Once school starts it’s easy to drown in studying, clubs, social activities, jobs, life, and it can seem wrong to ask for a break. As women, we often feel we must work hard to stand out in a scholarly world that is still very male-dominated. Taking time for ourselves can feel like a defeat.
Too often, I’ve felt satisfaction from pulling an all-nighter. In the middle of the semester, a full night of sleep seems foreign to me. I’m not sure where to stop, and discussing class loads with my friends can often feel like a competition. I stress over my GPA every day and I’m proud of it. A hard-working woman is a force of nature, and I love to surround myself with other women who think and feel like I do. But lately, I’ve been wondering if we’re getting it right.
Self-care seems to be trending. Though Google’s top self-care search suggestion is “is self-care selfish” the results are a resounding “No.” Not only are body positivity and mental health issues becoming more widely discussed, but a new subset of “Self-Care is” memes, fueled by millennial absurdist comedy, are flooding the internet.
That’s become part of living as a young adult 2017, we don’t just love internet trends, we love making jokes out of taking care of ourselves. Almost everyone I know is over-worked and those who don’t feel like they aren’t working hard enough. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of being tired.
In the spirit of exhaustion. I’m going to buy into this whole “self-care” thing and stop doing so much. This semester I’m making a resolution to care for my whole self, body, and mind. Here are some lazy-girl ways to take care of your body and just chill out for once.
Remember you can only do so much:
There are only 24 hours in a day and eight of those are for sleeping, at least three are for eating and some of it should be spent away from school work. Try not to pressure yourself in to doing more than you can. Even if you want to get as much done as possible, it’s fine to step back and say to yourself “this isn’t happening today.” Discovering and setting your own boundaries is the start of caring for yourself and the beginning of personal growth.
Schedule time for yourself:
You are your most important asset. It can be hard to set aside time for yourself when you’re booked solid with school, but it can sometimes be just as tough when you aren’t taking care of your mental health. I know what the slide into a depressive slump can feel like. I always feel it coming on, and I always load myself down with work to try to distract myself.
Once a week, take the time to check in with yourself. It’s easy to put your feelings on the back burner and focus on the rest of the world, but it isn’t healthy. Take time to sit and think about your goals and your feelings. Congratulate yourself for the little things you conquered during the week. You might want to start a journal where you record all your thoughts and visit it weekly during your scheduled time.
Splurge a little:
Splurging on yourself every once in a while can be rewarding and doesn’t have to be expensive. A splurge can be a pair of pants you find on a great sale or the ingredients to a DIY face mask you’ve been wanting to make for weeks now. The whole point is to reward yourself. Many people tell themselves they can only buy nice things as a reward for completing some goal in school or work, but treating yourself “just because” is equally as important. Giving yourself little gifts whenever you can afford to will bring joy to your life.
-HCxo