This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at C Mich chapter.
Summer break is over and we are back in classrooms learning new material, studying our butts off, and stressing over everything. It is so easy to forget to focus on our mental sanity and stability. We have to take care of ourselves. Self-care is so important! We need to keep our bodies and minds happy and healthy in order to get through this thing called college. Here are some tips and strategies that I do to help in the stressful times:
- Get some zzzs! Let’s face it: we never get enough sleep! Try going to bed earlier and wake up around the same time every day. Sleeping recharges our bodies and minds and allows us to hide from our responsibilities for a bit.
- Get moving! The SAC is an awesome place to workout! Treadmills, bikes, the pool, you name it! If you’re not into the whole treadmill deal, CMU offers free fitness group classes to students! There’s zumba, yoga, body blast, cardio, kickboxing, and pilates. Check out the posters on the walls (there is one in the Fabiano, Emmons, Woldt hallway near Fresh Food on Campus) to see the schedule.
- Do something you enjoy! Go out to dinner with some friends, get your nails done, go on a walk on one of our beautiful trails. Whatever puts you in your happy place, take some time out of your day to go there!
- Take a shower! Whether you stink or not, taking a shower is actually fun because then you can let out your inner Beyonce and take a break from the work! Also, some of our best thoughts are when we are in the shower!
- Ditch the tech! TRY IT! We are buried in our phones all the time, so taking a break and exploring Mount Pleasant or hidden spots on campus instead would be a great way to live in the moment without our phones! Sometimes it can be stressful trying to keep up with everyone else’s lives, when we should focus on our own. This one may be challenging, but I think you can do it!
College is hard, stressful, and frustrating… but enjoy every second of it :) Find what makes you the happiest… and less stressed!