Self-care

September 19, 2012
by Kendra

Life Hacks School/Life Balance

As with many beginnings of a semester you start out fresh and excited, by week four you’re tired and looking for the finish line. I think that’s just the natural progression of being a student. We forget in the excitement to learn new things and see friends how much work goes in to making the grade. I’m in the mental health immersion right now and while the content is fascinating and inspiring, it’s also draining. By the end of each Thursday I have found myself mentally and physically exhausted. Because of the nature of the content our professor encourages us to perform some ‘self-care occupations’ to help us cope. It can be anything from working out, to visiting with your loved ones, or reading a good book, whatever it is that works for you. Lately my totally un-satisfying self-care routine has been to veg-out in front of the TV until bedtime.

So after feeling run down for two weeks I’ve decided to make a change. I am re-introducing some favorite occupations back into my life!

Let’s backtrack. Another thing that happens when you go into student mode is some/all of the things you had time for before get pushed aside for studying, napping, and studying some more. Sometimes when I come out of the fog of reading journal articles I try to remember what I used to do on a weeknight. I used to go to the movies, read plays, and cook. I love to cook. But lately the most cooking I’ve done is to turn on the oven in order to defrost a Trader Joe’s dinner. Where’s the self-care in that?

This week, instead of sitting home alone watching endless hours of television just to not think for awhile, I’ve given myself the assignment to cook at least three dinners from scratch. I’m two down, and both have not only left me feeling full with leftovers to spare, but the weight of the day is lifted when I busy myself with chopping onions, simmering a tomato sauce, or trying out a new recipe. I am so much more satisfied engaging in fulfilling, meaningful occupations than I am when I sit and watch 5 episodes of House Hunters International.

It’s hard to remember when we are busy and stressed to take care of ourselves, but giving yourself something to look forward to helps the stress melt away at the end of a long day and makes you better prepared for what tomorrow brings.

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