Self-care is so important, and even more so in college. Taking care of yourself stretches across a broad category of things. It ranges from getting enough sleep at night, to spending time hanging out with your friends, to eating lunch, to having fun. College is stressful and busy. It is difficult to balance all the things you have to do with all the things you want to do, but make sure you carve out enough time to take care of yourself. Go to class, study, get good grades, blah blah. Those are college basics that are repeated over and over again, but here’s a few more tips to follow:
Sleep! I think I can speak for all college students when I say we love our naps. The reason we enjoy napping so much is probably because we aren’t catching enough zzz’s at night. We are spending a lot of time going to class, studying, doing homework and getting our exercise in. We have to remember that getting sleep is just as important. Sleep helps our body to replenish. It boosts our energy, improves our mood and helps us to eat healthier. It increases memory and just makes us feel better overall. Don’t put sleeping on the back burner. There’s plenty of time to sleep and do everything else, just plan your days carefully.
Exercise! It doesn’t matter if it’s a 20-minute run every morning or a 30-minute walk at night. Just try your best to get in some physical activity everyday. The walk to Starbucks from your dorm doesn’t count. Get your heart rate elevated and burn some calories. Exercising is important for college students because we spend most of our days sitting down. We sit in class, sit at our desks to study and sit on the couch and watch Netflix. We need to exercise to help keep our bodies in shape and to burn energy. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, it could be because you’re not getting enough exercise during the day.
Spend time with friends! Get out of your room and do something with your friends. Go bowling, watch a movie, eat dinner, paint or anything else that you can imagine. Make time to hang out and grow your friendships. College friendships can last a lifetime.
Eat! Don’t skip meals. Food gives you the energy you need to get through your three hour night class, to study for that really hard class or to get to that 8AM on time. If it’s possible, eat more fruits and vegetables and less breads and pastas. On days when you’re in a rush and don’t have time to eat a proper meal, get a small snack. In the same sense, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Sodas taste good, but water is always better for you!
Stress less! Don’t let all the small things get to you. Worrying never helps; it just makes things worse. Do what you can and forget the rest.