With the busy lives we lead it can be easy to become overwhelmed. Sometimes we are so busy we forget to take proper care of ourselves. Here are a few self-care tips to help keep your life on track and keep you feeling great!
1. Staying organized is the best way to maintain your sanity.
Staying organized has three main parts. The first is keeping your room clean. Having a clean environment is good for mental health as well as stress. If you keep your room clean you will always know where everything is and will never have to be frantically searching for something last minute. The second part is keeping a regularly updated schedule. My favorite place to keep track of my schedule is the use the calendar on my phone. I always know what I am supposed to be doing and setting up meetings is so easy! The best part is that my phone sends me reminders fifteen minutes before I need to be somewhere so I never forget and I’m never late. The last part of staying organized is creating a to-do list. Whenever you have a new task add it to your list, describe the task, and give yourself a due date. Every day check your list to see what you need to get done. You will never forget to do anything again!
2. Develop and maintain a sleep schedule.
The human body runs like a clock, so simply getting the right amount of sleep is not enough. The body not only requires the proper amount of sleep but also consistency. You could get eight hours of sleep each night but still be tired. The best way to feel refreshed every morning to have a consistent sleep schedule. Go the bed around the same time and get the same amount of sleep every night. If you regularly go to bed at eleven then your body’s clock will set itself to prepare for sleep every night at eleven. This results in an easier time falling asleep and getting more restful sleep each night.
3. Eat well-balanced meals regularly.
Similar to sleep, your body needs to eat regularly. Do your best to eat at similar times each day. It is also very important to eat balanced meals. Making sure your body gets the proper nutrients each day is extremely important. Do your best to each a carb, protein, veggie, and fruit, and at least one glass of milk each day. Eating a balanced diet each day will help your body give you all the energy you need and make you feel great.
4. Get moving.
Even if you’re not a very athletic person, getting up and doing active activities is important. The exercise you get walking between classes isn’t enough. It’s okay if you are not big into working out or going to the gym, because even an extra walk in the Arb will help! Dancing around in your room to your favorite song or bustin’ a move at the Dive counts, too. Just be sure to get up and get moving a few times each week.
5. Treat yourself to a spa night.
It’s hard to take super long showers when you share the bathroom with twenty other people. However, it’s okay to treat yourself every now and then and take a nice long shower. About once a week I do what I cheekily call my “spa night”. I just take a shower at an odd time and make it a little longer. I take the extra time to condition my hair, wash my face, shave, and maybe even use a whitening strip to brighten up my smile. Taking a little extra time for yourself is very relaxing and it will make you feel so refreshed.
6. Smile!
There is very little that a good smile can’t fix! Do your best to be positive and find a reason to smile every day!