I bet we have all had those stressful college days where all you want to do is take a nap after a long week of assignments, projects, labs and exams. Between trying to maintain my course workload each and every week, to keeping up with the social scene on a college campus, by the end of the week, I find myself completely drained and in much need of a day to take care of my own well-being. We have all heard of the classic “Self-Care Sunday,” a day where you take care of yourself and do things that make you happy and make you smile. You might, however, be feeling stuck as to what to do to make you feel rejuvenated and ready to take on another week of grueling classes and schoolwork. Well, never fear! Here are some great options to elevate and improve your Self-Care Sunday, and to treat yourself in the best way possible.
1. treat yourself, and Take a nap
While a nap may seem like a waste of time, especially on a day when you are trying to spend time with yourself that is where you are wrong. Sometimes, your body really just needs rest, more than anything else. From going to the Rec Center, to walking to your classes, to even sitting in one place doing work, your body is constantly staying active, moving around, and working. While it may seem like your body can do everything on a daily basis, paired with minimal amounts of sleep at night, the truth is that it cannot. According to MayoClinic, napping offers a plethora of benefits including relaxation, reduced fatigue, increased alertness, and improved mood. One nap, while it may seem like nothing, can make our bodies feel rejuvenated, and can give our bodies the necessary rest it needs to be ready to take on another week! Give yourself rest. You deserve it!
2. treat yourself, and read your favorite book
For all my book-lovers out there, I know that reading books (that are NOT school related of course) makes me the happiest. But, while in college, I never get the chance to read a single non-academic book. Well, a great way to spend your self-care day is to snuggle up in your favorite blanket, find a really nice area (either on campus or in the comfort of your own bed) to curl up and read! This is absolutely one of my favorite ways to spend my self-care days because it actually feels like I am treating myself to something I would never be able to do during the week. This will allow you to relax, destress from the past week, and do something that will put a smile on your face which is the ultimate goal on your Self-Care Sunday.
If you are looking for some good book recommendations, take a look at another HerCampus article titled, “6 Books to Read in your Fall Girl Era”!
3. Treat yourself, and Watch That Movie
We all know which movie I am talking about. It is that one movie that you have already watched a million times, but you could watch it again without feeling tired or sick of it. It’s the movie that you would say yes to watching, even if you just saw the movie yesterday. We all have this one movie that makes us feel good and happy every time we see it. For me, that movie is Legally Blonde. I have seen that movie way too many times.
Snuggle up in your favorite blanket (on your self-care day, a blanket should definitely be involved somehow), pop your favorite popcorn, and curl up and watch. This will not only make you feel good inside, but it will also give your mind a break from the work that has consumed you all week. You can also multi-task a little and do an at home spa day (as mentioned below) while the movie is playing, so you have double the self-care in only one block of time. Make this time your own and do what will make you the most relaxed and happy.
4. Treat Yourself…to an At home Spa day
Every girl, at some point in their life, needs to have a spa day. But, as a (somewhat) broke college student, we don’t have the kind of money to go to a spa and pay for the full self-care treatment. So, instead of burning through your cash for the spa treatment, bring the spa treatment to your room or door. Take yourself through a full spa routine and pamper yourself. Here are some ideas for things you can do:
- Take a long hot shower: Sometimes we just need to stand in the shower and let the water clean off and get rid of the stress, worries and the “muck” of the past week. Get your body ready for the week ahead of you!
- Do your nails: Your self-care day is a great time to pamper yourself a bit and do things that you wouldn’t normally have time to do. While doing your nails, you can put on a movie or watch a TV show. That way, you are taking care of two different self-care activities at once!
- Straighten/Curl your hair: Your self-care day is also a great time create a new look for yourself for the week that follows. Curling or straightening your hair can make you feel good, and make you feel refreshed and new.
- Try a face mask: To be completely honest, I have only ever tried a face mask once in my life, and it honestly wasn’t the greatest experience. My sister ended up having a slight allergic reaction to the mask she was wearing. While this was the case, this does not mean that all face masks are bad or don’t actually help you. Go to CVS and find a couple that seem nice and test them out. You may just find one that you really enjoy and makes you feel good!
5. Treat Yourself, to some Good Food
I am honestly a huge sucker for a good meal. That is why every single one of my self-care days consists of getting myself food that does NOT come from the dining hall. Even if this means taking the trek all the way to Downtown Storrs, I will do it, because I deserve it after a grueling week. Sometimes, just getting a good meal in at the end of your week will help your body break out of the routine of eating pizza and salads (probably the only two most reliable dining hall dishes) throughout the week. Some of my favorite places to go to eat on campus are:
- Eat Joy: The Poke Bowls are to DIE for, and the boba isn’t all too bad either.
- Gansett Wraps: I have only been here once, but I really enjoyed the large selection of wraps they offered.
- Subway: This is always an optimal choice, since they allow you to make all the decisions to create the best sub for you.
- Whale Tea: If you are not too hungry, and are just looking for a small pick-me-up, Whale Tea is the way to go. With their large selection of milk teas and types of boba, there is an option for everyone!
6. Treat Yourself, And talk to your friends and family
Another great way to spend your self-care day is to talk to your friends and family. While you may think that talking to friends and family defeats the purpose of a self-care day, it is more important to do the things that make you happy on this day, rather than focusing on the SELF part of the typical self-care day. During the week, conversations with friends and family are often sporadic, quick, and often focused on the work that is being done and the work that still needs to be done. The good part of talking to your friends and family on your self-care day, is that time is not limited. You will be able to talk to them for however long you want, about any topic you want. On my self-care days, I love to talk to my mom and catch her up on everything I am doing and thinking. Those are the moments that make me the happiest, and hopefully they make you all happy as well.
While there are so many options of things that can be done on a self-care day, if you are stuck in the rut of always doing the same thing, pick something out of this list to try and spice up your self-care. With this being said, however, the main important part of a self-care day is that you are taking care of yourself, your well-being and are doing whatever in the world that makes you the happiest. In the end, your own health matters more than any assignment or exam that you have, so it is important to prioritize and treat yourself every now and again.