Take a Breather: Self Care for Students

College students are adapting to the new semester, classes, and the changes that come with it, but what do they do for self-care?  Most college students are more focused on keeping their grades up and being on task with what they need to complete for the week. School incites a lot of difficult pressure on students to succeed. Regardless of the many things students have going on during the day, there needs to be time set aside for students to relax and have a moment for themselves.

The tendency for students to disregard mental and physical health due to worrying about assignments is not healthy. Students should understand that their health is just as important as their academic achievements. Prioritizing their well-being can be achieved by students taking a step back from school or work to make room for healthy habits. Whether that be taking a nap, walking, or participating in something they love to do. This will ensure students’ well-being as they create a healthy balance between academics and themselves.

Photo Credit: Tom Gouw, Unsplash

Have you ever wondered what happens when students do not take care of themselves? 

The lack of self-care can impact you in various ways such as sleep deprivation, anxiety, low energy, and having less patience. We all have heard the phrases, ” I’m going to stay up to do homework,” “I’ll eat later after studying,” or “I can’t hang out today, I have so much work to do!”

The constant need to prioritize school or work causes an unhealthy cycle in a college student’s life.

When interviewing some Vanguard students, I observed that there is a clear distinction between what they struggle with during school, and what they worry about the most.

Junior Nursing major, Jordan Milton, says, “An aspect I struggle with the most is time management. It feels like I never have enough time, between balancing work and school. In some ways, it also affects the quality of my assignments.” She continues to state, “It is hard to make time to do things as I continue to stress over the load of assignments I have.”

This student describes the primary concerns that most Vanguard students seem to face.

When it comes to self-care, there tends to be a certain stereotype that often stops many people from having a self-care routine. It seems that students believe if they take a break, they are being selfish.

So what can you do? 

Start with the basics…take a breather. There are times when there are way too many things in our heads, so we need to take a step back and breathe. Take it one step at a time and create a balanced plan towards finishing your assignments, but also letting go to relax.

Sophomore Pre-Nursing major, Carrisma Calleres, is a student worker at Dr. Bens and also a member of the College Corps Fellows.

Carrisma takes self-care seriously as she attempts to include activities that she loves in her daily life on top of her busy schedule. These activities include: shopping, listening to music, or just taking a nap.

Photo Credit: Kaylee Garrett, Unsplash

So, I encourage you all to go out and do something that you like to do. Take a walk on the beach, go out for ice cream, or watch a movie with friends. The time is for you! Take advantage of the things that are around you and create memories. Don’t let the stress take over your daily life and take your time. Reset.

Our mental and physical health is important, so we need to learn a self-care routine that will allow us to succeed.

What is the first step you will take?