Throughout my life I have struggled with creating this “perfect” balance of all of these different aspects of my life, including work-life, family-life, relationships, friendships, academics, and more. In these past few years experiencing college life, I have been trying to use self-care deliberately to help my mental health, while also trying to incorporate it into my daily life so that it becomes a habit, to better improve my overall well-being. Self-care is something that I have fallen in love with over the years. It is important to talk about the benefits of incorporating some little changes into your life, to alter your outlook on life, your morning and nighttime routines and mood, and more. Some small things I have begun to work on more in my life have been practicing gratitude, creating a very personalized morning and nighttime routine for myself, having an organized calendar, and creating small weekly, monthly, semester, and long-term goals for myself. Some of these things may feel very hard to randomly begin incorporating into your life, but research shows that it takes 18 to 254 days to form a new habit, so once you start these daily “tasks”, they will soon become “habits” over time.
Practicing gratitude is something that can be extremely quick, but has great amounts of benefits on your outlook on life and mental health. Every night before bed I fill out a reflection journal, reflecting upon my day, thinking about if I was able to move my body that day, if I hydrated my body that day, if I accomplished anything, if I was kind to anyone, and what I am grateful for after living that day. After every day, reflecting on what I am thankful for has actually allowed my brain to create a perspective of what I have in my life that is good and beneficial for me, even if I did not have a good day. According to research, it is shown that practicing this type of gratitude engraves that positive mentality in your brain as it carves more neuropathways.
In addition, something that I am really proud of that I have adjusted a lot over time in my life is my morning and night time routine. In the mornings, I prioritize sunlight and water right when I wake up. Every morning, I go on a walk and drink an entire glass of water before I look at my phone, get ready for the day, or do anything else at all. On the other hand at nighttime, there are many things you can do to get into a sleeping headspace and wind down. A few things that I do a night time are drinking some sort of non caffeinated tea, reading a few pages of a book, journaling, and ending the day with a shower or a skincare routine to feel clean before getting into my bed.
Overall, keeping my life and schedule organized every day allows me to feel confident to tackle each day. I like to accomplish at least one “small win” every day, and celebrate those wins with myself, and others. Small wins could be those things as little as changing out of your pajamas on a Sunday, or as big as applying for a new job or reaching out to an old friend. Self care can be anything that makes you feel good, and allows you to improve your wellbeing and outlook on life. When you begin to create these habits in your life it is important to give yourself grace to fail, forget, and improve. Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s essential for a well-lived life.
