Hi everyone!
I hope you are all well and have settled back into things after reading week.
I don’t know about any of you but my reading week was crazy busy to the point where I barely got to do things for myself. It was Sunday night, and I was going back to Birmingham the next morning, when I had an idea. I decided I was going to take more time to look after myself and do more of what I want to do.
I don’t mean that I’m going to be selfish and only think about myself when it comes to things, I just mean that I am going to invest more time into looking after my health and wellbeing. How long this will last, I’m not sure. But even if it only lasts for a week, at least it will make me feel better within myself as I will feel refreshed and happy that I have taken care of my needs for a little while.
This week, I thought I would share a few self-care pointers with you in honour of my new plan:
- Eating healthy – This is something I’ve never been good at but always tried to do. I feel that when eating healthy, I am not as lethargic and my skin is so much better! Also, after gaining a bit of alcohol weight from Freshers’ Week, I find eating healthily is a good way to help lose it.
- Exercise regularly – During my first year, the only exercise I did was cheerleading training – which can be intense! I felt like I wanted to join the gym but if I’m being honest, I was too lazy to look for one. Having decided to invest more time into myself, I have decided to invest in going to the gym twice a week. By doing this, I feel more awake and productive which makes me better within myself. I also feel going to the gym is a nice break from study.
- Taking time out – This week, I have tried to take a bit of me time where I can do what I want from watching YouTube videos to reading a book of choice. By doing this I feel more relaxed, especially in the evening after a long day of uni. I find by lighting my fairy lights and candles around me, the atmosphere is calmer too.
- More baths – Don’t panic – I do wash myself, but I often have a shower as it’s quicker. But as part of my grand plan to invest more time in myself, I have decided to take more baths. This may sound odd but I haven’t had a bath since I was about 8 when I used to make potions with anything I could find, so the first time I had a bath at uni was a weird feeling as I didn’t really know what to do with myself – I felt making potions at aged 19 would be a bit silly! However, I had a bath just yesterday after purchasing a bath bomb and some bubble bath and, with a book in hand, I was much more relaxed.
- Skin care – Normally I would just remove my make-up using micellar water and a cotton pad, go to bed and wake up the next day to reapply my make-up – bad I know! But I’ve always said I don’t have enough time to take proper care of my skin. It turns out I was wrong. After purchasing a facial wash and making time to use it along with my moisturiser I have found my skin has improved so much and does feel a great deal healthier. By doing this I also don’t feel like I’m clogging up my pores as much, as I am washing them out better.
This has all being going well so far, and I’m sure I will update you on how my plan is going. I think it is so important we think more about our mind, body and soul, especially during times where deadlines are approaching and we are feeling a bit stressed. Looking after yourself is so important, and often something we forget or feel bad about. But sometimes it has to be about you and when that time comes, you have to take it and not waste it. It’s okay to be a little selfish sometimes and take a moment or two to yourself.
I hope you have enjoyed this blog post, if you have any questions please leave a comment.
Jessica x