Self-Care Tips!

by Ashley Dhillon (2022-2023 Communications Officer)

Self-care can mean different things for everyone; however, for the purposes of this blog, we are talking about the concept of taking care of oneself to cope with the many stressors of being a student and wearing many different hats at once! The idea of self-care can be very enticing, but it can come with feelings of guilt and shame in academic and clinical contexts. Finding a work-life balance is heavily emphasized nowadays, but putting yourself and your wellbeing first can be difficult. Accepting yourself as a top priority is not always easy, but this blog is intended to help you start to think about many things you can do for yourself! When you start thinking about self-care, I would encourage everyone to think and treat themselves as they would a loved one. Give yourself the grace, kindness, and compassion that you deserve! Be mindful of how you’re feeling in the moment and give yourself time to reflect on what you need. Don’t feel guilty about taking breaks and be sure to set goals for your desired self-care time. Staying true to yourself and your values can help ground you in this chaotic world. Always remember that you are NOT alone in this journey and that you deserve to take care of yourself! Here is a list of self-care activities you might find helpful:

• Taking a nap.
• Talking a walk.
• Exercise.
• Spending time with friends/family/loved ones.
• Spending time with a pet. 
• Taking a vacation.
• Self-reflection time.
• Journaling.
• Self-affirmations.
• Meditating.
• Listening to music.
• Watching movies.
• Volunteering.
• Praying.
• Crying.
• Reading non-academic literature.
• Eating feel-good meals.
• Making art.
• Watching a play.
• Go to a concert.
• Making a vision board.
• Learning a new hobby.
• Therapy.
• Spending time in the sun. 
• Listening to a podcast.
• Practice gratitude.
• Gift-giving.
• Decluttering.
• Playing games.

 
These are just some of the many ways we can all practice self-care! Don’t forget that you’ve worked hard to get to whatever place you are currently in and deserve some kindness. Please take care of yourself and spread some self-love 😊Happy self-caring forever!