“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
-Audre Lorde
After these tumultuous past couple of weeks of being reminded that our leaders don’t care about sexual assault survivors, it is important to remember to take care of yourself. While it would be easier to just curl up into a ball and remain under the covers indefinitely, we can’t. That’s why we must take care of ourselves, so that we can continue to fight back and educate others to prevent these injustices from happening again in the future. There are many forms of self-care, but here are some suggestions.
1. Create a Skincare Routine
I have found that feeling clean on the outside helps me feel clean on the inside as well. Taking care of your skin and having a routine can be a good stress relieving tool. It’s even better if you use brands that create cruelty-free and sustainably sourced products.
2. Set Aside Time to Read
If you find that staring at a screen and waiting for the next piece of breaking news to pop up has become anxiety inducing, it might be time to put down your phone. Instead of struggling to go to sleep at night because you can’t stop thinking about what you just saw on Twitter, set aside 30 minutes before your bedtime to read a book.
3. Retail Therapy
If you’re feeling a loss of control, retail therapy can help you feel a sense of preparedness. Whether it be grocery shopping or clothes shopping, you can also feel a sense of pride in giving back to independent businesses by going to the local farmers market or seeking out philanthropic brands that give back to the community.
4. Take Up A New Hobby
Whether it be yoga or knitting, finding a hobby can help slow down everything coming at you and can help you begin to make sense of all the craziness going on in the world. I have found that when I am stressed beyond belief, going on a run feels like I am physically venting, because sometimes words aren’t enough.
5. Spend Time With Friends
At the end of the day, spending time with friends who cherish you and care about you may be the purest form of self-care. Having a support group who you can go to about your struggles and achievements can take a weight off of your shoulders, because it helps knowing that you aren’t going through life alone.
6. Vote
Above all, one of the most important ways to take care of yourself is by exercising your right to vote. Remember, the bystander effect is real and you can’t always rely on others to make a change for you, so register to vote.
Chat with you next time,
@notlikeothergirls
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
The topic of this post stood out to me and I believe it will be beneficial for college students above all else. On top of being stressed out with the pressures of school, I agree that what is going on in the media can also add more stress and hurt to the mind of a college student. I believe self-care is something that everyone must explore because I know that whenever I care for myself I always end up feeling somewhat better or at least more calm after. Also I love the mention of the skin care routine because I always make sure to buy extra face masks so then when I need to calm down I treat myself with the care of a relaxing face mask. Overall, I feel that as college students we sometimes get so caught up in the present stressful situations, but it is important to set aside the time to treat or care for yourself!
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This article was very much needed, not just for myself, but i’m sure for others as well. These steps are all very helpful that I am sure that many have attempted to do. While individuals may have these steps in the back of their mind – they can easily be forgotten when you are neglecting your self. When I am feeling down or anxious, I find myself isolated from the world which worsens my mood. It is important in those moments of darkness to do things to improve your mood and mind. I usually find if I force myself to hang out with friends, doing a face-mask or going to the gym will improve my mood. As a college student, I find it difficult to read items besides textbooks. I am glad you mentioned reading because it truly is therapeutic (for me) and is something that I find myself neglecting because of time. I needed this reminder to take some time for myself throughout the day. This article is a reminder to always have time for self-care because it is the most important tool in order to keep going. Thank you for sharing your article, I appreciate you writing this and reminding others how important self-care is.
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I love these tips! I think self care is so important for our physical wellbeing and mental health. I love that you included the notion to vote as self care, especially now, since so many young people forgo voting because they “don’t care about politics”. I also love retail therapy, so I can definitely identify with this post!
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I actually really enjoyed how nice this list was. I never seem to set aside enough time for myself and it is because of that that my schoolwork and stress always seem to spark episodes of anxiety and depression. Taking better care of myself is always how I feel better and the one thing I do make sure to do is take care of my skin because I had cystic acne for four years and I refuse to allow that source of anxiety and depression back into my life. I do however feel I need more time set apart for myself other than doing homework alone and washing my face at night, so I am glad I found and read this article as a nice reminder to stop caring for others for a minute, breathe, and take care of myself.
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I love this so much. Most of the time I usually feel bad for spoiling myself. Like if I buy a new bag that I LOVE, I normally feel bad about doing it right after because I think about all of the other things I could have spent it on such as bills 🙄 but I do think it’s important to make that time for yourself, especially if you’re in a relationship. You spend so much time with that person, you need to have your own time and spoil yourself. I think if I could let go of the guilt it would really benefit me.
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With college midterms and midterm elections coming up, taking care of oneself is essential now more than ever. To self-care for college midterms, we can study and take small breaks in between to not feel overwhelmed. Also, midterm elections are next month and the deadline for Virginia residents to register is October 15! Voting is something we can do to let our voices be heard, so please register if you’re not already. 🙂
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I am a huge advocate for self-care and I absolutely loved reading this!! It’s a topic I think more people should be talking about.
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I love this spin you put on taking care of yourself! Helping yourself so you can better help others. Love that!!
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