Importance of self-care

Illustration by Yana Samoylova, Staff Illustrator

Did you get all your homework done? ✅

Did you go to all your classes? ✅

Did you go to all your club meetings? ✅

Did you go grocery shopping? ✅

Did you study? ✅

Did you do an act of self-care? ❌

As someone who likes to follow a schedule and feel productive, I struggle with guilt when I decide not to check every task off my list and give myself time to pause and enjoy the bliss of relaxation. 

Is this procrastination? Is this laziness? No, it is self-care. 

Acts of self-care can be subjective to you, and focus on anything you do to support your mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual well-being. In a world where we are expected to work long hours, followed by maintaining relationships with others and making sure we are on top of all our tasks, it feels like society expects us to burn the candle at both ends and not take time for ourselves. 

In college, we are constantly bombarded with tedious assignments and meetings while also trying to balance an active social life. Life can feel so hectic that we forget to stop and cut ourselves some slack. 

Engaging in self-care routines has been clinically proven to help manage or eliminate anxiety, depression, and stress levels, minimize frustration, increase happiness and much more. It also has physical health benefits such as reducing heart disease, strokes and even cancer. 

Personally, I have always had this mindset that after I check everything off my to-do list, then I am able to give myself some type of reward — which tends to be aimlessly scrolling through my phone so is that really a reward? Given the research, social media engagement does not give you the mental break you think it does. 

In fact, in a study that measured how “phone breaks” influence work productivity in college students, taking a phone break midway through a task can lead to less productivity and the ability to complete all tasks needed. In an age where phone usage and social media can dominate our lives, how can we be productive while also taking time to do things that benefit our well-being?

After class, I’ve been enjoying walking with my friends around campus or in the circle. Even a few laps help me feel refreshed and more ready to finish my work — taking a purposeful break from studying that ranges from five to 60 minutes can refresh the brain, and increase your energy, focus levels and productivity. 

For mental acts of self-care, I’ve been enjoying gab sessions with my roommate and a cup of tea in between study breaks. I also have been enjoying reading before bed — a thing I always tell myself I want to do but never actually do until now. These things help me to break up my workload and also wind down for bed without scrolling through my phone. 

A spiritual act of self-care for me, is simply taking a deep breath or listening to music. When everything in life can feel all-encompassing, taking a deep breath and listening to my favorite Spotify playlists can help calm me down. 

Of course, I will also tell you that treating yourself to a latte or indulging in some retail therapy can also be acts of self-care, but perhaps not as caring towards your bank account. 

Whether you already have a self-care routine or struggle to think of self-care activities, try to think of one way you can incorporate a self-care action into your daily life, because remember, even small acts of care can have a big impact on your overall well-being.