It is a truth universally acknowledged that school can be stressful. With the rise of stress levels and the fall of free time, there’s often little time left to sit back, relax, and take some time for yourself. I spent the week trying different forms of self-care, searching for new and effective ways to take a much-needed break.
Day 1: Going to Bed Early
Technically straightforward, but actually more difficult in practice. Yes, I’ll admit that I love the idea of turning off the light by 9 p.m., but if you’re like me, you can easily turn off the light early, it’s the going to sleep part that’s more difficult. I respect (and am slightly scared of) people who can decide it’s time to go to bed and immediately fall asleep, but that is not me. Sweet dreams to all who are successful at this!
Day 2: Reading
Reading is wonderful, and as Jane Austen said, “How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!” She’s right, in theory, but I don’t recall Austen having to read 100 pages for an 8 a.m. class on Monday. Don’t get me wrong, reading for fun is a lovely hobby, but preferably when there are no class readings competing for attention.
Day 3: Face Mask
Not a lot needs to be said about sheet/face masks. They’re lovely. The local Walmart will have a fine selection — from aloe to rose water to collagen to seaweed — they are all great options and additions to any skincare routine as well as any winding down rituals.
Day 4: Setting the Vibe
Here’s where you can get creative. For me, setting the vibe included turning off the sterile dorm light and turning on warm fairy lights. This was followed by filling my essential oil diffuser with lavender and eucalyptus and making chamomile tea. I also found that both a coloring book and scrolling on social media paired nicely.
Day 5: Cozy Movies
I could go on and on about cozy movies, and describe my favorites in great detail, but I won’t waste your time listing every cozy movie I’ve seen. My personal favorite is You’ve Got Mail and my back-ups are While You Were Sleeping, Definitely Maybe, and About Time. Cozy movies are like a warm hug and are best appreciated with some chocolate. Yes, watching a movie can be a bit of a time commitment, but it’s worth it.
Day 6: An Everything Shower
I’m talking a 10-step, 45-minute, sauna-like experience. I will say that the shower shoes kind of dampened the vibe, though listening to some tunes may help elevate the mood.
Day 7: Journaling
Writing it all out can be a cathartic experience if you let it. If you’re unsure where to start, I suggest writing about your day and going from there. Journaling is part of my daily routine, and while sometimes in the moment I’d rather just turn off the light and try to fall asleep, it can be helpful to take some time to reflect and process the day you just lived.
Through my experiences this past week, I learned about the importance of self-care. Yes, life moves pretty fast and it’s hard not to get swept up into the stresses of academics, extracurriculars, etc. Setting aside time (even if it’s 5 minutes before you go to sleep) to spend doing some form of self-care is worth it. While self-care won’t do your assignments for you, or automatically make you ace your next test, it can certainly help put you in the mindset to!