Like many other students, I'm over halfway through my first semester at university. Assignments are coming in and stress levels are starting to creep up. With next week (1st Nov) being stress awareness day I thought it might be fitting for today's blog post to be on self-care. I've put together my top 6 things that I find helpful - and even included a self-care printable pdf checklist. The document can be found after this blog post. ⬇️ Happy reading!
1) Positive affirmation
It's good to be your own cheerleader. For example, if a friend was going on about how gross they looked today or how stupid they are, would you agree with them? No, you wouldn't. So why should you do that to yourself? Every day tell yourself 3 things that are great about you. 'You look great today, 'you nailed that presentation' and 'you've been a great friend to Joe recently' all work.
2) Drink up
As obvious as it sounds, drinking lots of water can help with so many things. As well as being a natural headache remedy, it helps with digestion and can do wonders for your skin. Also, if you're hydrated you're going to have more energy to get everything to need to get done, done.
3) Practice mindfulness
Life can often be so hectic we often don't take time to be in the present moment. Mindfulness can help you to connect with your own thoughts and feelings. You can work on mindfulness by choosing a different seat in class, trying a different coffee shop and making gratitude part of your routine.
I find the app Headspace is good, you can find out more about it here: https://www.headspace.com/. Also let me know in the comments below if you'd like a separate/bigger blogpost on mindfulness!
4) Move your body
Exercise benefits every part of your body - including the mind. Exercise doesn't have to be spending hours in the gym. You can have a swim, take a walk, play tennis, or cycle (amongst many other options.) The choice is yours. The NHS website says those aged 19-64 should exercise at 150 minutes per week - so about 20 minutes per day. They also suggest doing strength exercises just to keep your body in tip top shape.
5) Me time
Over the past year i've realised the importance of being social and spending time around other people. However, it's also made me realise it's good to be by yourself sometimes. 30 minutes of alone-time a day will help. It allows you to de-stress and do literally whatever you want. I prefer to have my me-time just before bed with a cup of tea.
6) Say yes
The sense of achievement when you do something out of your comfort zone. It broadens your mental boundaries. It could just be anything from volunteering to lead a project to saying yes to a social event where there arent many people you know going. But it doesn't have to be something big - saying hi to the new girl/guy in class is great too.
Is there anything I should add to the list? Let me know below!
Bye for now,
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