10 Ways to Practice Self-Care as a Busy Student

Hi Friends, 

Finals week is quickly approaching and with the increase of stress, I’ve been recently thinking about the importance of rest and self-care. Lately, my migraines have been extremely bad and have forced me to recognize how much my health has been suffering since I haven’t been actively including self-care into my routine. Our bodies cannot handle performing at 100% for weeks on end. We need rest to restore us to perform and be healthy humans. It may seem silly to some of you to forget how to take care of yourself, but if you're a Type A, Enneagram 1, or perfectionist like me, you'll understand how easy it is to let projects and deadlines consume you. So with this in mind, I reached out to friends for their self-care ideas and have compiled a list of ten ways to care for yourself below. All of these are achievable even in the busiest weeks of the year and almost all are free. 

1. Sleep. Seriously. I'm so guilty of not sleeping and pulling all-nighters before a paper is due or before a big exam, but when we're sleep-deprived our brains aren't capable of fully functioning. As my dad has always said, "well-rested, well tested." 
2. Go for a walk or run. Pick your favorite way to move your body.
3. Take time to read something that isn’t school-related. Personally, I like downloading an audiobook from my local library and listening while I go for a walk.
4. Follow a restorative yoga video on YouTube.
5. Creative outlets such as photography, painting, playing music, etc.
6. Schedule an hour to watch that show you’ve been looking forward to watching and watch it without guilt.
7. Treat yourself to something you love. My friend’s favorites are boba, cupcakes, ice cream, and doughnuts.
8. Meet up with or call a friend. Even better if you combine with getting a treat. 
9. Visit your campus museum or gallery if your school has one.
10. Get outside and around nature. Spend some time in a park, sculpture garden, botanical garden, whatever is around you. 

Hopefully, some of these tips are helpful to you. If you have anything that helps you that isn't on the list, please share any additional ideas in the comments! 

XO,

Chloe