If you know me, you know that I’m busy. Like, busy. Like, ten-different-color-coded-iCloud-calendars, free-for-(maybe)-an-hour-at-a-time, always-focused-on-the-next-big-project busy.
Despite my crazy schedule, I’m also a huge advocate for self-care. As someone who has been this involved for basically my entire life, it was no surprise that I began experiencing very severe burnout, which I later found was a result of clinical depression, during my freshman year of high school.
As a result of my diagnosis, I had to learn how to take care of myself. I had to learn that even though I love being involved and encouraging and supporting and helping, that I could do none of those things unless I helped and loved and encouraged and supported myself first. My life motto for a long time has been “be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody.” What I would add to that now is, “… but don’t forget that you’re somebody too.” With all this being said, here are my top four tips/strategies for fitting self-care into your packed schedule:
1. Schedule time for yourself.
As I said, I love my calendar. If you also get a euphoric rush when you add a new event to your planner, try adding time for YOU! Whether it’s going to the gym or just taking a long shower and doing a face mask, try adding it to your planner so that you make sure it happens.
2. Use affirmations.
I must admit before I started using this technique, I thought it sounded kind of crazy. However, we all talk to ourselves, so why not train that voice inside your head to be positive? You can do this by setting your favorite inspirational quote as your lock-screen, making a collage for your desktop wallpaper, or putting sticky notes up around your room. One of my favorite techniques is changing the “You” to “I” and adding the word “will” in motivational quotes. For example, take “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” (Theodore Roosevelt). I would change this to “I will do what I can, with what I have, where I am.”
3. Take advantage of your resources.
In addition to the recreation center, TCU has so many amazing mental health resources available to students. These are paid for with our tuition, so why not take advantage of them? TCU’s Counseling and Mental Health Center has an abundance of student services ranging from a short conversation with a professional through the Let’s Talk program to a psychiatric evaluation. There are also peer support communities with techniques ranging from gaming to meditation supporting communities with mental health struggles of all kinds.
One of my favorite resources that TCU has to offer is the Letters of Care program. Students can sign up to send a virtual letter of care to an anonymous peer who is going through a tough time. Conversely, one can also sign up to receive a Letter of Care from someone else! In the sign-up form, there is a box where you can write down what you’re going through, which has been helpful for me as space to just kind of vent! You can also get connected with peer support groups this way.
4. Don’t beat yourself up if you fail.
Even with all of these strategies, you can still let self-care fall by the wayside. If your plan of action fails, don’t get upset! The most important part of practicing self-love is giving yourself grace. If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again and you’ll be a self-care maven in no time!