Scrolling through Facebook, I always see statuses that say, “I’m gonna take time to be selfish and do things for myself.” And those statuses always bother me because selfish has such a negative connotation to it. That taking time to take care of yourself is seen as inconsiderate when it is the most considerate thing you can do.
One of my favorite quotes is “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” You cannot keep giving if you have nothing else to give. When you prioritize self-care, you open so many doors for opportunities that you did not know existed. You will have more energy, more time for activities that you enjoy doing, just a more balanced life.
And when you have a balanced life, you have a balanced mind. A healthy life is a healthy mind. What you put into it is what you get out of it.
As a college student, it is really important to recognize that because “more than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year and 45 percent have felt things were hopeless,” as stated in the Chart State College Mental Illness Statistics page. And those feelings start to take a toll on your life, whether it is your social life or your academic one. Instead of pulling all-nighters to study for an exam, use time management to space your studying over a time span so it takes less of a toll on your body. According to Business Insider, an online newspaper, Linette Lopez wrote in 2012 that pulling an all-nighter can “stress you out, make you hungrier and fatter, destroys your ability to concentrate, and can make you emotionally irrational.” When you are a student, these factors can really affect your daily activities, whether it is going to class or studying.
Taking a step back and reevaluating your life is not a bad thing to do. Seeing things from a bigger picture can help you see where you are putting energy that does not need it or not putting enough. You only have so much physical and mental energy that making sure it is going to the right places is very important in self-care.
Another aspect that makes taking care of yourself seem “selfish” is the idea of saying no. When you are a self-less person, the word 'no' is not even in your vocabulary. You make it your mission to be there to help everyone else that you forget to help yourself. And helping everyone instead of yourself because physically and mentally tolling to the point where you have to learn to start saying no. And saying no does not make you a bad person. It makes you a person who realizes that you need to come first, not others.
So the next time you need to pull an all-nighter or your friend asks you to do them a favor, take yourself into consideration. After all, at the end of the day, the only person who will is you.
