By Fiona McKenzie
Spring break is coming quickly - everyone seems to be counting down the days until Friday when they can run out of their last class. A lot of students are going on trips through the University or on their own. If you don’t have a trip planned, spring break is the perfect time for some self-care. You have a week off of school, hopefully freeing up your schedule. College students are under tremendous stress from the day the semester begins to the day of their last final. A lot of us forget about self-care. Self-care is extremely important in the way that it restores our mental health and our ability to function.
There are several ways to implement self-care this upcoming week of Spring Break. Here are some self-care ideas and tips.
> Exercise. Sounds like a lot of work, huh? Challenge yourself to try a new workout class - swimming class, a spin class, yoga, pilates, boxing, etc.
> Put on a face mask and your favorite cheesy Netflix movie or series.
> Re-read an old favorite book.
> Go to the movies by yourself. It sounds kind of lonely, but it’s a great activity to do in order to take your mind off negative thoughts for a few hours.
> Go to a small coffee shop, get your favorite kind of coffee.
> Walk around a local store, buy something small you like.
> Clean out who you follow on your social media. If they don’t have a positive effect on you when you see their content, consider unfollowing them.
> Write down affirmations and things you’re grateful for.
> Write a letter to someone you’re having trouble letting go of. Rip the letter up, or put it in a mail slot with no addresses on it.
> Write a letter to an old friend.
> Have dinner with your family.
> Practice grounding yourself, look around and tell yourself 5 things you see, 4 you smell, 3 you hear, 2 you feel, and 1 you taste.
> Take a long, hot shower or bath.
> Bake or cook something.
> Go to the dollar store, buy some supplies to make something for your apartment, house, or room.
Self-Care is important for EVERYONE. We should all take at least one day a week to do something, even if it’s small. Try to take one thing from this list to put into practice over spring break. Even if you’re traveling, try some self-care abroad! Whether its spring break or not, it’s important to take time to take care of an extremely important person in your life, YOU!
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