Self Care

Self-care is active participation in enhancing the quality of your life. It is a vital part of maintaining good health and a vibrant life. Building up a repertoire of reliable self care habits now can affect your quality of life both now and in the future.

Self-care is an approach to living that incorporates behaviors that refresh you, replenish your personal motivation, and help you grow as a person. When adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it. Relaxation techniques provide much needed grounding and calming. Both your energy levels and your ability to cope with the external world are renewed when you balance productive time and restorative time. Healthy sleep patterns improve retention of the material you study and enhance your overall mental and physical health. 

Some examples of self-care can help us figure out what activities may help us feel recharged during stressful times.

Questions About Self Care

What if I don’t have time to take care of myself?

We make time for the things that we have to do and things that are important to us. The same way we make time to attend classes and get our schoolwork done, we should also schedule time for self-care. It doesn’t have to require a huge chunk of time or our entire day. Start small. A few minutes a day or one afternoon a week. Whatever works for you. As long as you are taking time to rest, recharge, and reconnect (either with yourself or others).

If you audit your time, you will likely find that some of your time could be better spent recharging your own battery. Studies show that mental acuity decreases after a short period of concentrated study. You likely need more true breaks, that you spend relaxing. Many time management and life goal experts recommend scheduling your self care just as you would a class or job shift. It’s all about making a commitment to yourself.

Do I have to do it alone?

Nope. You may decide to engage in self-care that involves some quiet alone time. Or you may decide that you prefer your self-care to involve quality time with another person. There is no wrong way to self-care, as long as it involves something that makes you feel good in a healthy and safe way.