By Beth Hicking (First Year BSc Hons Criminology)
University is fun and a great phase in life of learning new things about your subject, yourself and the world around you. For some, at times looking after yourself at university is difficult. Something that I found out not long after beginning my degree. I was excited to begin a new chapter of my life away from my experiences at school, which were far from the best, but almost immediately I noticed small things in my routine beginning to slip, which soon turned into bigger things, and all of a sudden my entire world was upside down: I was busy, and looking after myself took a backseat to other responsibilities and commitments
As far as self care usually goes, tips range from running yourself a bath to meditation – as wholesome as these tips may be, a lot of the time, they do not work. They don’t work because they don’t stick in your routine, and you know you’ll only do it the once – or, in my own case, you realise that however lovely LUSH bath bombs may be, they don’t actually cure depression.
Speaking from the experience I have, here are the tips that seemed to work for me, and that I’m hoping will work for others – this is my unglamorous guide to self care at university.
Tip 1: Have a good chat.
Firstly, before you even think about staying hydrated – talk to your friends about your difficulties. Talk to them about stress, talk to them about your work, bounce off of each other and learn from each other. Social sciences, in my opinion, are a topic of learning that benefit greatly from conversation. Not only this, but talking to your friends will enable your friends to notice any bad patterns of behaviour, or will help them to help you. Your friends are your most valuable mental health asset at university.
Tip 2: Take time to understand yourself.
Understand what makes you stressed, and take small steps to change this that won’t completely change the routine you’ve fallen into. Creating an entirely new routine is all well and good, but it won’t be followed. For example, if you’re finding yourself stressed at how late in the day you’re waking up, don’t suddenly set an alarm for 7am. YOU WILL SNOOZE IT. Set an alarm for 10am and actually eat when you wake up, instead of waking up at 1pm and sprinting to your lecture on an empty stomach.
Tip 3: Be (and stay) prepared.
Go prepared to your lectures. By this I don’t mean the typical, ‘have a pen and paper! Remember your laptop!’ Approach. I mean take a full water bottle, and at the very least take a cereal bar or a banana. You’re probably there for a few hours at least, and if you start flagging you’d be surprised at how fast food can perk you up. This also helps you to stay hydrated and full, which is difficult if you’re rushed – put them in your bag the night before so that morning you doesn’t forget. I always take food and drink to lecture, and find it’s best to lightly graze throughout.
Tip 4: Food! (Finally).
Pasta quickly became my friend. It’s cheap, it’s high in energy and you can prepare meals in advance, which is a bonus. Yes, it’s starchy, and yes it’s not the best idea to live off of it, but at least you’ve eaten, and at least you know you’ll eat tomorrow if its easy enough to cook. (Which, take it from an awful cook – it is).
Tip 5: Basically, learn to look after yourself now before it’s too late.
Know that it’s okay to try different things, but don’t expect to completely change your life overnight. Change takes time. It takes 21 days to form a routine you will stick to, but it’s worth it to know that your body will thank you for it. Your body houses your brain, and just the same as you can’t run on a broken leg, you can’t learn with a brain that you aren’t looking after.
While these tips will be obvious to some, reading them in black and white may help others take hold of their routines. Self care comes easily to some and not so easily to others, and so these are the most helpful, and very basic tips, I can offer – a skincare routine is important, but not as important as eating. Too often people associate the term ‘self care’ with taking time out of your day to do something out of the ordinary and ‘treat’ yourself, when in actual fact self care is exactly what it says on the tin, and looking after yourself shouldn’t be considered a treat. So, with that said – look after yourselves, and stay calm.
Photo credit: Well Being by Nick YoungsonCC BY-SA 3.0Alpha Stock Images