If you’re a college student, you know all about skipping a meal or missing sleep to accommodate your hectic schedule. People wear their stress like a badge of honor and you can hear people brag about their ability to survive off ramen, coffee and three hours of sleep. However, this isn’t a healthy lifestyle, and it shouldn’t be glamorized. It’s easy to prioritize school when you’re trying to cram and complete all your projects in order to pass, but we should learn how to prioritize our own mental health and well-being. You might not be able to completely overhaul your whole schedule, but here’s some small self-care additions to make your life a little better. That’s where the idea of self-care comes in, where you invest small amounts of time into doing things that help your mental health. Here are some of my favorite self-care tips:
1. Nap
Every college student loves the idea of crashing mid-afternoon after a late night. On the plus side, this habit is actually pretty good for you. According to The Sleep Foundation, naps won’t make up for a full night’s rest, but it can definitely improve daily function. So when you know you’re going to be up late cramming, purposefully schedule some extra down time the next day after your deadline has passed.
2. Get a haircut
This might seem silly but, for me, I struggle finding the time to maintain long hair during busy periods. It takes me an hour at least to dry and style my hair, so it normally ends up in a bun. With the cold weather coming in, my hair has dried out and tangles so much easier when pulled up. Making time to get my haircut was a huge mood boost for me because it cut down on the amount of time I had to commit to detangling and keeping it healthy. My new style lets me leave the house without feeling like a bum with it all pulled back. Plus, it’s nice to pamper yourself, giving yourself me-time and allowing yourself to feel confident when everything else is stressful.
3. Sneak in healthy snacks
I’m a total stress eater and nothing is more alluring than a good donut or slice of pizza. The idea of trying to eat healthy when I’m busy can seem so daunting between emotional eating and lack of time, fast food is so much easier. However, if you sneak in some good-for-you snacks you enjoy like a piece of fruit or some yogurt, it can really boost how you feel. When you aren’t feeling energetic or healthy, it can pull your spirits down and allowing yourself some healthy but easy options is a quick way to feel like you’ve got it together.
4. Look up self-care tips
These few tips are just my personal favorites when it comes to giving myself some TLC during a stressful period, but everyone is different. What works for me may not work for you, but there are tons of ideas online on self-care. From taking baths, to reading, to exercising, find ways to care for yourself and put your emotional health first. You only have one you and nothing is worth compromising that.