If you’re anything like me, you looove a good face mask. I alternate a few of my favorites every other night. Right now, I’ve been having skin success with Drunk Elephant’s TLC Sukari Babyfacial mask, a chemical exfoliant that makes my skin feel polished but not irritated, and so worth the price. For a less intense but still satisfying treatment, the Beauty Shield Magnetic Mask from elf is affordable, effective, and smells like a dream. Finally, on days when my skin is feeling extra parched, I indulge in the infamous Summer Fridays Jet Lag mask. It’s got an ingredient list I can seriously get behind, and makes me feel luxurious.
Any night when I do a mask, I have around 10 minutes of chill time when I’m too embarrassed to leave my room with stuff on my face while I wait for it to dry or soak in and do its thing. Usually I end up watching some of The West Wing or just scrolling on Twitter, but since it’s a busy time in the semester, I’ve been on a multitasking kick. So I’ve been trying a few ways to get some stuff done around my dorm while I do my skincare, so I can feel extra adult and responsible by the end of the night. Below, I’ve offered some of my ideas for a full on self care night!
1. Vacuum.
Probably like most people, I hate vacuuming. But I find it much more bearable if I put on some music and do it with an aromatic mask on my face.
2. Fold some laundry, or at least declutter the piles of clothes in your room.
Everyone has “the chair” where they let clothing pile up. If you use your ten minutes to put away laundry and other clothing in their proper place, it can make your room feel less cluttered and probably put you more at ease.
3. Meditate. No, seriously.
This one is definitely not for everyone. But if you can get some quiet while you mask, I would recommend giving a quick 10 minute meditation a try. You can use an app like Headspace to help you, or you can just kinda sit, breathe, and zen out from any stress for a bit.
4. Plan out your outfit for the next day.
This one is probably the most helpful for me personally. Avoid stressing out in the morning and making a mess scrambling for the right outfit, take ten minutes while you do your mask to pick out your clothes for the next day and hang them somewhere in view from your bed.
5. Call your mom.
Everyone’s different, of course, but I try to call my mom once or twice a week. While doing a mask is a good 10 minute window to ask her about her day and how the dog is doing.
6. Do a mini workout to give you a boost and sweat out the stress (but not enough that it disrupts the skincare).
Okay, so, not ten minutes, but the Seven Minute Workout is honestly life changing. On days when I feel like I’m too stressed and busy to get to the gym or go on a run, I can follow along with this app when I have a break to get at least a little exercise in.
7. Text a friend from home.
Let them know you miss them! Bonus: send them an old photo guaranteed to make their day.
8. Put your phone on do not disturb.
And put away your laptop, too. Taking a ten minute break from screens to read a book, chat with your roommate, or just sit and chill awhile can be seriously relaxing, and probably not the worst habit to get into in the evenings.
9. Stretch.
Every college student has back and neck problems. Use your spare ten minutes to thoroughly stretch out. It can help if you’re feeling tense, fatigued, or just in pain from lugging around books or hunching over your computer.
10. Plan your next day.
Think through everything you need to do the next day; meetings, group projects, other work, etc. and fill out your planner for the next day (or even for the rest of the week!) so that tomorrow you knows what has to get done.