From stressed out to grounded, focused, and balanced
We know self-love and self-care are tough for high school and college students. With a never-ending list of things to do, it’s easy to make excuses for going to bed after midnight, eating your fifth microwave meal of the day, and convincing yourself that you’re not “smart enough” to take a well-deserved break.
Who has time for bullet journaling or Lush bath bombs, when you’ve got two essays and a chemistry report due TOMORROW, right?
We totally get it. As a busy Gen Z’er, you might be feeling under immense pressure to find a job, pick your majors, and achieve good grades. Not to mention the stresses of being accepted into your parents’ alma mater, gathering extracurricular activities for your resume, or just figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life.
That’s enough to make *anyone* order an extra double-shot coffee a day!
But the truth is that we all need rest. And when you spread yourself too thin and neglect your body and mind, you end up with a one-way ticket to burn-out town. The key thing to remember is that your success or failure as a student (and in life) entirely depends on the way you treat and talk to yourself.
The importance of practicing self-care as a student.
Although studying isn’t physically demanding, your mind needs just as much rest and nourishment as your body does. The average human has 60,000 thoughts per day, and 80% of those – almost 50,000 of them – are negative! READ that again. And if you’re feeling stressed about school? You can bet that number is even higher!
Taking care of yourself as a student is about so much more than eating proper meals and washing your hair once a week. It’s about reprogramming your negative beliefs and cultivating a practice to help you know yourself better and what you need — not just to function, but to flourish.
Loving yourself means repeating many tiny positive habits, which together soothe you, and make sure you’re performing at your best — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Because when you’re feeling depleted by physical or emotional exhaustion? You’re more likely to get sick, make mistakes, and feel irritated, hopeless, and unhappy.
Self-care is both an inside and outside job. It is important in the same way as putting gas in your car or charging your phone. If you don’t have some means of self-care, all sorts of symptoms can happen to you—all sorts of illnesses, depression, anxiety, being tired a lot, or just an overall feeling of being burned out.
— Jonathan Van Ness
How to create a simple self-love and self-care practice as a student.
The best way to practice self-care when you’re overwhelmed at school is to implement small self-care habits everyday. To regularly include in your life little moments of love and attention for your own body, mind, and soul.
When you start practicing self-care and self-love in high school and college, you’re setting yourself up for success in adulthood. So do yourself a favor and start cultivating a self-care and self-love practice now.
We know it’s going to be a challenge for some of you at first, and that’s okay! Just like anything else in life, you have to practice taking care of yourself in order to actually be good at it. Our entire life is a school, and everything that happens is an opportunity to learn.
So our challenge for you this month is to implement at least one self-love and self-care moment into your daily routine. Here are a few small ideas to get you started…
1. Put affirmational Post-it Notes in your textbooks.
As a student, it’s likely that you spend anywhere between 5 - 15 hours a week with your head in a textbook. You might already use Post-it Notes for important studying points or lecture reflections. But have you ever tried using them for affirmations? Simple reminders like “I get better every day in every way” or “today I study hard, so tomorrow I can make a difference” can be super motivational and inspiring. You might especially like to put Post-it Note affirmations on pages that trigger negative self-talk because the concepts are challenging or confusing to you.
Our shop will have bkty card sets soon (as in next week, so soon) so be sure to check those out too!
2. Keep essential oils in your pencil case.
Scents can have an incredibly powerful influence on your mood. When you’re feeling a bit stressed or overwhelmed during class, try putting a few drops of a calming essential oil on your palms, rubbing them together, and then breathing in deeply for a few counts. Essential oils like lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, and vetiver can provide much-needed relief, mindfulness, and grounding energies.
3. Create an energizing morning playlist.
When you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or fatigued, repetition can amplify your negative feelings and make you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel. Dragging yourself out of bed and into the shower everyday can feel like a real chore when you don’t have anything exciting to look forward to at school.
So shake up your morning routine and re-energize yourself with an upbeat playlist of songs that make you want to sing and dance. Choose songs that remind you of fun times with your friends or family, and play them on a Bluetooth speaker while you’re getting dressed, eating breakfast, or in the shower (it’s the best place to dance and sing like no one is watching!).
4. Set break reminders on your phone.
We know it can be tempting to work all day and all night when you have an assignment due or an exam the following day. But, it’s so important to give your mind and body frequent breaks to rest and recharge. Set loving reminders on your phone every couple of hours to get up and walk around, stretch your legs, drink more water, cuddle your dog, call your friends, or go outside. And then stick to them!
5. Schedule a self-care study party with your friends.
There’s nothing better than a slumber party with your closest friends. So why not combine one with studying and self-care? Grab your exam notes and index cards and create a DIY self-care spa!
Treat yourself to face masks and paint each other’s nails while you run through practice exam questions.
Lounge around in your PJs and eat delicious snacks while you listen to lecture recordings together.
Take turns giving each other a neck or shoulder massage while you practice your presentations or speeches.
Watch a movie and play a studying game. For example, every time someone says “Voldemort” in Harry Potter, you each have to solve a math equation.
Studying doesn’t need to be draining, boring, or a lonely activity. You can make it fun, uplifting, and more engaging!
Want to boost your self-care? Check out our BKTY philosophy or follow us on Instagram for more reminders, tips, insights and inspiration!
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