Practicing Self-Care as a College Student

Self-care: it’s important; it’s a way to decompress and prevent stress and burnout, and it also tends to be overlooked, especially when people get busy and feel they need to take time for everything else. College students can be quite busy, meaning that they are prone to overlook or postpone self-care practices. Taking time for self-care can, however, give students the energy they need to do all these other things, increasing productivity and motivation. Self-care can be part of a healthy and balanced college routine – so here are some tips for incorporating it into yours.  

Do it how you like it 

The beauty of self-care is that it’s customizable. No one’s version of “self-care” is going to look the same as anyone else’s, although the outcomes of their routines may be the same. Maybe you’d prefer to read a book that’s not required for class, take a hot shower, or do a face mask and paint your nails on a Friday night. Whatever your self-care routine looks like, its goal should be to make you feel relaxed, refreshed and re-centered. You might use it to relieve stress at the end of a long day or week, or it could be what prepares you for a new day each morning.  

Schedule it into your day 

A student’s day is usually scheduled out – so if you want to make sure that you take time to care for yourself, make it part of that schedule! Self-care can refer to anything that maintains your physical health, so some parts may already be part of your day – such as eating healthy foods, maintaining basic hygiene and taking extra time to recover when you’re sick – but other aspects can become part of a chunk of time that you set aside for it. For example, you could plan an hour at the end of the day to watch a favorite TV show, engage in a relaxing hobby or listen to music. Allotting a few minutes of your morning routine to praying or journaling could also be scheduled self-care activities.  

Recognize when you need it 

If you realize that you have been feeling drained, stressed or unmotivated, ask yourself whether you might need to take some extra time to give yourself some love. Perhaps you’ve been putting off taking the time you need to refresh your mind and body in favor of finishing that difficult homework assignment, studying for a test that is stressing you out, or working on an important project. A crucial part of self-care is willingness to take breaks; even if it seems like these might cut into time that you could spend on “more important” activities, it is likely that taking short breaks for self-care will increase your focus and productivity when you return.  

Learn to set boundaries 

If you feel that taking time “for yourself” is impossible because you’re too busy with a thousand other activities and commitments, remember that it is okay to set boundaries, even with other people. Being able to say “no” to activities and events that you feel will stretch you too thin is acceptable, especially in the middle of a busy college semester. It’s not feasible to take time to do everything that’s available for you on a college campus; making choices may be difficult, but it is worth it when it comes to avoiding less-than-healthy levels of overcommitment.  

Practice positivity 

Maintaining a positive mindset is vital if you want to remain focused, motivated and ready to face the challenges that life may throw at you on a given day. A significant part of this relies on positive self-talk, which can be considered a form of self-care. Positive self-talk comes into play especially when you experience stress, anxiety, and even failure. Instead of approaching life with a “fixed mindset,” believing that your qualities and skills are fixed (and possibly negative), adopt a “growth mindset” that views mistakes not as failures but as learning experiences, and struggles not as roadblocks but obstacles to be overcome.  

Reach out for help if you need it 

Sometimes we experience problems that are too big to be solved or even approached effectively with a bubble bath, face mask, and a good book. Part of taking care of yourself is recognizing when you need assistance from someone else to do so – and not being afraid to reach out for help when you need it. Though this may be as simple as talking through a struggle with a friend, it may also require scheduling an appointment with one of Concordia’s mental health professionals in the counseling department. Being able to discuss fears, anxieties and negative feelings with someone trained to help you through them can be an exceptional tool for the restoration of one’s wellbeing.  

Self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming; in fact, it can be one of the simplest ways to add a bit of positivity into your day, help you relax, and refocus your mind. Although everyone’s version of self-care looks a bit different, college students especially can benefit from finding methods that work for them and fit into their busy schedules.  

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