At Her Campus at Chapel Hill, mental health and self-care are high on our priority list. But classic self-care tips like hanging out with friends or taking a spa day aren’t always compatible with introverts like me. Through trial and error, I’ve found five self-care tips that have worked for me and that will hopefully work for you too!
- Clearly Designate Time for Yourself
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As an introvert, you should plan to have some time to yourself, each day. Between school, work and a social life, this can be hard to find, but carving out a chunk of time for yourself can sometimes be the thing that saves your mental health. After classes, I always like to go to a quiet space on campus (the Music Library in Wilson Library is amazing) or go back to my apartment for some quiet time. I just use that time to de-stress. Whether that means planning out my tasks in my weekly planner, catching up on TV or reading, I try to designate at least an hour of my time to myself. This alone time—when I only do what I want to do—is really invigorating, especially since a lot of college is about completing tasks according to someone else’s time table.
- Don’t Feel Guilty for Saying No
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Easier said than done, no? As introverts, I think we’ve all said “yes” to something, only to regret it later. I always used to feel guilty for turning down a friend (or a group of friends) who wanted to hang out, or for not showing up to a club meeting. But, if you need to recharge, don’t force yourself to be social; this will only worsen your mood and make you even more exhuasted. I’ve been to a couple parties where I wasn’t having a good time, and it was all because I didn’t listen to myself when I needed to relax. Putting yourself first should never be something about which you feel guilty.
- Block Out Over-Stimulation
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This is a tough one for me to follow, but, if I do, I feel so much better by the end of the day. It’s so easy to be overstimulated in college. We see tons of people on campus, overhear conversations, look at our phones and laptops throughout the day, go to classes, listen to podcasts or music, watch TV and juggle extracurriculars. All this stimulation can wear you out, so take control of what you can. When I walk to class, I try not to listen to music, but instead take the time to be introspective and relaxed. When I’m watching TV, I try to take a break from my phone and laptop because my eyes are already tired enough. I’ve found that even when I take just a little time away from all the stimulation, I don’t get drained as quickly, and I’m in a better mood at the end of the day.
- Know What Recharges You
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This tip is key! Self-care is all about knowing what is right for you and what will help you recharge. I know that, if I’m feeling drained, I just need an hour or so of repetitive or meditative tasks (more on that next) to feel better. For you, that might mean taking a hike, talking to a trusted friend or parent, taking a nap or writing in your journal. All of these tasks have helped me feel recharged and ready to face the masses again.
- Accomplish Tasks with Repetitve Actions
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While all the other tips on this list have been more abstract, this is one specific tip that I’ve found particularly helpful. When I’m feeling really drained, I do repetitive tasks. This can be folding and putting away clean clothes, tidying my bathroom, vacuuming or organizing my planner. None of these tasks require much thinking, allowing my brain to take a chill pill after all the stimulation from the day. I’ve found myself feeling re-engerized after completing such reptitive tasks, especially when I work in silence. Everyone works differently, but I’ve found tasks involving repetitive motion to be quite meditative!
Self-care is extremely important for us introverts; I wouldn’t survive without it! Of course, everyone is unique and your self-care will look different than someone else’s. Instead of comparing yourself to everyone else, listen to yourself and do what works for you!