Ladies, putting on a cheap face mask for 10 minutes while you’re doing your homework isn’t self-care.
Self-care is one of those things that everyone always comes up with excuses not to do, especially when you’re a busy college student with no extra time in the day. One day, when my only class for the day got cancelled, I really had no excuse not to practice some self-care. I devoted my whole day to unashamedly doing things for myself, and here’s what happened.
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I did some errands/chores I had been holding off.
Buying groceries, refilling my gas tank, and going to the bank are all things that I should be doing anyways, but I always hold them off until last minute. Instead of avoiding these tasks, I got them all over with at once so that I could get the satisfaction of checking those little things off my list.
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I went to the gym with no time limit
Usually in college, going to the gym is one of those things you have to squeeze in between classes or for 30 minutes before they close at the end of the night. This day, I went to the gym without the stress of a time limit, giving me time to do some extra exercises and stretches that I normally wouldn’t be able to do.
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I cooked healthy food for myself
Cooking is one of those things that you rarely get time for in college, so I took the time to make myself a yummy, healthy meal on this day. Cooking is something that can be very calming and satisfying, so it was nice to be able to make myself something homemade that I really wanted to eat instead of having the usual dining hall food.
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I didn’t bother getting dressed for the whole day
Since I’m very into fashion, I usually dress to the nines everyday, sometimes to the point of stressing myself out about getting ready and picking out outfits. Instead, I just took a shower, put on the comfiest clothes I owned, and lounged in them all day. Sometimes when we’re really busy, it’s good to commit a whole day to not having to go out and get all dressed up.
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I got my nails done
Some people do this all the time, but lately I haven’t been getting my nails done and leaving them bare. However, if you don’t do it a lot, going to get your nails done can be a really nice and relaxing time to chill and force yourself to unplug from the rest of the world. Plus, having my nails done makes me feel so much more put-together and confident. If you don’t want to spend money to get your nails done, painting your own nails can be just as satisfying and relaxing too.
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I watched some shows/YouTube videos
I’m not one to binge-watch Netflix because I’m always so busy, so sitting down to watch a show or YouTube video is a real treat for me. Taking time to watch some light-hearted shows and videos helped me get any stress off my mind for a little bit and put me in a more positive attitude.
The end results:
After getting a good night’s rest, I woke up the next day super early and completely ready to start my day. Spending a day practicing self-care helped me feel rejuvenated and inspired to get a lot done the next day. I powered through assignments, got ready and went to class, and felt great the whole time doing it. The next time you have a day off, I highly recommend using it to practice some self care– I promise, future you won’t be sorry for taking the time to do it.