Student Self Care!

What comes with being a college student?
Homework, tests, lectures, knowledge.
What can sometimes come with those things?
Stress? Worry? Panic?

As Students sometimes we find it hard to take care of ourselves because we are too busy worrying about everything else like our kids, our school work, our regular work, our lives... we worry about everything. And we forget to take care of ourselves first.
It is important to take care of yourself. Why?
Because you have to be able to handle yourself before you can handle the things school and life throw at you. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health because they can be linked. If you don't take care of yourself mentally then things can manifest physically. These problems can begin to effect your life even more than they already have.
We sometimes forget this because we become so focused on our stress/worry about our classes and the work we have to do that we forget we need to care for us.

There are ways to cope with the stress...
I know what you are thinking... "Oh really! Please tell me!!!"
Well I will.

Here are somethings that work good for self care:

• Take time for a nap
• Read a book
• Exercise (walk, run, stretch, Yoga, Tai Chi, etc)
• Take time with family (play games, have a movie night, etc)
• Sketch
• Listen to music
• Meditate
• Write things out
• Take a bubble bath
• Go for a swim
• Enjoy the sun/warmth of outside
• Hang with friends
• Garden
• Journal
• Go on a vacation
• Get a massage or mani/pedi
• Color
• Take pictures (of anything)
• Play
• Laugh
• Go for a ride/drive
• Watch the clouds
• Be creative
• Dance

There are so many options you can explore. Make your own list of things you like to do! In the Counseling and Human Development Graduate classes we learn about the importance of self care everyday. Being a counselor you deal with many different issues everyday and taking care of yourself is important so you can help those people who come to you for guidance. But remember self care is important for everyone not just graduate students and counselors.

I want to challenge you, create your own self care plan! Set aside time in your day where you do things listed in your self care plan.
Write the plan down and put in on your fridge or your desk, somewhere you'll see it so you know and remember that it is important to you and your school career to be healthy!!!

Be a healthy BLUE RAIDER!!!!!!!