I’ll admit, at the beginning of my freshman year I neglected having a routine for maintaining my mental health. Often, I got caught up with trying to get accustomed to a new rigorous workload as well meeting new people and trying to maintain a social life. It wasn’t long before the feelings of homesickness and mental exhaustion started to creep in, and I realized the necessity of having a “self-care reset routine.” Here are four dorm-friendly ways to pamper yourself and feel mentally refreshed.
1. Meditation
It wasn’t until recently that I started meditating. I had the notion that meditation would take too much time away from my busy schedule and could probably be better spent napping. Now I regret that I hadn’t started doing it earlier! To incorporate more meditation into your daily life, create a schedule of when, how long and how often you want to mediate. I recommend starting small with five minutes of meditation once or twice a week and see how you feel. For some guided meditations, there are many short videos available on YouTube as well as several apps that are beginner-friendly.
2. Pamper yourself
Sometimes, a good-old fashioned face mask and mani-pedi does the trick for making me feel refreshed. To keep the possible messes to a minimum and take up less storage space, I like using sheet masks. There are many on Amazon that sell large quantities of sheet masks for a cheap price. Another option is doing something as small as taking a long shower and using an exfoliating scrub. Both are cheap ways to make me feel taken care of and like I’m checking in with myself.
3. Organize your Room
When I was younger, I hated cleaning my room, often citing that “messiness is a sign of intelligence.” While I can’t confirm nor deny the validity of this statement, I must admit that cleaning has become a great stress reliever for me. Often, when my room is cleanest I’m more likely to want to do my work. In a dorm, especially, it makes me feel better that even my small space can still be a calm refuge.
4. Watch a comforting movie/show
An often underrated option for relaxing is simply curling up in bed and watching a comforting movie. For me, I love watching movies from my childhood as a reminder to always stay connected to my inner child. A lot of times, when I haven’t seen a movie or show, I am too invested in understanding the plot. When I want to relax, it’s best to watch something more “low-stakes” where you can appreciate what you’re watching while giving yourself room to relax your mind. Some recommendations are “The Great British Bake Off” or any Disney/Pixar movie.
Regardless of what you choose to do, I hope you make it a habit of setting aside some time for self-care. You deserve it!