As college students, we live in a fast-paced environment and tend to take on many activities, leaving almost no room for some time to ourselves. Lately, there has been a lot of emphases placed on the topic of self-care, including long, overwhelming lists of suggestions on how to improve your mental well-being. When it comes to self-care, I like to keep it simple. Here is what I consider a few basic key components to practicing good self-care.
- Crying
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Generally, crying is viewed as a negative action, but it can be very beneficial to moving past your sadness and can also provide a sense of relief. Research has discovered that crying allows you to release endorphins, which help to ease pain. In this way, shedding some tears is not a sign of weakness, but rather of sound health and strength. Setting aside a few minutes to unleash a day’s worth of stress can be soothing to the mind, body, and soul.
- Establish Boundaries
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Knowing your limits is essential for keeping stress levels at a minimum. We might be tempted to load up on credits or feel obligated to hang out with friends, but when it feels like it has all become too much to handle, it is important to keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with taking a breather. Canceling plans to stay home and indulge in some much-needed time to yourself is okay.
- Stop the Comparisons
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In this era of social media, we make it a habit to focus on portraying ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to others. It is easy to forget that people mainly share just the highlights of their lives. We don’t even realize that we are making these social comparisons and when we do, it’s always unfair. We tend to compare what we consider our worst qualities with other people’s qualities that we assume are their best. Perfect people do not exist because everyone has their weaknesses, whether you see them or not. Once you learn to accept, or even to embrace your flaws, you will feel more carefree.
- Sleep
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Getting enough sleep is constantly emphasized to the point where it becomes redundant, but it truly is such a huge contributor to the state of our mental/physical well-being. Different people require different amounts of hours to properly function throughout the day. Lack of sleep causes irritability, anxiety and other negative moods, making it that much easier to slip into practicing bad habits. Those hours of peaceful slumber will improve your mindset and renew your energy levels, so you’ll be ready to seize the day.
Self-care is important in maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle. It helps strengthen your relationship with yourself and others. It can be a struggle to regularly incorporate into your life, but making even the smallest changes create all the difference!