As students work in an environment that stresses them, the pressure of academics, friendships, sports, relationships, burnout, and mental breakdowns becomes more common. For that reason, it is becoming increasingly clear that self-care is an essential part of students’ self-development and the key to helping them manage stress. Self-care is taking care of your physical and emotional health.
When people hear the word “self-care” they assume that it’s a luxury treat, skincare, or once in a while activity instead of a daily routine. Self-care also isn’t selfish, but it is self-respect you have for yourself. Even though it may seem self-centered or challenging to consistently prioritize your needs first, it is, in fact, not egoistic to put in effort to be the best version of yourself. A common after-school routine for students is to return home and take a nap. Many parents assume their teenagers are lazy, but students need to take naps after school to reset and be more energized.
Many students experience academic pressure, the weight of keeping up with grades, studying for tests, and worrying about college. Many students lose focus on their studies because of the amount of pressure they work under, and trying to balance it all. They also experience social pressure from friendships, relationships with family members, and social media. Scholars are influenced by the content on social media that can affect their judgment and perspective of themselves, which affects their self-confidence and relationships with others and themselves. The stress interferes with students’ development, causing anxiety and burnout from constant demands. In high school, it is hard for students to keep up with busy schedules due to a lack of sleep. The schedule consists of clubs, school, sports, and not enough time to take care of their personal needs.
Self-care benefits students by improving their focus and grades, which lessens their academic stress. As the stress eases, it reduces burnout and emotional inconsistency. Most students’ coping mechanism is by expressing their emotions either feeling sad, tired, or agitated. To avoid patterns of emotional exhaustion, students can do small actions like taking a break or listening to music that boosts their self-confidence and mood.
Self-care helps students balance school and personal life by improving their management of academics, socially, and personally.
Self-Care Tips for Students:
- Getting enough sleep, preferably 8 to 10 hours. Students’ sleep plays a big part in their mood, energy, and focus.
- Eating nutritious meals and staying hydrated. Students’ primary source of energy comes from eating and hydration.
- Take care of your personal hygiene. (Ex: showering, oral care).
- Taking a break from social media platforms. Social media can affect students’ performance and add more unnecessary pressure from the content.
- Doing something you enjoy, such as listening to music, walking, journaling, or drawing.
- Talking to someone when feeling agitated, sad, or overwhelmed.
Some ways you can practice self-care habits at School:
- Using free periods or lunch time to take a break and reset.
- When feeling overwhelmed, you can do breathing exercises. It helps to calm down your nerves and anxiety.
- Reaching out to a teacher or counselor. It may be hard at first to talk to them, but they are there to help you, and talking to them can help ease pressure.
- Wearing a rubber band around your wrist or buying a squishy toy. This method helps to redirect stress and the feeling of anxiety to the rubber on your wrist by pulling on it.
Self-care matters because it helps students maintain their emotional, mental, and physical health, improving their way of management of their life. Small actions of self-care have a significant impact on students’ mood and focus. If students learn how to prioritize their personal needs, it can improve their academic progress and overall performance.
