In the midsts of school, work, internships, extracurricular activities, and maintaining relationships with family and friends, it can be easy to neglect your own needs. Although taking a break from your busy schedule and daunting deadlines to focus on yourself may seem counterproductive, it is actually the best thing you can do. This is where practicing self-care comes in. Taking the time to focus on yourself strengthens your emotional well-being, reduces stress, and boosts confidence and happiness- which will transfer to your daily tasks, goals, and relationships.
The concept of self-care is very simple- do activities that will de-stress you and bring you fulfillment.
Here are some simple ideas you can use to practice self-care and can help you nourish until you flourish:
Mind
1. Meditate. Take a few moments to focus on breathing and clear your mind for a fresh start.
2. Clean. clean. clean. Clean your room, declutter your desk, do a social media cleanse of people/posts that don’t bring you positivity, and maybe even stay clear of social media for an hour or two a day.
3. Create a vision board. Making a vision board will allow you to refocus and set the goals you truly want to aim for.
Body
1. Exercise. This doesn’t have to be an intense workout (unless you’re into that). Take your puppy or friend for a walk, or sign up for a new exercise class.
2. Treat yo self. Take a bubble bath with candles, paint your nails, do a face mask- anything to make you feel and look good.
3. Sleep. This is simple, but its a basic need that is often neglected in college. Relax, get some rest and refuel your body- it will thank you later.
Soul
1. Music. Make a playlist of songs that bring you happiness or remind you of happy moments. Put it on repeat.
2. Food. Take the time to make yourself a healthy and delicious meal and sit down (at a table, not on the couch or computer) to enjoy every bite.
3. Find what brings you joy. Listen to a comedian or podcast you enjoy, read a book, watch reruns of your favorite tv show, or go out in nature.
At the end of the day, we give our all to the people and things we care about, so why not take a little time to give back to ourselves? You can start small with the ideas listed above, and work towards defining a self-care routine for yourself that will lead you to happiness and fulfillment.
cover photo: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0d/7d/1a/0d7d1ad5404fb445377cac8ceacdeb68…