If your midterm season was anything like mine, you’re probably exhausted from all of the projects and exams you endured. This time of year can feel like complete chaos, but it is important to make some time for yourself.
Here are eight ways to practice self-care and get back to your healthy, happy self now that the semester is done!
1. Take Care of Your Body
After a week (or multiple weeks) of final exams and projects, your body deserves to be pampered. Fill the tub, grab a bath bomb and let yourself relax for a night. Take a few minutes to focus solely on your breathing. You could try meditation or yoga to relax your mind and body before making sure you get a full eight hours of sleep. To bring your skin back to its glory, try a DIY face mask:
Cucumber & milk face mask:
-½ a cucumber
-¼ cup of milk
-One tbsp of honey
-One tbsp of brown sugar
Peel and blend the cucumber until it has a smooth consistency. In a separate bowl combine milk, honey, and brown sugar. Mix the cucumber in with the other ingredients.
The brown sugar acts as an exfoliant for your skin and will help make your skin feel fresh and revived from finals blues.
Oatmeal & honey mask:
-½ cup of uncooked oatmeal
-¼ to ½ cup of water
-½ cup of milk
-One tbsp of honey
In a small saucepan cook all of the ingredients together for five or six minutes. Stir frequently and then let it sit to cool for two minutes. Massage a thick layer of honey on your face before applying the mask. Apply the mask in upward strokes, relax for 10-15 minutes. Remove the mask with warm water and a washcloth. This mask will help moisturize your skin.
2. Add some entertainment to your life
Pop some popcorn or grab a tub of ice cream, put on some comfy clothes and get ready for a night of laughs. Invite your friends if you’re feeling social or spend the night by yourself binge-watching your favourite TV show.
If you feel like watching a show you can waste some free time on I recommend RuPaul’s Drag Race, Bones, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Office.
If you’re in more of a movie mood I would recommend watching Coco, Wonder, Push, and The Bounty Hunter.
3. Get some fresh air
A wild concept of being done with midterm season is the free time that you suddenly have. Use that freedom to go outside after being cooped up in your bedroom. Take a trip to your favourite spot in the city or go explore a part of Toronto that you’ve never seen before.
Some places you could try are Allan Gardens, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, and Kensington Market.
4. Find some new music
Create a post-exam playlist, add your favourite songs and some new music that has potential. If you really feel like de-stressing, there’s nothing like a personal dance party to bring you out of the blues.
My personal favourites are to “thank u, next” by Ariana Grande, “Woman Like Me” by Little Mix, “Hey Lil’ Mama” by Juke Ross, “Just Got Paid” by Sigala and “Clumsy” by Fergie.
If you and your friends are lucky enough to be musically talented, get the group together to have a chill night full of jams. You could even attempt to learn some new songs together. Some ideas are “Hey Jude” by The Beatles, “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s, “Riptide” by Vance Joy, and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley.
5. Spend time with animals
Animals are the golden ticket to stress relief. Spend some time with a pet that you know or go for a walk through a dog park. If you’re looking for something close to Ryerson, the university hosts therapy dogs on Wednesday from 12-1 p.m. in the Sandbox at the Student Learning Centre. You can also try volunteering at a shelter.
6. Treat yourself
Once exams are over, you deserve to reward yourself for all of your hard work. Buy that jacket you’ve been eyeing for weeks! Order that dessert! Go out for a few drinks with your friends! Just make sure to budget yourself so you’re not running around your house trying to figure out what you can sell to be able to pay for your rent by the end of the month.
7. Make a good meal for yourself
Okay, so maybe you’ve been too busy to make your own healthy meals for yourself in the last week. Maybe you’ve been eating takeout all week. This is your chance to get back into a healthy lifestyle (or at least, as healthy as you can get on a student budget). Invite a group of friends over to create a meal together. This will give you more motivation to make your own food. Even if the meal isn’t the best thing you’ve ever eaten, it will still be a fun bonding moment!
Try this vegan recipe for Keto Vegan “Zoodles” from KetoDiet:
-Four medium zucchini (one per serving), sliced using a julienne peeler or vegetable spiralizer
-½ cup of avocado pesto
-Two avocados
-One cup of pitted olives
-¼ cup of sun-dried tomatoes
-½ cup of fresh basil
-Two tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil
-½ tsp of salt
Place the zoodles in a coconut oil greased pan and cook for 2-5 minutes. Peel, halve and slice the avocado into slices. Then chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Take the zoodles off heat and add in the pesto. Mix until well combined while sprinkling in the salt. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, sliced avocado, olives, fresh basil and serve.
8. Get your creative juices flowing
If you want to do something both soothing and creative, try colouring an adult colouring book. These are known to reduce stress and will take you back to a time when you didn’t even know what the word “essay” meant. If you want to colour outside the lines, attempt sketching or painting. If you would rather write than draw, try your hand at poetry or a short story.
Another way to increase your creativity while also helping your organization skills is to create a bullet journal. You can add anything to it. Plan your month, doodle, journal about your day, track your mental health. The options are endless.
Remember that you deserve to relax and take care of yourself. Self-care is not selfish, it’s healthy.