Oxford is the land of leaders and overachievers, but just because we are high-functioning, doesn’t mean we live in a beautiful dreamland of hard-work and happiness. A lot of people take a break from their brutal schedules and crushing stress through self-care — seemingly basic tasks to take care of ourselves, from eating lunch to doing face masks there are so many ways we can practice self-care if we only make a little time for ourselves. But I’ve discovered that mindfulness, staying in the present moment and thinking about how you’re feeling, can engage us in the kinds of self-care behaviors that best promote your unique path to well-being.
This realization started for me in none other than Anthropologie. Amongst the hipster stationary and organic face masks was a bright pink book called a Happiness Planner. Being both a Hufflepuff and an avid fan of mental health, I payed the $30 for the book and eagerly began my happiness planning. The book first asks you to fill in several lists such as what makes you happy, what you are grateful for, and people you want to see more often. Then each day you answer prompts like your main focus, what you’re grateful for, and what your excited about for that particular day in addition to things like meals and a short to-do list.
These seem like incredibly basic and obvious questions to think about, but they force you to check in with yourself. By getting in the habit of thinking about what you’re doing and how it makes you feel, you start to think about little ways to heighten your well-being. I am more likely to go to dinner even on days I feel like staying in my room because I know I’m happier after seeing my friends. Or when I’m feeling sad or overwhelmed, it’s good to skype a high school friend or go volunteer.
This way of thinking is absolutely acquirable without an overpriced planner. I don’t always write in the planner on a regular basis; rather I think about those kind of questions throughout my day. What the questions in that planner were really getting at is our core emotions and reactions to the day’s events in addition to our values and the behaviors that align with or violate them. Then we can make decisions that better align with what we know to be a discernible impact on our mental health. The changes may seem small, but doing more effective self-care is a simple way to become a healthier and happier person.