Self-care is very important in the Resident Advisor world. I remember laughing about it in my first summer training because it sounded so absurd. Why would you ever need to take a break from anything? Then, the Resident Advisor job started, and I still didn't practice self-care. Then, April of 2016 hit and I was dead. It wasn't until then that I realized that self-care really is important.

Self-care manifests itself in different ways, and we shouldn't shame people for the way they choose to practice it. For me, if I'm feeling that a lot is on my plate, my breaks often entail runs, playing tennis, and/or watching ratchet TV. That works for me. I have seen friends do yoga. I have also seen friends pick up a non-academic book and read for fun. This notion of self-care is too important to only start at the college level.

For many students at The George Washington University, we found ourselves at the top of our class. We participated in countless clubs in high school and still found time to have a social life with friends. You may call that social life time our "self-care", but that same time is often clocked into our day to become a ritual. It doesn't seem like something you do for fun, but just something to stay socially relevant.

High schools across the country should be preaching to their students about self-care because burning out starts earlier than college. Trying to excel in your five AP classes, being involved in outside clubs, and playing a sport can lead to a heavy stress load. We need to recognize this and encourage breaks. Often times, students come to college after four years of burnout and use their final summer to recharge. That is not enough time. Throughout our weeks, quarters, and semesters, we need to make sure that we're putting our mental, physical, and emotional health first.

To friends still in the high school world, what are some ways that we can be encouraging self-care to high school students?