College life can be exciting with all the newfound freedom. However, at a new place away from home, college can often be demanding with academic challenges and building new social connections. To successfully navigate through the first year, it is important to maintain a healthy routine of self-care. Self-care is more than just a luxury; rather, it is important to maintain a good routine of self-care for your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Cultivating Healthy Daily Habits
An effective self-care routine lies in creating healthy daily habits. For example, that would look like maintaining consistent sleep patterns and ensuring a good 7-9 hours of sleep daily. Additionally, good exercise routines and mindful eating habits will contribute to improved focus (crucial for doing well in classes), long-lasting energy, and it will overall lead to good health.
Balancing Connectivity and Solitude
Finding balance in the college social world is essential. Maintaining emotional well-being requires not only valuing meaningful friendships and connections, but also acknowledging the importance of alone and personal time.
Resilience and Mindfulness
A potent kind of self-care is including stress resiliency and mindfulness activities. These techniques, which include deep breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation, can help to quiet the mind and foster resilience in the face of both academic and personal difficulties.
Setting Realistic Goals and Boundaries
Practicing a good form of self-care requires setting realistic goals and establishing healthy boundaries. Not everything is going to go super smoothly- and it is important to accept that. Doing so will reduce any unnecessary stress and create a sustainable college experience.
Creativity and Relaxation Strategies
Engaging in creative outlets and hobbies is not just a leisure activity but a form of self-care. Amid the hustle of academic commitments, these activities provide an avenue for self-expression and relaxation.
Connecting with Nature for Mental Wellbeing
Research shows that there are tons of therapeutic benefits of nature for mental health. That means spending time outdoors, whether taking a stroll, going for a walk, or simply doing homework outside. Nature can be calming and will also reduce stress.
Digital Detox
In the digital world with constant connectivity through social media, managing screen time is so important for a good mental health. Social media can often be toxic, forcing us to compare ourselves with what we see on Instagram, or Snapchat. Implementing a digital detox allows for meaningful in-person connections and genuine moments.
Seeking Professional Support
Normalizing the idea of seeking professional support is a proactive approach to self-care. Most college campuses offer counseling services that provide a safe space for discussing academic, personal, and emotional concerns.
Building a Supportive Network
Lastly, the importance of building a supportive network cannot be overstated. Friends and family play a crucial role in providing emotional support and a sense of connection. Nurturing these relationships contributes to a more fulfilling and resilient college experience.
Prioritizing well-being is not a one-time task but a continuous journey of self-discovery. As a student, navigating the challenges and triumphs of your college experience can be difficult, however with a good practice of self-care, it will serve several benefits. Remember, you are deserving of the same care and compassion you extend to others.
As a first-year in college myself, I have found that I rarely do self-care anymore. Before I came to college, I had a good sleeping schedule, a good workout schedule, and a healthy diet. The first couple of weeks of college were harder for me and I focused heavily on schoolwork and not as much on self-care. After I finally got settled in, I found it easier to have a good balance of school work, friendships, and self-care. I now have good strategies to make sure that I am doing well in school, but also having time to take care of myself.
I loved how you discussed why it is especially difficult to maintain many self-care habits that students have formulated before coming to college because truly so many challenges do come with this big change. I also liked how you mentioned simple and easy ways to implement acts of self-care, even around the busy college schedule, especially about doing homework outside. I never thought about how much time I truly spend inside while I have been here, whether in the classroom, studying somewhere inside, or staying inside of my dorm. I think if I were to implement more outdoor time while multi-tasking and getting work done, it could relieve a lot of stress and restore some piece of mind.
After going home for break and “resetting”, I want to prioritize self care over these last 2-3 weeks, especially with the stress of finals. Before break, I visited the Schlow Library and really enjoyed getting back into reading over break. I read four books over the week and felt relaxed heading back here. I want to set side aside for reading and spend less time mindlessly on my phone these next couple of weeks. A digital detox for a couple of hours each day is necessary and helps me feel better.
Coming here as a person who suffered self care 90% of the time because of work and school, this post was very insightful for me. I agree that in order to have a successful year in college, you have to prioritize yourself and your needs. I highly believe in setting a sleep schedule and sticking to it because you cant excel when you’re tired (trust me haha). The most sleep I ever gotten in a night would be at most 6 hours and that’s if I over slept. It’s also crucial to have a support team and to balance your life with friends, school, and solitude. All these things matter when it comes to succeeding your first year and I liked that you highlighted them.
Hello Sakashi! This is such a great blog post especially given that the semester is beginning to wrap up and that means finals week! Its crazy to think about. In times of so much stress it is important to take care of yourself. I really that you mentioned that the digital detox because the current age is so wrapped up in social media, myself included. I like how you included that a detox can increase meaningful in person connections because I have found this to also be the case. I also appreciate hoe you included seeking professional help because it should not have a stigma surrounding it. Normalizing using professionals as a resource for selfceare was a great way to talk about self care in your blog.