioning mask, which is amazing), and exfoliate with the Lush Ocean Salt body scrub, the Body Shop’s seaweed pore cleansing exfoliator, and St Ive’s Bright and Even scrub. Once I’ve scrubbed every living and dead cell off my body (because that’s how beauty works these days), I’ll use the nicest body cream I have, usually from the Christmas gift set one of my cousins gave me, to moisturise, and lastly I’ll give my eyebrows some love by plucking them, probably in a shape I’ll regret later. I’m a pretty fast mover, so this all takes me around 30 minutes to do, but I feel so good after. It’s like you’ve got a new body, although my laptop screen is the only one who’s going to see it.
Treat yo-self, but also treat others
As we’ve already established, it feels pretty damn good to pamper yourself in products that probably do more damage than good. But self-care is about looking after your emotional as well as your physical wellbeing, although the two can contribute to one another. Being selfish has its rewards, but being selfless can have its benefits too. Extend your self-care by caring for others too, and spread your happiness! Buying donuts for yourself? Buy a dozen to share with your housemates. Watching a maybe-illegal movie online? Sometimes it’s nice to have someone to watch it with you. Call your parents. Put your phone away and spend quality time with someone you miss. Join a new society with a friend. It doesn’t have to cost you anything to share an experience with someone who will appreciate it just as much as you do.
Edited By Niamh Perry
Links to products mentioned:
Aussie Hair 3 Minute Miracle conditioning mask
Body Shop’s seaweed pore cleansing exfoliator
St Ive’s Bright and Even scrub
Gifs:
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