My guide to taking care of yourself
Now that we’re well into the school year, clubs/extracurriculars have entered their full swing, teachers have started to become unapologetic about the workload they hand out, and overall you feel less motivated to climb out of bed everyday. As the winter weather starts settling in, many students -including myself- start to feel the weight of it all, from busy schedules to piled up assignments, it’s easy and normal to feel overwhelmed.
This is where self-care becomes so important! On the days where everything feels like a little too much, taking just a little time to focus on yourself can become a game changer. For me, finding an evening to have a self-care night is a way of grounding myself, resetting, and recharging.
How I Set Up for a Self-Care Night
The first thing I like to do in preparation for a chill night is clean my room. I find that cleaning up a messy room is an easy way to feel more in control of the space around you. Usually I’ll turn on a dim light to create a warm/inviting vibe (or if you have, turn on your LED lights), and play my favorite playlist.
After my room looks nice and tidy, I like to place my phone on do not disturb (if you want, you can shut your phone off completely). It might sound intimidating at first, especially if you're worried that if someone sends you a text you won’t be able to answer, an important thing to remember is that this night is for YOU, not whoever is messaging you (no offense)! Without the constant buzz of messages and updates, you can focus completely on yourself.
Little Things that Make a Big Difference
Self care for everyone can look different, for me, my self care is not an elaborate routine, but simply consists of putting on my PJ’s (fuzzy socks are a MUST), and breaking out a nice smelling face mask. Putting on a face mask is a little luxury that I like to take, even if it only lasts for 15 minutes 😌. While the mask does its thing, I’ll make a cup of warm milk tea.
The best part of my self care nights for me is when I get to settle down and pick a movie that I’ve been meaning to watch, or catch-up on a show I haven’t been checking up on. Most of the time the show/movie will be a comfortable feel-good one so I don’t invest too much emotional energy, if you like sad, horror, thriller etc., go for it!
Even Nothing is Something!
Sometimes, self care means doing absolutely nothing. And that’s ok!! Allowing yourself to have that space to do nothing without feeling guilty is a huge part of self care. A lot of the time we overlook taking breaks, and tell ourselves we aren’t being productive, but resting truly is POWERFUL. It is a big reminder that we are worthy of care and love, even if we are not accomplishing anything!
Prioritizing Self-Care
As a highschool student, I totally get it if you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate. School can be exhausting, especially during the winter months. But self care doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. It’s all about finding what works for YOU! Maybe that means drawing, taking a nap, baking, working out, etc. do whatever makes you happy 😋
It can be hard to add self care into your routine, especially if you have a jam packed schedule. That’s why I encourage you to start small. Maybe try turning off your phone for an hour, making a cup of tea, reading a book every night, etc. These brief moments of relaxation are never a waste! They’re an investment into your overall well-being.
At the end of the day, self care is all about showing yourself kindness and compassion. You deserve it!
Julia Li - Author & Editor
