When you're in college, it can be hard to find ways to be kind to ourselves. Our schedules are booked, there's always something we should be studying for, and life gets overwhelming. We put so much stress on ourselves when that's actually not benefiting us at all. Here are just a few ways you can be kinder to yourself and reduce stress in your life.
1. Stop talking yourself down.
It's really easy to let self-doubt take over and think negative thoughts. That's not helping anyone though, so stop talking yourself down. Be confident in who you are. You cannot improve if you're caught up in your head anyways, so do yourself a favor and cut it out.
2. Give yourself alone time.
Even if you're not an introvert, you can still benefit from taking time aside for yourself. Alone time allows you to reflect and relax. Most people aren't 100% introverts or 100% extroverts, so everyone needs a little time to their self.
3. Set time aside to do things you enjoy.
Find your hobby or your passion and actually set time aside to pursue it. If your hobby is a musical instrument or sport, block out time every week to practice. If your hobby is Netflix, no worries, you can fit that in easily.
4. Exercise, but not too much.
It's important to stay fit and active, but it's also important to do it in moderation. Don't overdo it or you'll end up with an injury, and that's not very kind to your body.
5. Nourish your body.
No matter how busy you are, you need to eat. Trust me, I understand how hard this can be with a busy schedule, but breakfast and lunch are still meals! Give your body the fuel it needs to make it through the day.
6. Drink at least 60 oz of water a day.
You'd be surprised how much your health can improve by just drinking water. I'm serious, your skin, your hair, your entire body will reap the benefits if you just try to drink 60 oz a day.
7. Treat yourself occasionally.
Whether it's an actual treat like ice cream or buying that pair of shoes you've been eyeing for the past month or so, treat yourself once in a while. You deserve it.
8. Spend time with people who uplift you.
Surround yourself with people who uplift you and make you feel good about yourself. Don't waste your time around toxic people-- just eliminate them from your life. Life's too short for bad friends.
9. Stop procrastinating.
Procrastination is all fun and games until it's the night before your midterm and you haven't studied at all. Plan ahead so you don't go into major stress-mode.
10. Give yourself a day off.
In college, we tend to live a go-go-go lifestyle. We study and work hard all week long and then party it up on the weekends. Between school, Greek life, school clubs, work, and friends, we are really busy. When you get a chance to have a day to just relax, take advantage of it. They don't come very often.
11. Organize your life.
An effective organizational system will save you so much time, energy, and stress. Having a planner or bullet journal will really help you stay on top of your life.
12. Don't sweat the small stuff.
Your formal dress isn't here yet and there are only two days until formal? No biggie. Relax. Sometimes things that seem super stressful and important in the moment just don't matter in the grand scheme of life. Your formal dress will either come in on time or someone will let you borrow one of their old ones. Life goes on. I'm still working on this one, myself.
By putting these few things into practice you'd be surprised how much easier life will get. Be kind to yourself. Life is short.
