What's that thing everyone talks about that's important to incorporate into our day-to-day lives? In case you forgot, as we all tend to do, it’s self care. 

Self care is defined as “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.” The question is, how often do we incorporate self care practices into our routines and why is this so important to do? 

As college students, it can be hard to balance different aspects of our lives, whether it be with academics, clubs, socializing or personal aspects such as exercise or mental health.

For me, I always saw self care as a “reward system.” I felt like once I completed all my work and felt like I checked everything off my list, then I would be worthy of watching a TV show or treating myself to a coffee. 

This leads to a constant whirlwind of anxiety and stress, trying to catch up and complete all the tasks you need to do before you can relax. It can get even more complicated when trying to balance your social life as well, making it near-impossible to find time for yourself and let your social battery recharge. 

During my freshman year, I didn't have a concept of what self care really meant. I thought of it as a broad idea of treating yourself only if you had time to or were “worthy” of it. I would feel guilt if I chose to relax and watch Netflix instead of studying for a midterm or doing my homework. 

It wasn't until this past fall 2022 semester, in my child development class, where I realized the importance of self care on a whole new level. My professor was giving us a lecture on daily stressors and anxiety levels and healthy ways to manage them.

She talked about the importance of self care on a regular basis, through examples such as treating yourself to a cup of coffee once a week — since then, I’ve more than taken advantage of this suggestion. 

It altered my mindset: self care shouldn’t be seen as a reward system. Why should you only do nice things for yourself when you feel you’ve “earned” it? Sure, you should do something fun if you got an A grade on your quiz, but that shouldn't be the only excuse to treat yourself. 

By taking time for yourself each day, in however form you see fit, you can lower levels of stress and anxiety and  feel more confident in being able to balance different aspects of your life.

For me, I’ve found that acts of self care each day help elevate my mood and make things I don't always want to do more enjoyable. Do I want to study for my Spanish exam? Not really. Does treating myself to a coffee while I study make me more inclined? Of course. 

There is no right way to take time for yourself, and it certainly doesn't have to be in the form of spending money. Self care doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone, and your own definition of it can change overtime. 

Other ways I’ve found time for myself include going to the gym or reading a book before bed instead of scrolling through social media. When the weather is nice, I go to the beach with friends or my roommate and I will go on walks while syncing up a playlist to listen to. 

Sometimes, if you're like me, you need days where you’re an introvert, and all you need is to stay in, binge a show and let your social battery recharge. 

No matter what it is, take some time for yourself at least a few times throughout the week, not because it's a reward, but because self care helps keep us sane, especially when you feel like you’ve got a million assignments piling up. 

As finals week is slowly creeping up on us, I know buying myself a coffee, going to the beach and partaking in some retail therapy might help to sustain me, because what better excuse to use than self care?!