Self-care varies for each individual. Recently, I’ve been focusing more on myself in an effort to bring more positivity into my life. It’s a lot of small changes that are low energy and simple. I can definitely say my stress has been dropping since I’ve picked up a lot of these activities, and I want to share them in the hopes that someone may discover something that works as self-care for themself!
1. Meditation / Journaling
This one may sound like a bit of a cop-out, but meditating and taking time to write down my thoughts and feelings toward a day has genuinely helped me out so much. Even if it’s just for 5 or 10 minutes out of a day, it’s a part of my routine that has become something I cherish. It’s easy to skip over, but it’s also just as easy to sit down and do it. Even if it’s just a 2 minute meditation and a journal entry saying I had a simple day, it’s better than nothing.
2. Nurturing My Inner Child
This one probably needs a little explanation. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found my style and general likes / dislikes changing. With that being said, there are still a ton of things I liked as a kid that I still enjoy today. I’ve been revisiting games like Undertale, listening to music like Avril Lavigne and Nickelback, and treating myself to new stuffed animals on a semi-regular basis. All of these things help me accept the fact that while my taste may not have been “popular” as a kid, it was still super important to me and had an impact on the person I am today. I love revisiting things that brought me joy at a younger age. It has been important in the self-care process to allow myself to enjoy what I did at a different part of my life.
3. Listening to Music
This one kind of ties in with nurturing my inner child, but is also just something I do on a daily basis. I love discovering new music and sharing it with the people I love, but also keeping some of it to myself. It gives me something to listen to if I’m bored otherwise, but can also help me feel emotions I may be pushing to the side otherwise. A bit of a side note, but I’ve also been listening to more podcasts lately, which has been just as important in terms of self-care. Just having something to listen to that isn’t my own thoughts or YouTube videos can be really nice and can alter my mood (for the better) any given day.
4. Getting Enough Sleep
As a full-time college student with a part-time job, this is definitely one of the harder ones to maintain. Getting enough sleep at night has helped me with gaining a more positive outlook on life while also helping sustain my energy, mental health, and physical health. Getting enough sleep at night and having a consistent sleep schedule has made my life more organized and straight-forward, as well as being something I just… enjoy doing. Going to bed at a decent hour, as well as sleeping the just-right amount, has definitely changed things for the better in my life.
5. Spending Time with Friends
The last self-care tactic on this list is spending time with my friends. Because I’m so far away from home while at college, I don’t have family around to spend time with. My friends are incredibly supportive and loving, and being able to spend time with them and feel whatever emotions I need to feel has been helpful. I love spending time with individuals who understand me and allow me to vent, while also being the people I have really fun times with. I love my friends dearly, and I’m so glad to have them in my life.
In general, I’ve been focusing more on myself and doing whatever I can to ensure that I am happy at the end of the day. Although it hasn’t been easy, it’s been worth it to make these little changes and find where it all has brought me. I’m loving the person I’m turning out to be, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about what I’ve done to get to where I am.