Self-care awareness at school as a student

Students are encouraged to get engaged outside of the classroom but to meet the expectation inside. At the least, working on papers and studying for tests can consume a student; not to mention working any hours for educational or financial gain, applying for internships, and being engaged with clubs, organizations and leadership opportunities. Self-care is the key to success, at least for me.

I am constantly going and I do not always take much time to make sure I am taking care of myself. My mom’s reminders to eat something and sleep are helpful throughout the year but at this point in the semester, it is imperative. Now is the time when students begin to see the repercussions of constantly going and not taking the time to take care of themselves. With the end of the semester near, I have made a promise to myself to make sure I am taking care of myself along with my responsibilities.

Self-care can be small things. Students must figure out what relaxes them. For me, cooking helps. I find it relaxing so I have set aside one night a week where I will cook for myself and my roommates. For another student, it may be watching Netflix or going for a run. Many students cannot sleep because they have so much on their mind, so maybe every other night watch an episode before bed or go for a run to get the day started. Not sleeping or not sleeping well is unfortunately normal for students once exams roll around. Finding something that can be relaxing for your student to help them.

In short, self-care is not always an easy task to implement, especially on the journey of undergraduate success. I’m sure learning to nurture myself through the stress and gain some level of student-life balance will prove to be difficult at times, especially during exams-but I know now how important it is. I hope that by adopting these habits now, my future self will thank me for it.