Lifestyle Guide To Self-Care
Illustrated by Channing Smith
Whether it’s classes piling up, a demanding internship or your late-night job, many are likely forgetting an important daily step — self-care. During the busiest weeks and most stressful times, self-care is a tried and true way to maintain calm. But, it is not always easy to find the self-care method that works for you. Have no fear, however, because the Lifestyle section is here to help.
Molly O’Brien, Lifestyle Editorial Assistant
Laughter
Audrey Hepburn once said, “I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills,” and I couldn’t agree more. Growing up, my dad always called my best friend and I “giggle butts,” which is weird, but fitting. We’d giggle until our stomachs hurt, and then we would giggle because our stomachs hurt. We would purposefully pick friends who we noticed giggled as much as we did. Life is easier with laughter and someone to share that laughter with.
Whenever I am in a stressful situation, I find the best — and sometimes only — thing to do is laugh it out. In fact, laughter is proven to lower stress hormones and increase endorphins. Laughter immediately puts me in a better mood, helping me focus and interact with others. Whether it’s at myself, a movie or a memory, letting a bought of laughter explode from within me until tears stream down is my favorite, most accessible form of self-care.
Katie Herrick, Contributing Writer
Reading and Writing
Everyone preaches self-love, but no one explains how hard it will be. The road to loving myself was one of the hardest journeys I have ever embarked on. It takes more than determination and a mindset; it takes discovery and understanding of yourself and what you need. When I feel especially low, poetry is the best way to escape. Reading others’ poetry allows me to feel their pain, joy and sadness that may be similar to mine. It shows me I am not alone.
Writing poetry might seem daunting, but I feel free when I write words. It doesn’t have to mean anything to anyone but you, or even make sense to anyone but you. Just writing your feelings out on a page is freeing and allows you to accept your feelings as real. Reading books is my second escape. I have loved reading from a young age, and it has allowed me to escape the world I am in and visit another. I can forget everything happening and everything on my mind and explore someone else’s story. Art is my favorite way to express my feelings and better understand them, and reading and poetry are, and always will be, a huge part of this.
Elise Anderson, Lifestyle Staff Writer
Sleeping
Treating sleep as a self-care activity has the power to change your entire well-being. As someone who has struggled with getting a good night’s rest for many years — especially while in college — changing the way I view sleeping and taking steps to improve my nighttime routine has helped tremendously. The first step in treating sleep as a self-care activity is viewing it as a priority and a restoration period instead of an obligation. Sleep provides us with the rest and rejuvenation we need to conquer the next day with a positive outlook.
Begin by creating a nighttime routine that works for you and practice this every night an hour or so before you plan to doze off. For me, this starts with taking a warm shower, followed by performing my skincare routine. I like to make a hot cup of chamomile tea with honey, which works wonders on relaxing my mind and body at night. Before crawling into bed, I often spray a lavender pillow mist, which is another powerful relaxation agent. I usually spend the half-hour or so before I fall asleep by reading a book or listening to a calming playlist. When I stick to my sleep self-care routine, I find it much easier to fall and stay asleep throughout the night, and I wake up ready to take on whatever the next day holds.
Samantha Georgson, Contributing Writer
Running
For me, self-care is about taking time out of my day to de-stress, reenergize and reorient myself. In the process, this helps me stay healthy and motivated. My go-to self-care activity is running. There is no better feeling than crushing a couple of miles before class on a crisp spring morning. I really appreciate being able to get outside, even just for a short jog, and it’s easier to allow myself that free time when I’m doing something productive like exercising.
When I can’t get myself up to run before class, I use it as a way to wind down after a busy day. Running away from all of my responsibilities and returning to meet them feeling refreshed and recharged helps productivity in the long run. In the winter months, going for a run is one of the only activities that gets me outside, and in the warmer weather I use running as an excuse to soak up all of that delicious vitamin D. When I go for a run by myself I use the time to think about the day ahead, plan my week or even brainstorm post-graduation life plans. Other times, I can convince my roommates or boyfriend to tag along, and we go for a casual jog, using the time to share funny stories about our day or figure out weekend plans.
For me, running is more than just a calorie burner. Running serves as a much-needed break in my day and gives me a chance to get outside. Going for a jog is both productive and relaxing all at once, and for all of these reasons, it is the most important step in my own personal self-care routine.
Joanie Starich, Contributing Writer
Journaling
My self-care activity is journaling. Throughout the day, I have a million thoughts about every occurrence, changing my mind a million times more as the day progresses. Writing in a journal is a nice way to organize my thoughts onto paper, even if the writing has no structure whatsoever. Journal writing is the only kind that isn’t graded or seen by anyone else. Usually, my best writing comes from within my journal. Writing without the pretext that someone else will eventually read it liberates my mind. There is no bias, no manipulation of how I want to be seen, and, therefore, the writing is raw. Writing in my journal has also made me a better writer overall because I have learned how to write without worrying about judgment.
I also love journaling because rereading through old notebooks gives insight into how my mind has matured. I think it’s amusing to look back on how mad I was over stupid crushes or how I really thought I loved someone who barely left a footprint on my life. It’s funny to read the pages when I was picking out a college, and inspirational to read through the rough times in my life that I have surpassed. Keeping a journal is like printing out thought-transcripts from your entire life. It’s definitely worth it because it eases the mind.
Molly Rapozo, Lifestyle Staff Writer
Clean Eating
My favorite way to take care of myself is to eat cleanly and with good intentions. Putting food into my body that serves an actual purpose makes everything feel right in the world. When you eat whole, natural foods, you fuel your body to function at its peak performance level. You begin to look and feel your best, and who doesn’t enjoy that?
When I am really feeling down and need a true, intense detox, I reach for naturally colorful foods. Getting in enough greens is one thing, but enjoying the rainbow ensures that I’m getting many different sources of nutrients. Plus, eating different colors is just as appealing to the eyes as it is to the stomach.
To me, self-care is finding something that keeps you happy and healthy above all the stress of everyday life. Fruit keeps me happy and makes me feel good about the sugar that I’m eating — even if it is still sugar. Focusing on the fact that my sugary treats are filled with natural sugar makes me feel better about using fruit as a pick me up, rather than reaching for chocolate or candy. My go-to sweet choices for a boost of happiness are any type of berry, lemons, pineapples and the most beautiful, bright red grapefruit I can find.
Cassie Hurwitz, Lifestyle Editor
Making a List
The times I feel I need self-care the most are the times I am stressed beyond belief. Juggling class, work, extracurriculars and a social life warrants a constant running list of everything I need to do swimming around in my head. So, I write it down. Whether it’s one list or a series of multiple — color-coded, of course — making a list helps me visualize my goals, even if they’re only temporary.
List-making doesn’t have to be boring, either. Picking bright notepads, pens and stickers helps make a group of anxiety-inducing tasks seem a little less daunting. You might even trick yourself into wanting to complete these activities. And when it’s all done, you get the immense pleasure of crossing things off the list. I can’t think of anything better than drawing a nice, neat line through a phrase or etching a small “x” into a box, then crumpling up the finished list and recycling it. Although, if the page is neat enough, you might want to keep it on your desk — just for inspiration purposes.