Self-care is the most important part of life. It might be something that needs to be incorporated into a regular routine, or it could just be a good stress management technique. Regardless of why we use self-care mechanisms, it is necessary. It is far too easy to oversleep, miss class and ignore your friends when struggling with bad days, or even bad weeks, but these tendencies can be avoided with the help of self-care.
There are many ways to execute self-care, depending on what situations add negative energy to your life. “When it comes to self-care,” said Director of Counseling Services Tim Morenz, “the hardest part is beginning.” If people don’t know where to start, the counseling services are where they should go. According to Morenz, making sure people are taking care of themselves is “the mission of our office.”
Morenz has a self-help assessment tool that includes many ways to take care of oneself that fall under physical, emotional and psychological aspects of self-care. The physical aspects of self-care include regular exercise, regular sleep and breathing exercises. Morenz clarified that exercise can mean going to the gym or even going for a 30-minute walk every day. Regular sleep doesn’t just mean a good eight hours a night, but also going to bed and waking up at around the same time every day. Breathing exercises, also known as meditation, are very helpful to people with anxiety. They give the person something to think about and focus on other than the stressful parts of their life. Morenz practices meditation and regularly hosts sessions in Lumpkin Learning Commons.
The self-help assessment tool shows that emotional self-care can start with knowing how to say no and allowing yourself to cry. At work and with friends, it is important to not take on more responsibilities than what you can handle. It’s good to go above and beyond unless it starts to act as a stressor rather than something that makes you feel good about accomplishing. It is also okay to cry if you have had a bad day, instead of ignoring the things that upset you.
Cutting out negative people and asking for help are good indicators of psychological self-care. It might be hard to cut out people who have been in your life for a while, but “It’s like the band-aid method,” Morenz explained, “it’s going to sting but it’s necessary.” He said that sometimes it’s not about removing toxic people, but instead about replacing them with people that are better for you. If you have a lack of people to turn to on campus, take a visit to see your family. It might only be a train ride away.
Asking for help is the most important aspect of self-care. “Being aware of any areas that one struggles with gives a person the opportunity to seek the help they need,” said Director of Diversity, Student Success and Inclusion Eda Watts. “That goes with the academic perspective, physically and mental health,” she elaborated. “Reach out,” Watts advised students who struggle achieving any aspect of success due to not knowing how to take care of themselves physically, academically or in regards to mental health. She said, “This campus really is a community and we want to help.” Counseling service hours are by appointment.