TREAT YOURSELF!

written by Rachel W.

Rejuvenation – this is the word that comes to mind when I think of being off school for summer.

Summer is a great time to form good self-care habits that you can carry with you throughout your life. Keep reading to find out how you can make your life healthier and happier!

The first step to caring for yourself is keeping your body healthy! Exercise has been proven not only to make you more fit, but also to release chemicals in the brain that make you happier. And don’t forget the water – it’s super important to stay hydrated, especially now that it’s hotter. Another way to stay healthy is to catch up on sleep! It is perfectly okay to stay up later now that school is out, but just make sure you give yourself plenty of downtime to rest. With the right combination of healthy eating, exercise, and sleep, you will feel amazing!

“Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” – Eleanor Brown

Another way to care for yourself revolves around social media. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter can be great ways to network with other people who you share interests with, but sometimes it can negatively affect our mental health. While many use it as a tool to spread positive messages, it can be almost impossible not to compare ourselves to others. Remember that social media is great in moderation and that sometimes limiting our own use of it can actually make us feel a lot better!

To take part in self-care activities, it is important to really get a feel for your own mind and body. Stress, especially in this day and age, is extremely prevalent. Taking care of yourself becomes a lot easier if you are able to identify what causes you to feel stress! Pay attention to how you feel in different situations, and work to find solutions when you determine the causes of your stress. For example, if school feels really overwhelming, you could use a planner to help you remember all your responsibilities or you could see a counselor and talk about why you are feeling stress. No matter what route you take, dealing with stress effectively can make a huge difference in how you feel on a daily basis.

Here is an article you can use if you are feeling stressed and are looking for solutions!

Lastly, keeping a positive attitude is essential to self-care. Find inspiring pictures and quotes and make them the background of your phone or computer. Surround yourself with people who are not only optimistic but help you to be the same. Follow uplifting accounts on social media so that every time you scroll through your feed you are reminded to be positive. Though it may take time, eventually you can train your mind to see things on the bright side! Self-care starts with a commitment to yourself to try your best every day, and if you are optimistic for the future, there is nothing you can’t do.

“Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” – Christopher Germer