As midterms are approaching it can be difficult to prioritize your mental health and get caught up in studying. However, it is not beneficial to put yourself and your needs to the side because this can cause you to be less productive. Taking care of yourself can help improve your mental and emotional health which will give you the energy to accomplish your goals. If you feel like you don’t have time to prioritize your mental health, these are five easy things you can do every day to feel more refreshed.
1. Get enough sleep!
Although you may want to stay up to complete work or study, this will become less productive and beneficial to you if you are not well rested. Getting enough sleep can also improve your mood and increase your productivity.
2. Set aside time before bed to wind down
By setting aside time before bed to journal, meditate, or just relax, you are putting yourself first and completing a task to benefit your mental health. Personally, I like to journal before bed, and I also find this to be a good way to get all my thoughts down from that day which will start my next day off on a better note.
3. Get physical with an activity of your choosing!
Whether this is going for a walk, stretching, or playing Just Dance, moving around is a way to take care of your body. It’s easy to sit around all day on our phones, in class, or doing homework, but moving around has so many positive benefits and can improve your mental health.
4. Connect with friends and family
While it is important to focus on school, having a social aspect is important every day because making connections with others is very grounding. Personally, talking to my roommate every day keeps me from having a mental breakdown. Whether this means talking to them about my day or just grabbing coffee, I think this is a really important part of self-care that people forget about. It is not selfish to take a break from your work to socialize because sometimes when you look at your work for too long it can make you less productive.
5. Map out your day
Getting a lot of assignments can be frustrating and overwhelming, so if you make a schedule for yourself it may seem more manageable. This can be as complex as giving yourself time slots for certain assignments, or as simple as listing what you want to do each day.
Self-care is crucial to ensure happiness in your life. It is important to take care of yourself because relaxing and recharging may make you feel overall better, and your assignments feel more manageable. Try doing these things every day or even making your own list of self-care ideas that will improve your mood. Have fun with your self-care! And good luck with midterms!