I’ve been looking for new ideas for “self-care.” Self-care can be anything that helps someone to relax. I usually light a candle, make my bed, put on some music, and paint or do some sort of craft. It helps me take my mind off of schoolwork and whatever has me stressed out. But lately, I’ve been looking for other habits to take care of myself. I turned to my friends for help and we came up with some great ideas.
“Bubble baths and light a candle.” I asked her why. She said that the scented soap she uses is something that relaxes her and it helps her to take time for herself and to unwind. To go along with this one of my other friends also agreed that a skincare routine was a great habit to get into. I think because it makes you feel refreshed and better. Such a simple and quick habit, but so therapeutic. Another quick and easy, task is cleaning. One of my friends suggested this one and I understand why. She said that cleaning was a major stress reliever for her because having everything in her environment cleaned and organized makes her feel like she has everything under control. I feel the same about making my bed every day. It makes me feel like my room is put together (even if it isn’t lol).
A lot of my friends said they like to exercise to alleviate the negativity and stress they have built up. They do things like lift weights, run, or just go and shoot a basketball around. They all agreed it was a great way to work out anger and negativity. I loved this idea. To go along with this, we also mentioned how to take a nice walk. College Woods have been their favorite place on campus to walk around. It’s a great way to clear your head either with your friends so you can talk to someone or alone to just think. Being alone and having time yourself has always been a way I like to take care of myself.
Lastly, my friends mentioned how making a list makes them feel organized. One example is planning out what they need to do every day just to make sure they have their day planned out. They even make a list of meals for the week because it motivates them to eat healthier. I love this idea, I do the same thing. But my favorite suggestion was journaling. One of my friends says he journals every day to “hash out” his thoughts from that day. I loved this because this is something I’ve wanted to get into. Writing things down helps me to let go of things in my head and leave them on a page. Also, it helps to let go of stress. I love writing. I think everyone should try it every once in a while.
In one day, we came up with so many things to improve our self-care and probably realized some things that we did that we didn’t even know was self-care. Everyone should have some kind of habit to take care of themselves. I hope this reminds everyone to take time for themselves every once in a while especially during the pandemic. It can be as easy as sitting with your friends and watch a movie or the Bachelor.
