5 REAL ways to look after yourself at university

Does anyone really know what self-care means anymore? What once started as a wholesome internet incentive to tackle the rising number of depressive youths has now been dumped into a blender of big business buzz-words and come out the other-side as a mushy-pulp of empty marketing strategies for beauty products and bath bombs. And whilst slogans such as ‘self-care is skin-care’ and ‘treatyoself’ can be helpful for some, for broke university students it’s usually not. Equating spending money on yourself to looking after yourself is a dangerous hole to fall down, particularly when you have a limited amount of it to spend in the first place. So, here are real ways to look after yourself at university which don’t involve any money:

1.  Take basic personal care very seriously 

This may sound ridiculous at first because of course you’re going to shower, brush your teeth and eat every day, right? Well, not always. It’s very easy to be on top of all your work, eating all your fruits and veggies one day and find yourself laying on the floor the next. University is tough so it’s important to make sure that amidst the all-nighters (whether that be studying or partying) you keep on top of your body’s basic requirements. I find this is easiest if you build some sort of routine. This doesn’t mean waking up at 6am every day and having an exhaustive list of things you need to do (but if you can do that good on you), but just pushing yourself to do these things at a roughly similar time each day. I like to have a rough timeframe (7-9am) for when I need to get up each day and when I need to start working by (11am). Keep a mental checklist and ask yourself – have I brushed my teeth twice today? have I showered? have I eaten 3 decent meals? and if the answer is no, get to it!

But that being said:

1. Don’t put pressure on yourself 

There is a reason I have a rough timeframe for when I need to get up each day, and that is because I don’t like to pressure myself. I know if I wake up at 5am I will be dead. It may work for some, but not me. Now, a distinction needs to be made between pushing yourself and putting pressure on yourself. Have a goal you’re trying to achieve and think you can go further? Go for it! Want to do some more studying or reading for a class you enjoy? Awesome! Telling yourself you need do extra reading or you’ll fall behind and then not sleeping until you finish it. Not awesome. University puts enough pressure on you as it is to get a large amount of work done, so it’s important to not add more on top. Remember, if you don’t get that extra bit of reading done, you’ll survive. Be proud of the accomplishments you’ve achieved so far, even if you didn’t finish the whole reading list on time, at least you did as much as possible! It’s about knowing your limits and not forcing yourself to go beyond them at the detriment of your mental and physical health. 

1. Be present 

This comes up a lot in self-care articles, but no-one ever really tells you how or why. So, try this: sit down in a comfortable position and close your eyes, notice the fact that you are breathing and find where you feel that rising and falling sensation most – your stomach, your chest, your mouth – and count each breath, every time you breath in that’s 1 and every time you breath out that’s 2, and do that up until 10 and then start again. If you notice your thoughts trying to distract you as you do it, simply stop, acknowledge that thought, let it go and come back to counting your breaths. By practicing this in daily life either when you’re trying to focus or feeling a bit anxious and feel like your thoughts are all over the place, you can come back to the present moment. Being present just means not focusing on thoughts relating to an imagined future or moments in the past. Remember, even if you’ve been having thoughts that go all over the place for a long time, your usual state of mind is a blank slate, like a clear sky, and you can take it back there whenever you need to. 

1. Discover your interests and learn more about who you are  

Being present also means being more in touch with yourself and your body, because rather than getting lost in thoughts, you’ll begin to be more aware of things around you. If you start doodling in a lecture and notice that you feel happy while you draw, join an Art Society! If you notice you enjoy exercising, do it more often. Building your new life as a university student and an adult will be easier if you can balance studying (and/or working) with things that you know you’ll enjoy. 

1. Find hobbies outside of social media 

Note how there was no mention of the word ‘unplug’. It’s difficult for us to unplug from screens nowadays when most forms of entertainment are on them. Regardless of how you spend your time on screens, find something that doesn’t involve social media. I use my phone to play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp or read webcomics on WebToon (highly recommended: Lore Olympus!) in my breaks. Try going for a walk and listening to an audiobook or a podcast. Go to your local park or common room (if you’re living in halls) to watch Netflix. Finding a hobby doesn’t have to be a huge commitment unless you want it to be, and the more you can find things that you can enjoy outside of social media, the better.

• hobbies
• mental health