As students, we are expected to balance school, work, internships, and home responsibilities. The juggling of our many lives can prove to be quite overwhelming and stressful.

When we work too much, we put aside the things we should be doing to ensure our mental and physical health are stable. Self-care is a practice that reduces stress and maintains our short- and long-term well-being. The methods of self-care are unique to each individual, due to everyone having different schedules, circumstances, and living situations.

Here are 5 self-care for the average college student:

1. Encouraging Post-Its

Using Post-It notes are an easy way to remind yourself of your self-worth, self-motivation, and self-encouragement.

You can stick a post it on the mirror in your room with a simple phrase such as “You are worth it” or “Be kind to yourself” written on it. This will ensure that you at least start your day off on a positive note and will give you the confidence to face your day.

2. Treat Yourself Thursdays

Whether it be buying yourself a $5.99 bottle of wine or ice cream from your favorite store, Treat Yourself Thursdays is way to reward yourself for your week’s hard work. You also don’t have to buy yourself a treat. Treat Yourself Thursdays could also be an evening dedicated to a bubble bath and a book, or cozying up in your bed with your favorite Youtube channel.

3. 15-minute meditation

Setting aside 15 minutes to meditate every day will have a tremendous impact on your overall wellbeing. You can find guided meditations on free smartphone apps such as The Mindfulness App (http://www.mindapps.se), Headspace (https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app), and Calm (https://www.calm.com). If you do not own a smartphone, you can also find guided meditations on Youtube.

4. Go to bed early

If your schedule allows it, go to bed early sometimes. Getting enough sleep has plenty of benefits including mood control, clearer thinking, and sharpening memory. It also can help prevent diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Whenever you can, go ahead and knock out for eight hours.

5. Cutting Off Toxic Friends

Easier said than done. However, toxic friends are one of the main causes of stressors. Maintaining a friendship is not always easy, but it shouldn’t have to feel like a chore. You should never feel as if you are in competition with your friend, walking on eggshells with them, or feel as if it a one-sided relationship, among other factors. Friendship is something that is mutual, with respect, honesty, and communication on both ends. If your friend is not encouraging you, checking on your mental health, and encourages toxic activities all the time, maybe it is a good time to reevaluate your friendship.

I hope that you all find value in the tips given above. There are a few important things to remember:

• Self-care will not solve all problems. We will all still experience very stressful things in our life. Self-care is important to reduce negative emotions.
• One shoe does not fit all. These are only 5 ways to practice self-care. If you find that these tips do not help, remember that the internet is infinite and you can find hundreds of ways to practice self-care.

M.E.