It’s no secret that college students are busy. In fact, over 40 percent of them experience above-average stress levels. If you’re a college student, your self-care might be the first thing to go out the window when you’re busy or working. But that leads to burnout… and then you don’t get anything done. If you have no idea where to start in developing a routine for yourself, we’re here to help you to do just that. Read on for the 10 best self-care tips for college students.
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Sleep
Your body needs rest, and sleep is how it refuels itself. Don’t think that pulling an all-nighter the night before an exam is going to help your pass.
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Clean Your Space
Having a clean space encourages a clean mind. Instead of spending an entire day to clean your room, dorm, or apartment once a week or month, take 20 minutes each day to tidy up.
The best part about this trick? As soon as those 20 minutes are up, you can drop everything and go back to what you were doing.
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Journaling
This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can keep a note on your smartphone, or you can buy a cheap notebook to write in. If you want a fancy journal, then by all means you should get one.
The point of journaling is getting all your thoughts out onto paper. No matter where the thoughts are stored, it’s better than leaving them in your head and hoping you’ll remember later.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can perform a brain dump. Simply make a list of everything that comes to your mind, and then separate everything into categories of your choice.
Seeing things physically instead of mentally makes life easier to organize.
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Healthy, Balanced Meals
As a college student, it’s vital to receive the proper amount of nutrients so you can jump from class-to-class without feeling sluggish and hungry.
A healthy, balanced diet consisting of the right vegetables, proteins, fruits, whole grains, and complex carbohydrates can help ensure you have all the energy you need.
Instead of reaching for a bag of potato chips on your way out the door in the morning, spend the extra minute or two making yourself oatmeal or a smoothie. These two options can be a lot more nourishing, and therefore sustaining to your mental capacity throughout the day.
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Multivitamins
Did you know that 59 percent of American college students are nutrient deficient? If you’re not getting all your nutrients from the food you eat, taking a multivitamin is an easy way to fill in the gaps.
There are also vitamins you can take for specific parts of your body. If you want long, healthy hair, SugarBearHair gummies are a great addition to anyone’s daily routine.
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Time for Rest
This is something you should schedule into your weeks. Whether it’s sleep or relaxation, you need to rest to be on top of things.
If you’re not getting adequate rest, you’re not going to be able to function optimally. The next time you think, “I don’t have time to take a nap right now, but I’m exhausted,” remember that rest actually is productive.
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Move Your Body
Again, schedule this part of your week into your routine. Don’t “fit it” wherever you think it can go.
Movement is essential to your mental and physical wellbeing and deserves to have a spot alongside getting your homework and other assignments done.
If you can’t fit a run in that day, take a 5-10 minute break for every hour of studying or writing. Set a timer for 50 or 55 minutes, then set another one for your break.
During that break, give yourself a rest. Get up, grab a snack, do some stretches, take a lap around the library. No matter what you’d like that movement to look like, make sure you’re not sitting back down to study until the timer is done.
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Do Something You Love
You don’t necessarily need to pick up a hobby, but taking those short study breaks to focus on something you love is a great way to incorporate self-love into your college self-care routine.
If you can’t think of anything you love, set aside some time to go through past experiences. If you found something particularly exciting, or happen upon an event that you miss, then do your best to recreate that in some way, shape, or form during your down-time.
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Ask for Help When You Need It
This is the biggest, most skipped-over tip. If you’re struggling with something and it becomes overwhelming, ask for help.
A lot of college campuses offer a number of free counseling sessions for their students and are there waiting to be used. If that doesn’t sound like a good option for you, seek out a friend or mentor.
Your professors are often more than happy to talk to you about things if you’re struggling. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for assignment extensions if you need them.
It’s OK to struggle, and a lot of college students do. It’s not OK to carry the entire load by yourself. Reach out and speak to someone if you need help.
Take These Self-Care Tips for College Students Into Account When You’re Stressed
The next time you’re studying for a test or tapping furiously at your keyboard the night before a paper is due, remember these self-care tips for college students.
If you get overwhelmed while you’re writing or working, walk away for a few minutes. Get up and walk around while you’re studying. (This can help you remember that material. It’s called active recall.)
All of your work will be there when you get back.
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