Welcome to the final part of my new year’s promises to myself. The funny thing about this final promise is that parts one and two can kind of count toward this one. Last, but certainly not least, is self-care.
I thrive on stress. I can’t imagine not doing as much as I do, and when I have free time—which is rare—I feel like I should be doing something. However, as a junior in college, my stress levels have already increased because I’m starting to think more about the future. My stress levels are why I need to focus on self-care
Self-care is such a broad term and it has many different meanings to everyone; however, that’s why I chose it. To me, self-care means eating healthy, exercising and focusing on mental health too. It’s a little bit of everything, but I think self-care is about anything you set your mind to.
First, eating healthy means I have the energy to do everything I need to do in a day. Whether it’s going to classes, working in the Department of Career Development or attending one of my many meetings, I barely get a break. Studies reveal that eating healthy can boost your energy and help with body confidence which is essential if you’re a college student who is constantly running around.
Speaking about your body, self-care also means taking proper care of your body. That can be done through eating better, but it also can be done by doing basic things like getting enough sleep and exercising. I hope to get at least seven hours of sleep each night starting this year, especially since that’s the lowest recommended for adults my age. It might be hard to keep that promise, but we’ll see what happens.
Exercising is also important for self-care. It can help relieve stress because if your body is healthy, you’ll be happier. I personally prefer going to Zumba, yoga or Pilates classes, but running (nope), walking and going to the gym (nope again) are also perfect ways to exercise. Also, I count dancing as exercise, which I do with OGX—one of the best dance clubs on-campus.
I plan to exercise at least two times a week. I dance once or twice a week, and I try to attend as many exercise classes as I can. Geneseo has a workout center and offers free exercise classes. Take advantage of them.
Lastly, taking care of your mental health is very important to self-care. This is where my other two resolutions come in. Taking a break by reading a book or writing will help you focus more when you eventually need to do things. Writing about your day is even more helpful because you’re clearing your mind of anything that might be bothering you.
Other ways I relieve stress are watching movies and tv shows and pampering myself with face masks and painting your nails. Eating healthy and exercising can also help with your mental health because you’re gaining nutrients that can make your body feel better or working out aggression.
I’ve covered everything about what self-care means to me. Here’s my final promise to myself to take care of my body and mind this year. Let me know how you take care of yourself if you’d like by following me at the links below.
Take a deep breath and take care of yourself this year!