This semester was probably the most stressful semester at William and Mary for midterms. This was the first semester where I had midterms in three of four of my classes, which I know is uncommon, but it was a lot for me. I had lucked into having one or two midterms my freshman year, and two last semester. This semester, I had two essays and a test within the span of two days. I was super stressed and unprepared for the tests. I had studied and gotten ready to the best of my ability, but I felt wound up and tense.
I know that I am not very good at taking care of myself, so I decided to start with something small. I made sure that I was drinking enough water and I changed into comfortable clothes. Even something as simple as changing my outfit and hydrating made me feel 100 times better. I’ve been trying to make small changes to help me take care of myself more, but it’s definitely been difficult. I struggle with letting myself relax instead of stress about homework and outside activities and tests. I’ve tried meditating, but it only makes me think more about the assignments I need to complete.
Then I realized that self-care isn’t just meditation and facials and painting my nails, it’s about making sure I can function. Self-care for me is changing my sheets, giving myself a snack, or allowing myself to take 30 minutes to take a nap or relax during the day. So whatever self-care is to you, I implore you to figure it out or try out some options during finals week!