Being a college student can be extremely stressful. There are a lot of things that require your time and attention, so it’s easy to forget about yourself from time to time. But this shouldn’t be the case, here so some College Self-Care Tips that you can add to your daily routine.
Why Self-Care is Important for Students
The life of a college student is intense and stressful. No day to day is ever the same and this can leave you feel drained and overwhelmed. If you don’t take care of yourself, this can lead to mental and physical health issues.
Mental Health
Mental health shouldn’t be overlooked. You might thrive under pressure but your mental health doesn’t. Having high stress levels can cause anxiety and depression. Both which aren’t good for you.
Physical Well-being
When you’re young, your body is at its peak. This means you can take on a lot and maybe even get away with getting little to no sleep on some days. But you aren’t invincible and this will eventually catch up to you if you don’t look after yourself.
Healthy Activities
There are a variety of healthy activities you can do to refresh your mind and your body. Don’t worry, you don’t have to spend money. We know that most college students live on a tight budget so these are FREE activities.
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Bike rides
- Reading
How to add Self-Care Into Your Schedule
With a hectic course schedule, you might not think there’s time for self-care. But you can always make time. Your self-care shouldn’t interfere with your academic life but make it easier. When thinking of your routine keep this in mind:
- Keep your routine simple
- Allow for Flexibility
- Do things that make you comfortable
Creating a Self-Care Schedule
If you’re a self-care beginner you might think that it’s all about candles and face masks but it’s not. A self-care schedule is all about you and you find relaxing.
Find what relaxes you most: Note down the things that make you feel the most comfortable and at ease.
Set daily self-care goals: Once you know what you want to do, set goals on how often you want to do it and when you want to do it.
Evaluate your progress after a week: After a week of doing your routine, evaluate it and see if it works for you.
Make adjustments where necessary: If you find any issues in your routine, make adjustments till you are fully comfortable and relaxed.
Self- Care Exercises
Self-care exercises can help clear your head and center your mind. Great thing about these exercises is that you can add them to your daily routine and it’s so easy, you won’t feel like you are adding more to your plate.
Journal – Self Check-ins
Writing down your feelings is a great way of doing self check-ins. You get to release your thoughts and monitor them on paper. This is also a good way of keeping track of your emotions.
Walks/Exercise
You don’t have to join a gym or become a bodybuilder. There are simple exercises you can do in the comfort of your room. You can even go for walks and maybe even start jogging.
Arts and Crafts
Doing arts and crafts doesn’t require you to be an artist. Doing things with your hands can be really soothing. You can build puzzles, mold clay and try finger painting.
Balanced Diets
Junk food is a quick and easy way to get a meal. But it’s not the healthiest. Having a balanced diet increases your energy levels and your brain activity.
Sleep
Your body needs rest. This doesn’t mean you should sleep the day away. You should however get the recommended amount of sleep for your age.
Self-Care for Virtual Learning
Virtual learning is the new way of studying. Even though it comes with so many benefits, it can also be lonely and depressing. But there are ways that you can cope with it.
Build a Support Network: Having a support system of fellow students can be a great help and give you someone to lean on when you need to.
Relaxation: Taking some time to relax isn’t a crime. You can do this with anything like going to a spa or getting a massage.
Take breaks: Your education is a priority but so is your sanity. Taking a break from your work every now and then can do you some good.
Self-care Tips During COVID-19
Covid-19 brought along a nationwide lockdown. This meant staying in doors and maintaining social distance. Being isolated from the outside world can lead to cabin fever and that can drive anyone a little crazy. Luckily there are things you can do to stay calm.
Maintain Connections
Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends and family. This way you get to speak to different people everyday and still adhere to social distance protocols.
Switch up Your Daily Routine
Doing the same thing day in and day out can become tedious and predictable. So switch it up and add some flavour to your day. Try something new.
Allow Yourself to Vent if Needed
Sitting alone with your thoughts isn’t always good, even if you are a private person. That’s why venting can be helpful. Speak to someone you trust like a counselor or a friend.
Looking After Yourself is the First Step to Success
Success might be on your mind but remember to put yourself first as well. With our self-care tips and courses, success is possible. Contact one of our course experts to find out what courses you can do via distance learning.
- Call us for free on 0800 39 00 27
- Or fill out a contact form for a call back
