Do you find yourself struggling to get through the week, waiting for the weekend? University life can often leave students overwhelmed, stressed, and tense at the end of a weekday. The key to prevent these feelings is balance. You shouldn’t have to depend on your weekends for me-time. As students, we don’t have a lot of spare time or cash to spend. Remember that pampering yourself simply means doing things that will make you feel happy and relaxed. This can include a wide range of activities. Here are some ideas of ways to pamper your heart, mind and body. The best part is that most of these would only take around twenty minutes out of your busy schedule and almost nothing from your wallet!
Pamper Your Body
Realizing that you have only three days to study for that midterm you forgot about, or that you have two assignments due on the same day next week is enough to stress any student out. What we forget is that stress can actually have negative impacts on our physical health. You can try these easy, and inexpensive ways to avoid feeling sore, and tense during a busy week.
1. Start your day off with a run to squeeze out those natural endorphins
Nothing fancy – just a quick 20 minutes around your neighbourhood will do the trick. It’ll be sure to leave you feeling energized and ready for your busy day. If you aren’t the type who enjoys running, try a quick yoga or weight routine should do the trick before you hit the shower and get ready for class.
2. Take a bath with candles
While exercise in the morning can help get your day going, a bath in the evening could definitely help you unwind from a long or stressful day. Using tea lights on the side with scented bath foam, or bath salts can also help you reach your Zen. If it helps, grab your favourite novel or a glass of wine. Lavender is known to be one of the most relaxing scents, and any store that carries bath or body products is sure to have tons of lavender scented goodies to compliment your bath.
Pamper your Mind
1. Take a nap
7 minutes for a power nap, or twenty minutes for a feel-rested nap is all you need. Research suggests that more than this will leave you feeling groggy anyways. So put on your PJs or sweatpants, grab a warm blanket and give yourself a much-needed break! Remember to set your alarm for around twenty minutes, as that is all the time you need to continue the rest of your day feeling both rested, and energized.
2.Watch a TV show or a movie before bed
While binge-watching series of television shows at a time probably isn’t the best idea, one episode a night or a movie once a week is. An episode a night can help lift your moods before bedtime, and leave you excited for the next episode tomorrow night. Have more than half an hour to spare? Curl up and watch the latest release in your genre of choice. Old favourites and classics never disappoint either.
Pamper Your Heart
The people that are closest to us are often our greatest sources of joy and happiness. More often than not, we forget to reach out to those who are far away. Reaching out to old friends, or family members can lift your spirits and will show them that you still care about them.
- Call/Skype/FaceTime a friend or family member who lives far away
Whether it’s Skyping an old friend to catch up, Face Timing your BFF from across the country to help her pick an outfit for a date, or calling your grandmother to tell her how you have been, do it. The conversations are sure to leave you in a warm, loving, and happy mood. Even our toughest of days can be turned around by a few supporting words from the people who know us better than we may know ourselves sometimes.
2. Make plans or schedule a date to do a new activity
We can get so caught up in our weekly schedules and routines that we forget to make time to explore and reconnect with the world around us. Even just the activity of making plans to try something new with a friend, or your significant other can be enjoyable! Having something to look forward to can often help us feel motivated and lead to us being productive during the week. It doesn’t have to be something too elaborate or fancy, even simply trying out the new coffee place down the street with a friend can be fun.
Picture Sources:
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