You know what's good for you, and you know what's not good for you. Sometimes, it's really easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle known as college/the workforce and neglect to take care of yourself. You think I have way too much to do to worry about self care...STOP MAKING EXCUSES. Of course you're busy. Who isn't busy these days? But even in your busiest moments in life, it's important to ensure that you're actually taking care of yourself, so that you can continue living out your busy life. These are the non-negotiable things that you need to do, no matter how busy you are. Challenge yourself. You can do these!
1. Eat healthy
This one can be tough for multiple reasons: healthy food is expensive, cooking healthy foods takes time, you don't know how to cook, etc. There are ways though. You could legitimately live off of grilled chicken breasts, brown rice, and vegetables your whole life. You can do a lot with seasoning, and none of those things take much time or skill to make. Also, you can purchase all of that for a very reasonable price. If you have the means to get fancier, do it. The world of healthy food is actually great, and contrary to popular belief, healthy food can be delicious!
2. Drink enough water
You'd think this one would be easy, but many people don't drink enough water every day. At least 64 ounces of water. Daily. Tip: get yourself a water bottle and make a goal to fill it and drink all of the water several times each day. Shameless plug: get a Nalgene. They're 32oz bottles, so you only have to fill it up one additional time throughout the day to get the recommended daily amount of water.
3. Get enough sleep
Eight hours of sleep every night seems impossible when you have a busy schedule. But think about your free time for a minute. Think about all the time you waste throughout the day. All those fifteen minute breaks spent perusing social media. By the way...if you take four of those a day, you wasted an entire hour of your day on social media...Considering all that time in your day that you waste, reconsider that 1am bedtime, and go to bed at a decent hour.
4. PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN
Speaking of your phone...PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN. Take a day to observe how often you are on your phone. If it's a lot, realize how much time you're wasting and put that thing down. You will be amazed how much time you save yourself in a day. You can actual focus your full attention on tasks, so you get things down quicker than if you were on your phone while doing them. Here's a great suggestion: when you're doing a chore or an assignment, put your phone on airplane mode. This way you won't be tempted to check your phone obsessively. Only take your phone off airplane mode when you complete the task. You'll do everything so much more efficiently. Besides, Facebook is just a bunch of pointless drama, and you don't need that negativity in your life anyways.
5. Call your loved ones
Yes, even though you need to put down your phone, this is a great exception. This is when it's completely acceptable to be on your phone for an extended period of time. This task can be so daunting, sure. But deep down, you know you'll feel better if you do. Even if it stresses you out, do it for your loved ones because you know they live to hear your voice. Call your parents, your grandparents, old friends, other relatives, etc. but just keep in touch. Lives can get really busy, but don't leave the ones who care the most about you in the dust. Even if you can only make time for a ten minute conversation each week, commit to it.
6. Relax
Remember that hobby of yours that you love? The thing that you love to do because it takes you away to your happy place? Yeah, do it. Read a book. Go hiking. Build something. Play a game. Whatever it may be that relaxes you and relieves your stress, take time to do it. Another shameless plug: get a hammock. Find a quiet spot to put the hammock up. Put on some good music. And just enjoy some amazing peace and quiet. Seriously, once you get in a hammock, you'll never want to get out.
7. Go to the gym
Or workout at home. Either way, work out. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Even just go for a jog. Get moving though. Regular exercise has awesome benefits on the whole self, so why not reap the benefits. Cardio is a great place to start, and if you have specific goals, work on those. Making the commitment to a solid workout regime is hard, because it does require time and energy, but make time. Even if you can only do twenty minutes every day, that's better than nothing, and your body will thank you!
8. Stop wasting so much money
Let's be honest, you probably have purchased something within the last week or two that you didn't really need. And if you're in college, you know that it's only a matter of time before those students loans start to creep up on you and consume your life. Rather than spending all your extra money on frivolous things now, put some of it away in savings, and then thank yourself later when you have a bit of a financial cushion in the future. You never know when an emergency might come up. Wouldn't it be nice to not have to worry about how you can afford to pay for it?
9. Try something new
It doesn't matter what it is. It can be a new restaurant, a new drink order at the coffee shop, or something as big as taking up a new hobby. Regardless though, make this a priority every month or so. Routine is great. Change can be hard for some people. But it feels good to shake things up sometimes. Don't get bogged down by the same old same old. Do something out of the ordinary. Be spontaneous. It's actually great.
10. Minimize
Everything. You have too much stuff. Your closet probably contains pieces that you haven't worn in over a year. Donate it. You probably have some worn out shoes that you don't have the heart to throw away. Throw them away. Stop hoarding things that you know you'll never use again. As far as clothes and furniture and stuff go, if you have the option to donate it, DONATE IT. This is a really simple way to do some good deeds. You'll feel great knowing that something you never use/wear anymore is going to somebody who really needs it.
11. Love yourself
This sounds super lame, right? It's not though. Take a second out of your busy life to remind yourself of a few things. You're awesome. You're successful. You're a hard worker. You're talented. You're funny. You're creative. You're intelligent. And then add your own. Sometimes, at your busiest, it's easy to only look at the things that you're doing wrong. Your inadequacies seem to be much more prevalent than your strengths. But just remember, whatever it is you're doing right now, you're doing for a reason. Somebody believed in you enough to help you get to where you are now. Remember that, accept that, and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it.
So there you have it. 11 things that you need to start doing right now. No more pitiful excuses. You will be so much happier if you incorporate these 11 things into your life, no matter how busy you may be.
