The world seems to be obsessed with self-care right now, but a lot of the tips I see on social media are very superficial. “Facemasks and bathbombs” can be nice, but here are some substantial self-care tips I’ve been gathering over the years…
1. Take a walk
Walking outside is a great way to clear your mind and get some fresh air and sunshine (especially after a long winter like we had this year). I understand it’s difficult to get up the motivation to go outside, but once you get out you won’t want to go back in.
A tip for working up the motivation to walk: start by sitting outside and doing some homework, or just relax and enjoy the sunshine, and once you feel up to it, start walking.
2. Make yourself a real meal
As college students it can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet. If you haven’t had real food in a while (instead living on snacks) or you’ve been struggling to make healthy choices in the dining hall, search Pinterest for a quick and easy meal and plan to make it. This one can take a little more time to impliment, but it will totally be worth it once you feel full and satsfied with this one healthy choice. After cooking, do your dishes slowly, enjoy the soapy water and the motions of the sponge, put on some happy or relaxing music and ponder your meal and how it made you feel. Food is super important and it should make you feel good.
3. Drink some hot tea or cold water
I think a lot of us rely on coffee to get us through the day, which is mostly fine, but if you have trouble getting to sleep or wanting a slightly healthier option for a morning drink, try chamomille or another herbal tea. My personal favorites are chamomille with honey, and mint tea. If you aren’t a tea person, just grab a fresh bottle of cold water and drink the whole thing in a few minutes. For me, once I drink one bottle, I want to fill it up again and drink more. Staying hydrated will make you feel so much better, mentally and physically.
4. Take a shower
Bathbombs are all the rage right now but if you don’t have a bathtub or the idea of sitting in colorful sparkly filthy water for an hour doesn’t sound appealing, take a shower. Think of taking a shower as washing all of your stress and worries down the drain and letting those bad feelings fade through the steam. A shower is a good place to exfoliate your skin with a sugar scrub, or take time to deeply massage your scalp while you shampoo your hair. You’ll feel refreshed and best of all, clean.
5. Meditate
Meditating is a lot easier than people think it is. Try one of these apps: Headspace, Insight Timer, or Calm, and let a sense of peace wash over you. I’ve found that meditating before bed is great for me because I can reflect on my day while at the same time, prepare my mind for calm sleep.
6. Wash your bedding
You should be doing this anyways but it’s a great way to clean something without a lot of effort, and get a great ROI (return on investment). Washing your sheets will make going to bed a fantastic experience, your bedding will be refreshed and feel great on your skin. If you use dryer sheets or fabric softener then they’ll smell good and the whole experience can be relieving. Plus, sheets are super easy to wash and you don’t have to fold them cause they’re going right back on your bed! Ha!
I understand that facemasks and candles are super easy self-care things to do and enjoy but sometimes you need more intense self-care for more intense issues. Struggling to understand a concept in your homework? Set it down and take a 5 minute walk. Having trouble sleeping? Wash your sheets and then meditate before bed. Stress eating? Plan to cook for yourself once that week and try a healthy recipe that you can share with roommates/friends in the future. One last piece of wisdom is that self-care is never selfish. Take care of your minds and bodies, because they’re the only ones you get.