I know that school just started but if your schedule is anything like mine, you’re already overwhelmed. With each year that you’re in college, your schedule gets busier and busier. By year 3 and 4, professors completely skip the complimentary “syllabus week” and they go straight to “our first exam is on Monday.” Not only is there school, there’s work, clubs, sororities and trying to have a social life as well. But when do you make time to take care of yourself in the midst of everything else?
Self-care can sometimes be placed on the back burner because it doesn’t seem as important as all the other things you have going on. But it is proven that if you spend time on yourself, you are actually more productive in everyday life.
Get some beauty rest
You may think that you have to sacrifice sleep in order to get all your work done, especially during exam week. But not sleeping can actually harm your productivity. The less sleep you get, the more prone you are to sickness, bad judgment, inability to retain knowledge, among other things. Force yourself to turn off the Netflix or put down your phone and get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.
Give yourself an hour
An hour of “me time” does incredible things for your mindset. It doesn’t have to be every day, but maybe a couple times a week. During this hour, turn your phone off and do something that makes you happy. You could go for a walk, read a book or (like most students) take a nap.
Bathe away your problems
If you live in a dorm, you clearly can’t do this but if you’re lucky enough to have an apartment, take one. And I mean full on, romantic novel type bath. Light some candles, use a new bath bomb, have a glass of wine and break out the blues. Baths actually have a lot of health benefits too. It’s a mood elevator, muscle relaxer and sleep aid.
Get motivated
Being in college and taking classes that aren’t the most interesting can make you feel like you’re wasting your time. If you know what you want to do and what career path you want to take, don’t lose sight of it. Listen to podcasts by people in your desired industry and read their memoirs. You’d be surprised how pumped you’ll feel after listening to your role model speak for 20 minutes.
Call your mom
Or whoever else you’re close to. Tell them everything that’s going on, good and bad. They’re the only people that you can vent to and they wont get tired of it or judge you. It’s like having a therapist that you don’t have to pay for.
Don’t let college get the best of you. Make sure that you make time for the most important person in your life- yourself.