I am one of those people who have a hard time engaging in self-care, but I am certainly not the only one. Often, I find myself saying that I don’t have the time, nor the motivation, to take a moment for myself. What I’ve learned with my time as a student is that whether or not we like it, a bit of self-care is crucial to maintain our mental health. Whether this self-care take a day, a weekend, or simply an hour, taking a bit of time for yourself without guilt should be a part of our lives more than it is. Here are a few tips to help up your self-care game: 

1. Pick a Day

You do not have to religiously engage in a certain activity, at a certain time, on a certain day every week, but having that time set aside for yourself would help you regroup and give you something to look forward to throughout the week. Motivation can be quite hard to come by at times, so keeping an activity in mind will help you get through the assignments you need to do. I personally like my “self-care Sundays” since they help me refuel and recharge before a new week begins. However, don’t feel pressured to uphold the routine every single week. Things come up, surprise assignments or a midterm you forgot about, so you might need that time for other commitments. 

2. Take time away from your screens

Take time away from your screens: With online schooling, we are all spending hours on end staring at our laptops, tablets and phones. Find an activity that you enjoy which gives your eyes and mind a break for a few minutes, or hours. I particularly enjoy reading, puzzles, knitting or going out for coffee or a walk. 

3. Take in some fresh air

Take in some fresh air: Go for a walk or do some kind of outdoor activity you enjoy! Wintertime is hard on many people but making the most out of the beautiful outdoors can help you get through your seasonal blues. A change in environment is also very refreshing, especially when we are confined to our rooms for the greater part of the week.

4. Clean your space

Whether this be your bathroom, desk or even just making your bed, having a small part of your room be clean for the day will help change your environment a bit and be motivating. This doesn’t mean you need to take your whole evening off to deep clean your entire room (although I’m guilty of doing that myself!) but taking a bit of time to freshen up the space you spend so long in can help you refuel. 

Remember, you should never feel pressured to take a whole day off for yourself. It can be easy to overindulge, but the self-care will not have been worth it if you end up putting off 5 assignments you will be stressing to do later. Do what you feel fits your schedule for the time being, and give yourself a pat on the back, you deserve it!

Photo: A picture of beautiful Waterfowl Park, where I enjoy taking my “break walks” in the mornings!