A College Student’s Guide to Self-Care

A College Student’s Guide to Self-Care

What is Self-Care?

Self-Care is any activity that you do to improve your own well-being! This means knowing when to take a step back from your hectic schedule to do something that will make you feel good and, as a college student, this is especially important. With exams, projects, interviews, and club meetings it’s easy to forget to take some time for yourself. However, you can only do so much without taking care of yourself first. With a few basic tips, you’ll learn how to ace your exams, land that job offer, be the club president and feel better too!

Know When to Stop

College is full of non-stop responsibilities. You might be conditioned to pull an all-nighter or load your plate to build up your resume, but it’s important to know when enough is enough. With too many things on your plate, it’s hard to ever give your best effort. When it comes to homework and cramming for finals, don’t stay up all night to study every bit of information. Review the most important parts and allow yourself to get some rest when you need it. If you’re feeling too tired and overworked to make it to the gym tonight, listen to your body and give it the rest it deserves.

Have a Balanced Diet

This doesn’t mean the Ramen-only diet, but it also doesn’t mean cutting out all of the things you love. Eating right can be hard for college students, but it’s especially important to fuel your body with foods that will keep you energized and focused throughout the day. Take the time to plan out well-balanced meals but keep in mind that it’s okay to agree to go out for ice cream with your friends every now and then!

Surround Yourself with People Who Celebrate You

One of the hardest lessons to learn in college is that not everyone you meet will have your best interest in mind – but that’s okay! Build a support system of people that you can count on to have your back when things get difficult. It’s not healthy to keep all of your thoughts bottled up, so it’s important to have someone that you know you can trust whenever you have something on your mind. Surround yourself with people who recognize your hard work and who are just as excited about your accomplishments as you are!

Do What You Want to Do

If all your friends are going to a party or joining an organization that you’re just not that interested in – it’s okay to say no! Save your energy for doing the things that make you feel good. Likewise, don’t hesitate to try a new workout class or join a new club because none of your friends are interested in. Stepping out of your comfort zone by trying something new will allow you to meet new people and leave you feeling accomplished at the end of the day. Even if it means staying in to catch up on your favorite Netflix series after a long week of classes, you’ll be grateful that you allowed yourself to recharge and you’ll feel more motivated at the start of the next day!

Unplug

It’s hard to be proud of where you are when you’re focused on what other people are posting on social media. Don’t feel bad about taking a break from social media or unfollowing the accounts that make you feel bad. Unfriend the person that always has something negative to post about or the fitness blogger that makes you feel like you haven’t done enough. Just because you haven’t gotten the job offer you’ve hoped for or seen the progress you’ve been looking for yet doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proud of yourself.

Self-care isn’t always easy and like anything in life, it takes practice! But, the habits you form today are the ones that will stick with you as your graduate college and start your career. Learn how to take a few minutes out of each day to do something that makes you feel good, and you’ll be surprised by the impact it has on your physical and mental wellbeing!

- Laura Bartoli, Marketing Assistant

And while you're here, check out these events Rowan Campus Rec is hosting this week: