With all of my time being taken up by classes, organizations, work and preparing to move into my sorority house next year, it’s difficult to make time for self care. Even when I have the time to put a 5 minute face mask on or decide to relax and watch some true crime with Eleanor Neale (a fantastic true crime YouTuber, 11/10 recommend), I have a sense of guilt in the back of my mind and am still thinking about all of the chores I have to do by the end of each day. Unfortunately though, I’ve made an unhealthy balance of self care and my responsibilities, making it so that I’m neglecting one in favor of overindulging in the other.
Additionally, this has made me question my self care habits; Am I using my time effectively? Am I taking care of my body correctly, as in am I buying a venti iced coffee but neglecting the fact that my body would also love to have a ham and cheese croissant? Am I actually doing something that I get satisfaction from, or am I only doing what Pinterest told me to do? I’ve spent this past month really focusing on these questions, because while obviously school is a top priority for me, I can’t work at my best potential if I’m not in the right frame of mind nor if I turn a shoulder to what my body actually needs.
Like so many people, I had goals for myself for the new year, but failed to be consistent with them for a variety of excuses I made for myself. This summer, I decided I wanted to focus on myself, my relationship with myself, and where I want my passions, values, and beliefs to lie. It sounds deep, but that’s the best way I can put it. With everything this school semester feeling like a backwards roller coaster, grounding myself has been challenging. To me, taking the time to focus on these goals makes me feel confident in myself, so I consider it a form of self care.
Everyone’s relationship with themselves and their body is different, but I want to focus on three things: my mindset, spirituality and my physical body. So with this said, I try to make time daily for at least two of the following: working out, journaling, and doing some sort of body care – like a face mask or using a body scrub to make my skin feel nice and soft. Working on these consistently has helped me the most, as it’s now a part of my routine that I look forward to and kinda acts as a motivator throughout the day. Journaling has especially helped me, as I can really brainstorm what I want for myself and bring myself closer to those goals by making lists, writing affirmations and trusting in my faith. This makes me feel the most grounded and also not as lost as I would be if I just carried on in my personal whirlwind of assignments and chores.
The whole goal of self care is to be happy, clear your mind, and get back to a peaceful setting, at least in my opinion. However, there’s a million things you can do that will bring you joy and wellbeing, and it’s all up to do about what you do. Because I hate ambiguity, I decided to spend some time studying and learning about myself to see what I can easily incorporate into my life to find a healthy balance of self care and my responsibilities. Hopefully next time you do something for yourself, it’s something you enjoy and feel better by having done, and if you’re stuck on the best self care for you, write it out!