This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clemson chapter.
Why you need to take time to take care of yourself
Last week, I was walking through the Horseshoe when I recognized the
unmistakable crowd of a tour group. I watched as eagerly observant high school
kids and their equally attentive parents stole glances at myself and other students
passing through. Watching their mesmerized expressions reminded me of when I
had been in high school and dreamed of finally becoming a ~college girl~. But for
whatever reason, I felt the need to warn them. I felt like a bad poster child for higher
education as I thought: If you neglect your physical health and personal interests in
the pursuit of good grades, you TOO could be a college student! This sarcastic and
intrusive thought, no doubt a product of my late night in Cooper the night before
and several approaching deadlines, surprised me. I love Clemson and enjoy college
far more than I did high school. Then why did I sometimes feel like I was making
sacrifices for the sake of a good GPA and well-rounded resume?
I had glamorized the life of a college student, as I think we all do. In my mind,
college was all parties and formals and late night pizza runs. My classes would feel
like hobbies. I would never work past 3 in the afternoon or waste time on anything I
found boring. Of course, my freshman year replaced the rose-colored glasses with a
more realistic outlook. Getting a college degree, as it turns out, is (GASP) difficult.
You will have to take some boring classes for your major. There will be some
weekends where you’ll have to sit in Cooper for long hours instead of grabbing
brunch with your friends. You may even have to skip a football game to study for
your Chemistry test on Monday. It’s when the balance between work and play is
thrown that problems arise.
My roommates and I have an unspoken evening ritual where we brew a pot
of tea and sit at the kitchen table to talk about our week. This past Sunday, we sat
there gripping our mugs and complaining about the different papers and tests that
we had in the upcoming week. We all mentioned how we felt pretty ‘cloudy’; we had
been getting up at 7 in the morning, going to campus to do our work until 6 pm,
going home for dinner, and getting right back to work. When we went to bed, we
were exhausted. When we woke up, the process repeated. Tired of the monotonous
and arduous routine, we decided to make a change.
Excited by the idea of a fresh start, we decided that on Monday we would
have a “Treat Yo’ Self Week,” inspired by Donna and Tom from the show Parks and
Recreation. We wanted to implement self-care into our routine and decided to make
a challenge out of it. Here are the rules:
1. Get your work done, but do it in a different setting than you normally
If you normally spend hours on end in the First floor of Cooper doing your
homework, switch it up by studying in the Amphitheatre or by bringing a
blanket and your textbook to Bowman. Clemson is such a beautiful campus,
and nothing will take the bore out of studying like being surrounded by nature.
2. Move for at least 30 minutes a day
Whether it’s going to a fitness class at Fike or just walking around campus,
exercise will boost your mood, relieve some stress, and improve your
immunity; enough said.
3. Take an hour a day to do something that you love
Netflix, journaling, playing an instrument, reading, etc.; the list is endless.
One of my roommates and I have taken to watching The Vampire Diaries
reruns and making “mug cakes” every night to unwind. I could probably
write a dissertation on how perfect Elena and Stefan are as a couple (sorry
Delena lovers.)
4. Establish a nightly routine that doesn’t involve technology
As someone who likes to scroll through her Twitter and Pinterest feed before
bed, this one is especially difficult. However, spending time on your
computer or phone right before bed has been proven to be disruptive for
sleep. Pick up a book or magazine, practice yoga, drink some tea; make your
nightly routine relaxing and enjoyable.
It’s definitely challenging to follow some of these rules. Putting strict hours
on school time vs. personal time is especially difficult. Altogether, I felt like the
quality of my work improved as well as my outlook. Instead of spending an hour on
Facebook when I was supposed to be studying, I tried to utilize all my time on
campus. Instead of eating dinner and then going straight back to homework for
another 3 hours, I was able to use my evenings to read or do yoga or watch a movie.
We all realize, however, that sometimes rules need to be bent. Sometimes we
have weeks that are more stressful and can’t afford an hour or two every evening to
ourselves. Different majors, tests, jobs, and extracurriculars can make it difficult to
balance relaxation and work. If you take the time to take care of yourself, you will
probably find that you won’t feel like your spreading yourself thin. Next time you
feel stressed, listen to your inner Tom Haverford telling you to “treat yo’ self.” After
all, no one knows what you need better than you.