SELF CARE TIPS

In my everyday life, I try to be as stress-free as possible. I once had a friend jokingly question if I actually was a grad student because I wasn’t panicking about dissertation deadlines like everyone around me. While I still do get stressed out, I’ve found a handful of ways that help me manage stress. I use at least one tip once a day to help me manage my own stress.

In hopes of helping you relax and practice some self love during a stressful time, here are my top five self care tips!

1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH

The first step is to just take a break and a deep breath. This allows you a moment to regroup and figure out how to best tackle what’s stressing you out. During this break, do something that makes you smile. It could be talking to a loved one, meditating, listening to a certain song, or taking a warm shower. I know that sometimes things get hectic and it feels like you can’t afford to take a break, but trust me. When we are under too much stress, our performance level deteriorates. So when you feel yourself feeling too much stress, it’s actually best to take a break! Find out what works best for you and enjoy your break before getting back to your task.

My favorite break is FaceTiming home and talking to my youngest sister. As a three year old, Grace can easily make me smile and we often spend our time jamming out to Horrible Histories, Taylor Swift, or Disney.

2. LISTEN TO YOURSELF

A couple summers ago, I took a ballet class because I wanted to pretend I was graceful and I needed more credits in order to graduate. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was actually about listening to my body. The teacher told us to close our eyes and just listen to our bodies. In those few moments of silence while focusing solely on myself, I could notice slight differences. Some days my shoulders were tenser than others and some days my muscles felt stronger. Finding this level of self-awareness is often difficult in a world where we constantly feel the need to keep up, but I have found this to be infinitely useful. Your body is constantly trying to send you signals about how you are and it’s important to listen to it!

When you listen to yourself, it is easier to find out what you need.

3. ORGANISE + PRIORITISE

Something that has always kept me calm is organizing. Whether it’s cleaning my flat or going through my week in my planner, I find it easier to tackle my days if I have a plan.

While going through my planner, I can also take the time to prioritize what needs to be accomplished. If I am able to break up projects into smaller tasks and work it into a doable schedule, then my larger task feels much more manageable. I often do this by creating to-do lists.

If I’m not feeling as productive as I anticipated or did not complete my list, I often add tasks that I did accomplish that day. This helps me not feel bad about not completing my list. It could be things as simple as getting dressed, taking out the trash, or calling my mom.

The most important thing about a planner is that it works for you, which is why I love customizable planners.

My current planner is from the May Designs for Blue Sky collaboration from Target. Every day has its own individual page and a column where I can write notes, memos, or my to-do list for the day.

4. IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

Self care is a bit like romancing yourself. It isn’t always about grand gestures. Sometimes it is as simple as doing something nice for yourself because it makes you happy. It could be wearing your favorite jumper or watching an entire season of something on Netflix.

Don’t forget to romance yourself! While it may feel awkward at first, try taking yourself out. Check out a new cafe or an exhibit at a local museum alone! Doing this has taught me to enjoy time alone and has allowed me to explore York at my own pace.

My most recent ‘little things’ moments have been watching the entire season of Queer Eye in one sitting, eating mini Battenbergs, and going window shopping around town.

5. TREAT YO’ SELF

While not everyone has the money (or desire) to spend an extravagant amount of money, sometimes you just have to splurge.

No one can explain this concept better than Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation. They also understood that treating yourself was specific to you. It is about finding and doing what makes you happy. Donna and Tom may have wanted to buy clothes and shoes, but Ben wanted a Batman costume. This also shows how hard it can be to practice self care.

But I’m here to give you that nudge to treat yo’ self! It could be a Batman costume, velvet slippers, or eating out with friends. When splurging, make sure it makes you happy and that it is something that won’t make you feel guilty later. Because you’re worth it.

For anyone that hasn’t seen Parks and Recreation, I highly suggest watching this video about treating yo’ self!

While I try not to splurge too often, I do it whenever something genuinely makes me happy. My most recent splurge was about a few months and it’s my Radley London handbag.

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I hope that you’ve found some of these tips helpful! Remember to take care of yourselves, darlings!