Simple techniques can help you take better care of yourself

In today’s world, it’s safe to say that the true meaning of self-care has been distorted to model something that it’s not. The run of the mill alone time and bubble baths seem to be very last year compared to we’re seeing today.

Through social media, we’re given the impression that expensive getaways and skin care remedies do just the trick for everything, when really the process isn’t always as fun or glamorous as the gurus make it look.

Self-care is all about simple problem-solving, even when the solutions don’t seem simple. Put down the plane tickets and the $75 eye cream, here are some free self-care gems:

1. Get Organized

Could your room be cleaner? Could you be tracking your assignments and important events better? Could you be making more time to do the things you love? In college, being organized is the key to staying on track with everything you do. Planning and organizing makes you feel more in control of your everyday life and less like everything is happening to you all at once.

2. Do Something Creative

Being creative brings out a side of us that we often don’t know that we have. It gives you a sense of pride, makes you a better problem-solver, reduces stress and anxiety, and allows for self-expression.

3. Talk Through Everything

If you have the resources, use them! Go to someone you trust and talk through everything. Whether you’re having the best day of your life or the worst week ever, it’s always good to have someone to share it with.

4. Write Down Your Thoughts

If talking things out isn’t as easy for you, that’s when you turn to your pen and paper. Writing is often therapeutic because you’re essentially talking through your problems to yourself. There are no opinions, interruptions or filters. Wherever you jot down your ideas, that space is 100 percent safe for self-expression.

5. Take Alone Time

Good things come out of separation. Taking as little as five minutes to yourself during the day can help clear your mind and help you focus on what’s next.

6. Try Something New/Scary

Some of the scariest things are the most valuable things you can do. If attempting a new activity scares you or makes you nervous, it’s probably worth your time. You’ll end up achieving more than you could ever imagine. Life is about taking risks and chances. All it takes is one of the two to change your life forever.

7. Go Outside

Serotonin is a mood-affecting hormone often triggered by going outside and being in sunlight. Outdoor activities that get your blood pumping are usually the most fulfilling. There’s nothing wrong with sweating out what you’re feeling.

8. Get Enough Sleep

You won’t always get as much sleep as you’d like, but a gradual decline in sleep brings about bigger problems. If you know you’ve been missing more sleep lately, start off by taking naps to make up for what you’ve missed during your day. From there, focus on working towards becoming more strategic in your nighttime routine.

9. Create a new routine

Changing up the way you normally do things is a known tool for survival in college. As you make your way throughout your journey, you’ll realize that the same methods won’t always work as well as they did before. Routine changes tend to create new habits, new ways of thinking, and new ways of life.

By Kamia Addison