During the fall semester of my junior year of college I became extremely exhausted, not only physically but spiritually and mentally as well. When I got back to my university from summer break, I was eager to start out strong academically and socially. I was committed to doing more in the organizations I was a part of, I was taking on leadership roles at my jobs and I was overtly nervous that in two short years I would be starting my professional life. In the storm of all these obligations and commitments, I lost sight of what mattered the most—my well-being. While I was enthusiastic about all the things I was taking a part of at the beginning of the semester, that enthusiasm faded quickly and I became apathetic about many of the things that I was doing and I felt fatigued almost every day. After reflecting on the past semester over winter break I decided that I never wanted to feel like that again and that I would be focusing more on my well-being this semester with a few self-care practices.
During your time in college you should definitely fight like hell to achieve the goals you've set for yourself but working towards those goals should not leave you feeling like you're in hell. As college students, we're often drilled to work harder to achieve higher grade point averages and to contribute as much as we can to as many clubs and organizations, to stack our resumes for those dream jobs and internships that we want—but along the way we often become overworked and tired. Here are a few self care tips that I'll be practicing this semester and I hope that they'll help you out as well.
1. Learn to say no
As a college student, I'm constantly busy writing papers, going to class, hanging out with friends, going to work and participating in our clubs and organizations. It's extremely easy to become a "yes man" in college because you don't want to miss out on any opportunity that might be one of your best memories from college and you forget to take time for yourself. This semester, while I'm going to do my best to make time for my friends I'll be learning to say no to plans as well, missing out on a few fun times or Instagram pictures won't be the death of me and will give me time to refresh myself.
2. Write it out
Even though I'll be busy writing seven to 10-page papers all semester, I'm still committing myself to find the time to write about what I'm experiencing. Personally, writing out what's been troubling can often give me a clear vision of what's actually the problem and while writing I can often find a solution to what's bothering me.
3. Get some sleep
Any of my friends can tell you I've pulled more than my fair share of all-nighters during my time in college and this is my biggest problem. The day after pulling an all-nighter was usually the worst for me because I felt drained, my mind would feel cloudy and I was physically feelig sick. Pulling all-nighters was a result of me saying yes to plans constantly without regards to whether I was OK or not, creating a better balance between my social life and my to-do list will have a positive effect on my mood and my life this semester.
These are the three simple steps that I'm taking this semester to be a better version of myself as a student and ultimately as a person. I'm encouraging you all to find the self-care plan that works best for you. If you don't know what's wrong or what's going on here's a helpful website that gives you a few self-care strategies that may just help you out.
