This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.
Between seemingly unlimited workloads and constant due dates, college is stressful and there’s no doubt about that. It’s even more stressful if you have a job and a constant commitment to clubs and organizations. Now that summer is officially over and school is into full swing, here are a few ways that I self-care while managing my college workload, personal life and social life:
Here’s what I like to do:
- Wake up at least three hours before my first class starts. (One of my personal favorites!) This is a strategy that I enjoy using because I get a chance to catch-up on things before my day officially starts. Since my first class for each day normally starts at 11am, I try to wake up at 7am so that I can shower, cook me a healthy breakfast and do tasks that I’ve been avoiding because of my time commitments. Waking up earlier allowed me to even do hobbies such as reading (that I wish I could do more of!).
- Set a timer for thirty minutes before bed and do anything that I want to do. Whether it’s scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, watching that new TV show that you’ve been wanting to start or even catching up on the phone with an old friend, use your thirty minutes to your leisure before bed–you’ll thank yourself later.
- Take a break from social media. If you’re like me and get overwhelmed from social media, unplug and take a break. It could be a few hours, a few days, even a few weeks–this could help reset your mind to a state of happiness because you don’t have to feel the pressure and influence of keeping up with everyone else. When I first started taking periodic breaks from social media, this helped me reshape my self-confidence and improve it because I received the chance to decipher reality from a staged life. This has significantly lowered my stress levels.
- Prioritize my hobbies. A hobby that I enjoy is cooking. Unfortunately, cooking takes up a generous amount of time and isn’t something that I can do all the time. Fortunately, I have found a way to handle this: find at least one meal that I really want to cook and cook it for “Sunday Dinner”, which builds up anticipation and excitement for the end of the week. If you can, find at least a few hours in one day where you can try to incorporate at least one hobby that you enjoy.
- Go on a walk without my headphones. Whether it’s outside or on a treadmill (since the weather is changing), going on a walk and sitting in my thoughts usually helps me destress because I am able to center my thoughts and refocus. It also has health benefits and is proven to improve cardiovascular fitness and increase energy levels.
