With exams around the corner, and the semester coming to a close, stress at this time of year is inevitable. It’s very easy to fall in a rut of unhealthy habits that only further perpetuate the anxiety and unease. As students we are pulled in every direction, trying to get good grades, finish assignments on time, stay on top of part-time work, apply for summer jobs and internships, on top of keep up with friends and relationships; It can be difficult at times to recognize the need to slow down and take a minute to take care of yourself. It all comes down to you in the end and if you’ve run yourself down then one or all of these departments will be lacking.
Queue the onslaught of influencers telling you, you need to practice “self-care,” rooted in long baths with luxurious Epsom salts or lighting expensive candles while putting on a face mask. To me this all sounds a bit superficial, while relaxing, they don’t really address the root of the problem. I think self care should focus on changes that can be instituted on a regular basis that will help you to be healthier and more balanced in your school and social lives.
As a student who ran myself down to a point where I had anxiety and depression that I could barely even bring myself to get out of bed, and almost didn’t return to McGill for my third year, I knew I had to make some changes. I’ve put together a list of 5 changes I’ve made personally, which have actually helped me to be more productive and find balance:
- Create a morning routine that you can stick to:
I’m putting this first because if there is one tip on this list that has actually had a lasting impact on me it is this. I’ve never been a morning person, my family often jokes that they can’t expect me to answer a phone call before lunch. But lately, I’ve found on the days where being up early is unavoidable, that having a morning routine is key. If you are stressed and constantly dread the start of your day, create a routine for yourself that gives you that motivation to get up out of bed. For me, this has become a conditioned routine of waking up about an hour before I would normally need to and making myself a cappuccino, something I truly enjoy, it gives me my caffeine boost and also starts my day on a positive note.
I like to open my windows and sit in bed drinking my coffee and doing something besides worrying about what is in store for me that day like reading, catching up on my Instagram or watching a YouTube video. It’s something I’ve come to enjoy and takes the edge off in the morning. It helps me wake up earlier and get my day started earlier so that I’m more productive throughout the day, but also is my carved out “me time” before I head off into the world. I have been doing this religiously since December and it really helps improve my mood, and has made me somewhat more of a morning person.
- Buy a nice water bottle so you can stay hydrated:
Everyone knows that taking proper care of yourself starts with what you put in your body. Staying hydrated is essential for keeping your energy levels high, your skin clear and immune system going. I never put a number on how many bottles/glasses I need to drink in a day, because for me that makes it stressful and I actually hate nothing more than chugging water bottles just to fit them all in in a day. Instead, I like to carry my Swell Water bottle with me everywhere I go and I just constantly refill it so that I’m never heading to the vending machine for a soda or raiding my fridge. Having a nice water bottle that keeps my water cold throughout the day and a water filter at home ensures there are no excuses not to drink enough water throughout the day.
- Put down the screen – read or listen to a podcast:
I love a good Netflix binge as much as the next person, but when stressed and in need of a distraction from everything else that is going on, I have found that doing something that doesn’t involve a screen is the only thing that actually does the trick. School for me revolves around my computer, watching lectures, typing notes and doing online quizzes, so to “take a break” but still stare at my screen only makes me feel guilty that I’m not doing my work.
I made a challenge for myself, and decided that instead of watching the shows and movies that are based on books that I would read them instead. After I set aside an hour or so as a break reading I feel much more revived and almost rested so that I can get back to what I need to be doing. I realized that taking breaks is absolutely necessary to prevent burn out a while ago, but only recently realized that what I do during these breaks is just as important.
- Find an activity you enjoy and set time aside for it:
For me this was yoga. I splurged and bought myself a 2 month unlimited pass to a hot yoga studio close to school and scheduled myself a class every Tuesday and Friday morning. Again, like putting down the screen and reading a book, this is something I’ve begun to do for myself to take my mind off of everything. I personally like that it is something out of the house that I can schedule into my week as break time and since these are classes running on someone else’s schedule and begin at set times, it is harder for me to shrug it off. Taking care of yourself has so many facets, and getting your heart pumping and muscles moving not only keeps you in physical shape but also helps you think clearer.
- Speak to someone about how you feel:
Be this a friend, a parent or a professional, getting your struggles off of your chest in lieu of bottling them up really makes all of the difference. Last year, was the toughest year for me. I had run myself down to a point where even going to a lecture would incite a panic attack; my face would go numb, sounds would muffle, my vision went spotty, and I’d begin to sweat and need to flee. A panic attack is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, and the thought of having another one was enough to make every moment of every day feel like I was waiting for something to jump out at me like in a horror movie. At my worst, this anxiety kept me in my room for a month straight, and the constant fear made me suicidal as I couldn’t see any other escape. I knew that I had to speak to someone but I didn’t want to burden my friends or worry my parents.
So after months of feeling this way, I decided I needed to see a professional. McGill is notorious for its extreme wait times and subpar mental health services, but I didn’t have the means to go about it any other way. Seeing the psychologist at McGill was tough and verbalizing how I felt was no easy task at the time, but to say it all out loud and have someone tell me they cared and something could be done to help me, is really the only reason I’m still in school today. She helped me to find a psychologist in my hometown, who I met with weekly over the summer to work through my anxiety. I dreaded every appointment for the first month or so, because it is not easy to speak about these things, but I knew that I needed to trust the process. If I learned anything from the entire ordeal, it was that it is ok to put yourself first, you need to take care of yourself before you can devote yourself to other things. Talking through my emotions gave me perspective on how horribly I was treating myself, and how unhealthy my coping mechanisms were, but most of all got me the help I needed.
I hope this list has inspired has inspired in you some healthy changes, and remember you can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first.
Images obtained from:
http://zooll.com/quote-of-the-week-be-kind-to-yourself/
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/408772103660646375/
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/519813981977465130/
https://careersinpsychology.org/what-is-counseling-psychology/