It’s common to get distracted in college, you plan to do one thing but do something else instead. It’s like that time when you forgot to brush your teeth because you decided to wake up late and you have less than a minute to spare to get to class. Listen everyone has their reasoning behind why they didn’t get to brush their teeth, but that shouldn’t matter. BRUSH YOUR TEETH! Do not forget that it’s important to take care of yourself throughout college. You become prone to stress, anxiety, depression, and anything in between. Then you become busy in between classes and working four jobs because you can’t just catch up to these college loans *LOL, SHEDS A TEAR* With all this chaos going on, you just forget to take care of yourself. Lack of sleep, your eye bags shouldn’t be the size of the moon! Acne, you start to break out even more. “Want to play connect the dots?” Honey, you a mess. (shrugs shoulders, as I accept my messiness) “So, what? Adim, I’ve tried everything. What else can I do to take care of myself? Do you have any tips for me?” *Taps my fingers on the table with a thinking face on* Tips! I can do more then just give you a tip, better than that I’ll give you some ideas for your mind and body with help from a site that helped me. Hopefully those tips below can inspire you to take those last two minutes of your day to do something for yourself. It’s vital to take good care of yourself, no matter the conditions. It’ll help make you stronger and capable to take on any day. Keep drinking water, keep eating, focus on you! This is your path, so make sure your included in it. - Yours Truly, Resident Assistant, Adim Oxha TINY SELF-CARE IDEAS FOR THE MIND:
1. Start a compliments file. Document the great things people say about you to read later. 2. Scratch off a lurker on your to-do list, something that’s been there for ages and you’ll never do. 3. Change up the way you make decisions. Decide something with your heart if you usually use your head. Or if you tend to go with your heart, decide with your head. 4. Go cloud-watching. Lie on your back, relax, and watch the sky. 5. Take another route to work. Mixing up your routine in small ways creates new neural pathways in the brain to keep it healthy. 6. Pay complete attention to something you usually do on autopilot, perhaps brushing your teeth, driving, eating, or performing your morning routine. 7. Goof around for a bit. Schedule in five minutes of “play” (non-directed activity) several times throughout your day. 8. Create a deliberate habit, and routinize something small in your life by doing it in the same way each day—what you wear on Tuesdays, or picking up the dental floss before you brush. 9. Fix a small annoyance at home that’s been nagging you—a button lost, a drawer that’s stuck, a light bulb that’s gone. 10. Punctuate your day with a mini-meditation with one minute of awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations; one minute of focused attention on breathing; and one minute of awareness of the body as a whole. 11. Be selfish. Do one thing today just because it makes you happy. 12. Do a mini-declutter. Recycle three things from your wardrobe that you don’t love or regularly wear. 13. Unplug for an hour. Switch everything to airplane mode and free yourself from the constant bings of social media and email. 14. Get out of your comfort zone, even if it’s just talking to a stranger at the bus stop. 15. Edit your social media feeds, and take out any negative people. You can just “mute” them; you don’t have to delete them. Tiny Self-Care Ideas for the Body 1. Give your body ten minutes of mindful attention. Use the body scan technique to check in with each part of your body. 2. Oxygenate by taking three deep breaths. Breathe into your abdomen, and let the air puff out your stomach and chest. 3. Get down and boogie. Put on your favorite upbeat record and shake your booty. 4. Stretch out the kinks. If you’re at work, you can always head to the bathroom to avoid strange looks. 5. Run (or walk, depending on your current physical health) for a few minutes. Or go up and down the stairs three times. 6. Narrow your food choices. Pick two healthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and rotate for the week. 7. Activate your self-soothing system. Stroke your own arm, or if that feels too weird, moisturize. 8. Make one small change to your diet for the week. Drink an extra glass of water each day, or have an extra portion of veggies each meal. 9. Give your body a treat. Pick something from your wardrobe that feels great next to your skin. 10. Be still. Sit somewhere green, and be quiet for a few minutes. 11. Get fifteen minutes of sun, especially if you’re in a cold climate. (Use sunscreen if appropriate.) 12. Inhale an upbeat smell. Try peppermint to suppress food cravings and boost mood and motivation. 13. Have a good laugh. Read a couple of comic strips that you enjoy. (For inspiration, try Calvin and Hobbes, Dilbert, Garfield, ETC.) 14. Take a quick nap. Ten to twenty minutes can reduce your sleep debt and leave you ready for action. |
Archives
April 2019
Categories |