As students we are constantly struggling to stay on top of college, this is made increasingly difficult by studying from home, especially in your bedroom where it breaks the boarders between work and your safe space. It can be extremely overwhelming and leave us feeling low and burnt out. Here are five tips to take care of yourself, and to improve your overall wellness. They might not fix the gloomy feeling but it will certainly help.
Put away the to-do list:
Finishing a to-do list can be as addictive as finishing a Netflix series when you’re under pressure to get everything done, but sometimes it’s more important for your wellbeing to put the list down and switch off. While it’s easier said than done, putting your list somewhere you can’t see it and relaxing can do wonders for stress.
Organize a movie night with friends:
Bringing back lockdown means the inevitable return of Netflix party, while some of us may cringe at the thought of another joint Netflix movie night, it’s a great way to do something with your friends while not being able to see them.
Avoid doing things that don’t bring you joy:
This is not your sign to skip your 10am Monday morning lecture, or hang up when the word breakout room is mentioned on a zoom call. But this is your sign to reflect on the things in your life that you can choose to do and not to do, write a list about the things you are currently doing that make you feel unhappy, then question, do you actually need to do these things? If the answer is no, eliminate them, if the answer is yes, figure out how you can keep a healthy balance of doing them and not dreading them.
Avoid social media (and tinder):
While our feeds are more quiet than usual, long periods of time on socials can still negitivly impact our mental state. Seeing other people doing things we cannot currently do leaves us in a state of unhappiness, and the constant thread of Covid-19 posting on twitter becomes exhausting. Tinder is self-explanatory, avoid at all cost. Try put your phone down for at least an hour each day without checking it.
Take a long bath or shower:
The basic self-care tip you read over and over, I know. But nothing beats the feeling of a long shower to wash stress away. Put a playlist on, light some candles and turn off the lights, clear your mind and even try a meditation while you shower or bathe. Bonus points for a face or hair mask.
Take a walk:
Get your runners on, grab your earphones and go. Set a target, for example aim to do your 10,000 steps and keep going until you reach it. You’ll come back completely refreshed and with a whole new mindset.
Finding ways to take care of yourself during lockdown isn’t easy, lockdown in general is extremely difficult, try and keep a balance in your life and remember to take time away from your desk.