If you’re anything like me, you really suffer this time of year. The sky is consistently grey, and the massive shifts in temperature between -5 and +3 give you headaches and make trying to dress for the weather a complete nightmare. I’m ready to wear cute spring outfits with light jackets, okay? Or even with NO JACKET. A wild concept, I know.
While you can’t force the weather to change or make the clock move faster in order for the winter semester to end, there are some self-care tips that you can take on to make yourself feel even the slightest bit better.
Have a Dedicated Self-Care Night
While it’s hard to find the time with a full school and work schedule to take the time off to dote on yourself, having a self-care night to refresh can greatly help your motivation to complete your projects and makes you feel considerably less crabby.
One of my favourite self-care night rituals is doing a facemask. If you need a good brand, check out the natural skincare article I wrote! (Shameless plug, sorry.)
Brew yourself a cup of tea (or hot chocolate, if that’s your thing) and watch one of your favourite movies. You won’t regret it!
Force Yourself to Go for a Walk
While the weather is miserable, it can be beneficial to get out for some fresh air considering the amount of time we all tend to spend indoors this time of year. If you bundle up enough, the wind won’t be so bad, and you’ll come back home with a nice healthy and rosy flush. (Who needs blush?)
Treat Yourself!
Take yourself out to buy a new pair of shoes or any other item you’ve had your eye on for a while and could never find the guts to splurge on it. While I’m not trying to promote capitalism (I can’t help but to reference it as an arts student, sorry), buying something nice for yourself can improve your mood. Plus, you deserve it! This semester has felt incredibly long and having even one nice thing can help push you along to focus on your studies.
I hope these few ideas have inspired you to treat yourself with kindness this time of year and do something that will benefit you. It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of school and the stresses of other people, so just breathe and go with the flow (easier said than done, I know!).
We’re on the downward slope now, and the semester will be finished before we know it.