In today's world, we are constantly surrounded by messages telling us that we need to look towards the future, especially by social media. Whether it's in regards to school, our personal lives or the state of the world in general, it is almost impossible to find a source that is actually telling the importance of caring for yourself first. Keeping up with the expectations that are put upon us is exhausting, both mentally and physically. Somehow, we still find it difficult to distance ourselves from all of the challenges of daily life, even when we realize how exhausted we truly feel. This is simply because we, as humans, are complacent creatures and are not good at differing from our habits, even if our habits have a negative impact on our mental health. I often have to remind myself to take some time to re-group in order to be able to focus and fully dedicate myself both in school and in my personal life.

One of the most important things that self-care does is allow us to disconnect. I find it very relaxing to turn my phone on silent and not be bombarded by social media posts about people's social events or political views. Reading someone's social media posts, especially those about controversial topics, can often breed a subconscious feeling of negativity and general unrest in a person. Taking some time to ignore this allows us to get back in touch with ourselves and our own personal values so when we go back out into the world, we have a more open mind and are more willing and able to find solutions to the problems that we face on a daily basis.

In addition, practicing self-care on a regular basis gives us time to get back in touch with our interests and the things that we enjoy. Whatever your hobby is, taking some time to spend on it will definitely help you to relax. Also, remember that it is not important what other people think about the activities that you enjoy. Everyone has something that helps them to relieve their stress, and you should not feel obligated to justify your interests to anyone.

One of the greatest joys in my life is taking some time with myself after a long, stressful day, and I believe that this would improve many others' lives as well. The world around us is constantly changing, which may make it seem impossible to live completely in the present, but simply trying to do so prevents us from getting overwhelemed by our ever-changing lifestyles.