It has come to that time of year, the blink and you’ll miss it time. Suddenly it’s November and midterms are almost over, but the end of the semester is coming barreling towards you. It’s getting to the point when everything is starting to pile up and you’re limited free time has become even less. Midterms and assignments and exams! Oh my! However overwhelming it may feel, it is possible to take a breath and relax during this stressful period.
All you need is some self-care. Of course, finding the time to take this much-needed break and take care of yourself is hard to do. I am very familiar with late nights spent studying and finalizing papers minutes before they’re due.
The first step to self-care is finding the time to do the activities. I know that academics can oftentimes feel like the be-all-end-all of your life, but I can assure you that academia is not the most important thing you will ever do. If being on a co-op term has taught me anything it is that fact. If you take a night off to decompress, your assignment might suffer, but your life after school won’t. It’s hard to take a step back and look at the bigger picture when the bigger picture is unknown.
The best way to prioritize self-care is to take a full night off and give yourself the full body treatment. However, I recognize that taking an entire night off isn’t always possible. If that’s the case, then even an hour or two will help greatly in the long run.
Quick Decompressors
- Take a Walk
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I know that I sometimes spend days without leaving my apartment other than for classes. So taking a walk is the perfect way to perform some TLC, take in some fresh air, and expose yourself to the sun’s rays. While the beautiful autumn colours are fading quickly, they are still present and the weather is that perfect crispness for a quick 20-minute walk. Who knows, taking a walk might even jog your thought process and crack that paper you’ve been stuck on. Plus, who knows how much longer taking a walk will be an option before the full freezing and grey Ottawa winter sets in.
- workout
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Go for a jog, lift some weights, pull up a YouTube fitness session, or have a dance party. All of these are fantastic options for a quick break that can still make you feel productive. Exercising helps gain energy, move your body, and release endorphins. The only downside is actually doing the workout. So, find an exercise form that you love to help balance that out and have a quick sweat session.
- Read
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As an English major, it’s often hard to find time to read a book that isn’t for class. Luckily, reading is a great break that can help you relax and doesn’t take up too much time. Sure, it’s easy to get pulled into a novel, but reading a chapter or two is an easy way to provide some entertainment without feeling like you’re wasting the day taking a much-needed break.
- do hair/makeup/nails
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When I’m in the midst of a full study session that is going to last all day, I just want to be comfy. My hair is a mess and I’ve thrown on whatever clothes I found on my floor that looked the cleanest. But taking the time to make yourself up a little – whether that be doing your hair or makeup or painting your nails – can make you feel better. Often when I look semi-put together, I feel more put together. Who cares if no one else is going to see it? It’s a little bit of self-pampering that takes little to no time to complete.
- watch an episode of a show or a YouTube video
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The best sort of break is one where you allow your brain to rot. That’s often what watching a show or video allows you to do. You just have to be cautious to not get pulled into the next episode!
Full Night
Now that you’ve dedicated a full night off, what should you do? If you have a bathtub and enjoy taking baths then take a long steamy bath with all the bells and whistles. Put in some bubble bath, a bath bomb, or both! Light a candle! Bring in your laptop and find a spot for it so you can watch something while soaking. Personally, I find the toilet seat cover allows for a fantastic view of whatever video, show, or movie I choose to watch while in the tub. Do a face mask while in there and let yourself fully relax.
If you don’t have a bathtub or don’t like baths, that’s fine too! Take a hot shower. Don’t rush yourself in and out, allow yourself to stand underneath the spray and let your muscles fully relax. After your shower, set up something to watch and put on a face mask! Do the things that you enjoy and forget about your worries for the night.
After a night of relaxation, you’ll be able to go back to your work the next day feeling more refreshed and calm, allowing the best work to flow from you.
Final thoughts
While this list of ideas on how to take care of yourself throughout a stressful period may seem frequently preached, perhaps we need to give some thought as to why. Would they be as favoured if they didn’t work? The answer of course is no. If you didn’t leave these activities feeling at least minutely better, then they would not be recommended so often. Of course, don’t take this list as the only guide. Relaxation and self-care come in many forms, with many different activities I didn’t include, such as meditation or journaling. The important thing is that you take some time for yourself and do something you enjoy.