It’s that time again. Classes, work, extracurricular activities, and sports are pulling you in multiple directions and perhaps you feel like you don’t have time to take care of yourself while juggling all of these tasks. Presented in this blog post are a few practical self-care tips to boost your productivity, so you can prioritize both your work and your health.
Quick Disclaimer: This is by no means an exhaustive list of practices that fall under “self-care”, nor will results from these suggested activities look the same for everyone! In addition to this blog post, it is highly encouraged to continue on with your exploration of self-care through additional resources from teachers, mentors, counselors, medical providers, or from the resources at the end of this blog post.
1. Redefine Self-Care
In reality, self-care is not as easy as it is depicted in popular culture. Sometimes, it involves things that you really don’t want to do, like sleeping early when you still have a lot of work to do, forgiving someone who has done something wrong to you, saying “no” to extra projects or plans, or asking for help from friends, family, professors, and mentors. Sometimes self-care involves sacrifice, and we might not see immediate results. The bigger picture of self-care involves long-term goals that take many small steps to reach. You can work towards defining your meaning of self-care by keeping this in mind.
2. Checking In With Your Mind and Body
Research shows that consistent meditation lowers perceived stress and negative mental health (1), and even eases muscle or joint aches (2). Why is this so? Meditation emphasizes mindfulness through checking in with ourselves and non-judgmentally evaluating these thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Mindfulness is a skill, so the more you practice, the better you will become. Even taking 10 minutes every day to meditate through an app, or going to a 20-minute Let’s Meditate session can get you in touch with your mind and body.
3. Eliminate Distractions and Take Short Breaks
Find yourself checking your phone often while sitting down to get work done? Try to set timers for “brain sprints” (e.g. 25 minutes), where you will only focus on a certain task, and then quick “micro-breaks” (e.g. 5 minutes) where you can get up, check your phone, or eat a snack. Taking “micro-breaks” has been associated with lower fatigue and increased vitality in the work environment (3). Thus, you can get work done and replenish your brain power at the same time! Try out apps like Flora or Forest for these timers, and read about strategies like the Pomodoro Method.
4. Mindful Eating and Exercise
There is no one single eating and exercise method that works the same for everyone. Instead, notice how you feel after eating certain foods or after doing certain exercise routines. With such busy schedules, we may neglect to realize that our diet and physical activity greatly impact our productivity, creativity, and general well-being.
5. Tracking Sleep
Time is limited as a busy student, so there is not always an opportunity to get 7-9 hours of sleep. However, you can still track how you feel after going to sleep and waking up at certain times to find the optimal rhythm for you. After you have an optimal time, keep yourself accountable with a solid sleep schedule! Set down-times for phone access or time limits on apps if you need to, and/or use a sleep app to keep you on track!
6. Reaching out/Resources
This blog is just a brief introduction of practical self-care tips, but it does not encompass all of self-care by any means. As mentioned earlier, self-care encompasses deeper, long-term goals. We encourage you to explore more through the links below, or consult others along your journey! Take care and best of luck in your studies, activities, and more!
If you have a specific topic you would like us to cover, e-mail us at hecec@cornell.edu,
Resources:
Mental Health Resources from Cornell Health: https://health.cornell.edu/services/mental-health-care/resources-students
EARS (free, anonymous, peer counseling): https://www.earscornell.org/
CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services): https://health.cornell.edu/services/mental-health-care
Free Group Counseling: https://health.cornell.edu/services/mental-health-care/group-counseling
Cornell Healthy Eating Program: https://health.cornell.edu/services/nutrition-healthy-eating-services
References:
1. Chu, Li-Chuan. “The Benefits of Meditation Vis-à-Vis Emotional Intelligence, Perceived Stress and Negative Mental Health.” Stress and Health, vol. 26, no. 2, 2010, pp. 169–180., doi:10.1002/smi.1289.
2. Monk-Turner, Elizabeth. “The Benefits of Meditation: Experimental Findings.” The Social Science Journal, vol. 40, no. 3, Jan. 2003, pp. 465–470., doi:10.1016/s0362-3319(03)00043-0.
3. Zacher, Hannes, et al. “Micro-Breaks Matter: A Diary Study on the Effects of Energy Management Strategies on Occupational Well-Being.” Journal of Vocational Behavior, vol. 85, no. 3, 2014, pp. 287–297., doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2014.08.005.