Be Kind to Your Mind
World Mental Health Day was on October 10th and with midterm season in full swing, it’s really pumpkin to talk about!
It’s too easy for us to forget to take a step back and take the time to give ourselves some self love. Although, it really is an essential part to functioning properly! Here are some small ways to take care of your mental health:
Give yourself permission to take a mental health day
Sometimes life can get overwhelming, but with being so busy, it’s hard to recognize that you’re doing too much all at once. Don’t forget to take a step back and evaluate where you mentally stand and take a break if you need it.
Take a few minutes to think/reflect/do nothing
Nowadays, we feel the need to fill up our free time with any and everything. Whether we are walking to class and listening to music or scrolling through Twitter in line at Starbucks, we don’t even take a minute to truly relax. Before bed, in the shower, or in line, don’t touch technology or try to fill up your time. Instead, take the time to think about your day or your goals or how you’re feeling. It’s a nice self awareness check!
Stop glorifying stress and busyness, and get some sleep
Especially when midterm season rolls around, it’s easy to stay up until 4am studying and then post it on Snapchat. Although it’s nice to have a friend reply minutes later saying “same,” we are normalizing and glorifying the fact that we are putting off our health for the sake of one exam that won’t mean anything 10 years from now. Make sure to take care of yourself because I promise you that you’ll do a little better on that test with some sleep.
Of course, prioritizing yourself and taking care of your mental health is a big lifestyle change that will take some time to incorporate into your routine but as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
Also, don’t forget that there are resources all around you! From your friends to your professors to the Engemann Student Health Center! APASA is also always here for you, you can reach out to any of us, or message us on Facebook, if you want to talk or just grab a cup of coffee or boba! (help me fill up my pot o’ cha punch card hehe)
Lots of love and good luck!~