Although it feels like 2017 is speeding by (um sorry, is that April right around the corner?), I’ve remained very focused on my New Year’s resolution. I know, I know – those resolutions are dumb and no one ever sticks with them, blah, blah, blah – but I have a system. At the end of each year, I reread some of my journal entries, look back at my highs and lows, and try to come up with one thing that I feel would make my next year better. So, in December, after reflecting on my 2016 experience, I decided that this year I would focus on being good to myself.

The concept itself is pretty vague, but that’s the point. I could list a hundred ways to treat myself better this year and it would be entirely valid, but two weeks into 2017 I’d lose the list and forget all about it. I didn’t want to map out my actions for the year because I knew that would backfire. I wanted a concept that would work like sunglasses and put a filter over everything I do. I see the words “be good to yourself” in every situation, and you guys, it’s actually working.

Today, I want to share my self-care ideas with you. With about six weeks left of school, it’s safe to say we have a lot of stress ahead of us. But just because Spring Break is over doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself every day- even if it’s in little ways. Below are eight things I do to take care of myself, and I hope they inspire you to do the same for yourself.

Meditate.

This is my new favorite thing. I started working on this last fall when I visited my cousin in Florida, and I loved it – but I really struggled. Practicing meditation takes just that: practice. For it to be effective you have to let your mind relax, and that’s not an easy task. Especially as someone with anxiety, my mind doesn’t just stop spouting thoughts because I tell it to. Ironically, meditating can be incredibly frustrating – so much so that I stopped trying for a couple months after returning home last winter. However, I started again when I started school because my mom told me about this app called Calm. Long story short, Calm lays it out simply and allows you to ease into the practice at your own pace while reminding you that it’s normal for your mind to wander and you’re not doing anything wrong. I’m not even sponsored by them (but if you want to sponsor me, Calm people, hit me up), I just love it. And I love the peace and accomplishment I feel after taking time to zone out and breathe.

Take a hot bath or shower.

Ooh, Child. Let me tell you about Epsom salts. I didn’t like baths at all until about six months ago when my cousin gave me some Epsom salt for my sore muscles. That night, I made a cup of tea, drew myself a bath, and set my laptop up by the sink so I could catch up on The Flash. What a defining moment in my life. Not only did my muscles feel significantly less tense the following day, but I also slept like a damn baby that night. CanIgetanamen?! I am entirely pro-baths now. My favorite thing about spring break is that my house, unlike my apartment on campus, has a tub, so I could take all the baths I wanted. Is it boring? Sure. But here’s the thing: sometimes sitting in a tub of hot salt water with nothing to do but listen to Erroll Garner and breathe in the scent of a vanilla candle is exactly what you need. (But if you’re truly anti-bath, hot showers are magnificent as well.)

Exercise.

I know. I’m sorry. Getting out of bed, putting on pants, and going to the gym is awful and disgusting as well as very difficult and depressing, but once you actually do it, your mood changes. One of my favorite feelings is the exhausted pride of having worked out and broken a sweat. I feel like a badass superhero goddess, and I need to be exercising and pursuing that feeling more often. Elle Woods said it best: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.”

Clean.

Again, I know. This may not be your thing. While I wouldn’t describe myself as a clean freak, the people around me might. I get a specific kind of satisfaction from having cleaned and/or organized a space and being able to light a candle and revel in the fresh, sparkly spotlessness. I’ve also found that there’s a simple relief in walking into a clean room, if only because now I have one less thing to do. I would recommend cleaning in some way, be it washing your dishes, cleaning out your email inbox, or sweeping the sand/salt/dirt off the floor.

Nap.

You earned it.

Masturbate.

I will go off on a tangent about this because I know that even seeing the word “masturbate” probably made a lot of you cringe. I can feel my dad getting ready to call and cuss me out for saying this. My tangent, however, will come later (probably in an article about guilty pleasures, because I have very strong opinions about that concept). For now, I'll say this: There is nothing wrong with exploring your own body, because it is your own body, and you’re not hurting anyone by taking care of yourself. There have also been multiple scientific studies proving the health benefits of masturbating – one of which is headache relief; and as someone who’s had one constant headache for over three years now, I would suggest you not give me flack about masturbating.

Journal.

Maybe keeping a diary isn’t your thing, and that’s totally okay! But it can be nice to take some time every once in a while to reflect and self-evaluate. My most profound thoughts come to me when I can’t sleep, so I usually get up and start writing in the middle of the night. A lot of times, when I’m writing half-asleep, I let words flow from me without much thought. Then the next morning, when I read what I wrote, I discover thoughts and emotions I didn’t know I was dealing with. You don’t have to be a good writer, you don’t have to have good handwriting, and you don’t have to write a 1200-word essay like I'm doing right now. But it might be worth it to take some time to put what you’re thinking in writing.

That thing you do.

I sing. That’s my thing. Clearly, I also write, but ultimately my voice is my security blanket. I am known to fall in love with a song or a show and then dive wholeheartedly into it, driving everyone around me insane with my incessant practicing. I sing myself to sleep most nights. I’m majoring in vocal performance, and if I can build my life around my voice, I will be content. This is the thing that comforts me, but it’s different for everyone. Whether it’s running, cooking, calligraphy, photography, or creating anime comics (I don’t know) – find the thing you love and do it. Always make time to do what makes you happy, what makes you…you. Also, make time to watch the movie, That Thing You Do, because it’s adorable and precious and I think after La La Land we could all use a redeeming look at Tom Everett Scott.

My lovely humans: I love you, I believe in you, and I wish you all the best for these last six weeks of school. Now go forth and be good to yourself.