3 Self-care tips for busy students
1. Sleep!
As students, we may find ourselves burning the midnight oil. While it’s tempting to procrastinate and stay up late to catch up on work and/or assignments, we must prioritize our sleep. According to Harvard Medical School, sleep deprivation negatively affects your mental health. Even with a busy school schedule, it’s even more crucial that students make sleep a priority. Have a certain time at night where you unplug from your phone, work, school, etc. The CDC mentions various recommended hours of sleep per age range. Click here to see where you fall in this recommendation. If you find that getting to bed on time is challenging, try blocking out the time when you must sleep & try to plan your responsibilities around this. There are certain stages in life where sleep deprivation may be temporary (newborn parents, I see you!). Even so, think how you can get creative to add extra sleep time, or improve your quality of sleep. I incorporate 5 minute relaxation meditations before bed and notice that going to sleep and staying asleep is easier over time.
2. Practice mindfulness in small ways.
As social work students, we have a lot on our plates! Between practicum, school, family, and work if applicable, we spend much of our time focused on improving the lives of others. It’s important to focus on the small parts of our day that can bring us joy. Do you enjoy coffee or tea while you work or study? Turn your beverage making process into a ritual for yourself. A time where you can focus on crafting your drink and then slowly sip to savor. Think about the different notes you taste– caramel, crisp apple, cinnamon, dark chocolate. Your morning coffee can become a moment where you practice mindfulness before jumping into the madness of the day. Not a huge fan of caffeinated drinks? That’s okay! Try this mindfulness tip when you eat your next snack, meal, or candy. Take a moment to look at your food, observe the different colors or lack of different colors. Once you take a bite, feel the foods’ texture, notice the different flavors your dish offers. If your food item comes pre-wrapped, take a moment to also look at the wrapping, perhaps read it, or touch to feel the wrapping texture.
3. Commune with those who support you.
In honor of October as LGBT History Month, let’s talk about LGBT+ social safetynets. As an LGBT+ student I recognize the importance of being in a supportive community. Community may look like joining an LGBT+ student organization on campus, following LGBT+ groups or individuals on social media, and attending events created by and/or for LGBT+ people. Similarly, unfollow groups/individuals that are not uplifting.