#selfcaretips

thewitchjournal:

Feeling down? Cleaning is definitely a self care thing for me, here are some good and overlooked cleaning practices as well as a few little things that might make you feel better :

• delete unused bookmarks on your web browsers

• delete untouched social media accounts

• unsubscribe to old email subscriptions

• organize your closet

• organize your food - throw out old and expired stuff and donate what you don’t want to eat!

• unfollow social media accounts that don’t make you feel 100% good

• change the color themes of your web browser or computer system

• change your desktop background or phone wallpaper

• vacuum 3 things you haven’t vacuumed in a while (windowsills, corners, behind the toilet)

• put your laundry away !!!

• reorganize your desktop shortcuts

• uninstall old computer programs

• change that lightbulb you’ve been ignoring for weeks

• organize jewelry and accessories

• sort your junk drawers and find a place for (almost) everything

• if you smoke/have pets/have a lot of people in your house, use one of those magic eraser sponges and wipe off the white moldings/ walls, you’ll be blown away by how much cleaner it looks

• give 3 big yawns

• deep clean your body- eat a healthy meal, shave if you like to, put on lotion and a face mask, pluck your eyebrows, comb your hair

• throw out empty bottles in the shower

• I know you yawned earlier just from reading the word

• throw out the old razor that’s been sitting in your shower for too long

• open a new bar of soap

• hang up a piece of art (and maybe make it yourself) even if you think it’s bad

• scribble a whole pen out of ink

• get rid of all the dried up drawing and writing utensils in your drawer

• unfold the pages of an old book

• dust off your vents and fans, open a window, fresh air is important

I love you, and every little thing you do is still a victory and a step in the right direction ❤️

studybutch:

• no matter what is wrong, there’s a pretty good chance that just getting some sleep will fix it (or at least make it not as bad). it’s the biological equivalent of “turn it off and then back on again”
  
• take advantage of your local library. it’s got free water, bathrooms, heating, and (hopefully) air conditioning, and if you’re lucky, it might have free wifi, computers to use, tutoring, and more.
• there’s always that one bookstore or coffee shop that you love to spend time at, but can never remember just how good it is when you’re not there. put a note in your phone or on your wall. go there when you’re having a bad day. remind yourself that there are safe places in this world.
• there will be people in your life who are there for you when nobody else is. reach out to them.  they might not be your best friends, but they are good people, and talking to them will make you happy.
• find time to meditate. as little as three minutes a day will make a tremendous difference in your stress and burnout.
• make a playlist for songs that mean a lot to you, and keep it at the top of your list for a few months or years. when you need to feel something, scroll back as far as you can. think about the past, and how far you’ve come, and how much further you will go.
• fill your life with little things that bring you joy. listen to classical music in the morning. paint your nails sparkly pink. have a cup of herbal tea during a study break. write down the little things you can do for yourself, so when it feels like there’s nothing left to live for, you have proof otherwise.
• make art. it doesn’t have to be good, and it doesn’t need to mean anything. doodle something just because it’s pretty. knit a shapeless hat for your best friend. decorate an old pair of jeans with sharpies. mix paint into pretty colors. do something that makes you feel like a child again.

capvenus:

it kinda feels like the only thing we’re meant to be doing this year is internal healing and letting things go. there is so much pain this year so let’s not feel bad if we don’t do anything ‘productive’. just being alive is enough

By Tahina Mukit

As we get older, we learn to prioritize. We buy planners, we make lists, and we set about ten alarms each day just to make sure we’re on top of schedule. I know that I’m guilty of stretching myself too thin each year, mainly because I love to help and I can’t say no! I didn’t realize that I need to invest in taking care of myself until I started my first year at college. I was drinking red bulls, venti drinks from Starbucks, and depriving myself of sleep so that I could work on my assignments. My parents started to notice that the bags under my eyes were getting larger and that I just did not look like myself anymore. For myself, I noticed that drinking all of these energy drinks and feeding my body junk food really did not give me any energy at all. Instead I felt groggy, bloated, and just tired. So, I ditched the energy drinks and coffee for tea, made sure to get some sleep, and most importantly, told myself that I don’t have to be a superhero to get all my work done! I made sure to surround myself with good food and good energy, especially from reliable friends. Making these changes in my daily routine truly made a difference on my body and mind. It allowed me to become more positive, and especially, more forgiving towards myself!

So, here are some methods that I use each day to make sure that I’m giving myself some well deserved TCL. Read them here down below!  

1. Sleep

This seems very simple, however, a lot of us forget that human minds run on sleep! When I first started college, I would work my body to the bone until 5AM and then sleep for about 3-4 hours before waking myself up again for the same torture. And this wasn’t even during finals. I found myself even boasting about not sleeping that much to my own peers, as if the lack of sleep showed how hardworking or intelligent I was. Recently, I’ve noticed that people feel the need to overfill their own plate just to feel like they’re ahead of the game or even in the game. But, to get to the point, even though my mind didn’t understand that I needed sleep, my body did. So, I decided to make sure that I get 8 hours asleep. But, life is hectic, so, if I do need to stay up later, as soon as I am tired, I go immediately to bed. How can one absorb information if you’re barely awake? Plus, as soon as I noticed that I don’t have any hard deadlines, I definitely make sure to sleep before midnight. Why stay up later? Treat yourself to some sleep girl!

2. Positivity

I’ve struggled a lot with being positive to myself and my life. For some time, I just had a negative outlook on life and gave up on myself and my abilities. However, I realized that how could I ever succeed if I didn’t even believe in myself? So, each day, especially when I’m faced with a difficult task, I close my eyes, breath, and tell myself that things will work out. Also, I rationalize with myself. Other ways to keep positive are to make sure you engage with others how are just as positive and think positive! You can read some more tricks here.  the end of the day, if something does not go your way, it does not mean that you won’t find another way. The worse thing that could happen is that you have to try again. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

3. Make room for fun!

It’s easy to get lost in the sea of work and not make any time for other activities. If you see that you have some free time in the day, don’t spend it on work. That can wait. Try having lunch with friends. If the weather’s nice, try spending it outside at the park. Maybe you could start a new hobby as well. Or, just spend the time being by yourself. Either way, all of these things should not incorporate work. Taking breaks does not mean you’re lazy. It just shows that you know how to have fun amidst all the chaos of deadlines.

4. Ditch the Electronics 

On some days, I just shut off my phone. I close my laptop. I turn off the TV. Then, I snuggle in bed with a good book. Sometimes, I find myself stressed out my own electronics. In this day and age, every smart device comes equipped with calendars, so it’s easy to not forget about work when on those devices. Additionally, the screens on our devices can keep us up at night unfortunately (read more about it here). So, when possible, I decide to shut the online world out of my head and instead drown myself in some books! My favorite genres to read are murders, mysteries, and, murder mysteries. It’s fun to escape to another world for a while. Also, your eyes won’t feel strained! But, if you do find yourself needing to do work, there are some apps that you can utilize that will help you with your sleep schedule and prevent you from staying up late at night. I personally love using f.lux. Check out the app here!

5. Exercise

Yup. You read that right! Now, I am no gym buff myself, however, I do think it’s important to get your body moving somehow during some part of your day. I usually spend most of the day sitting. So, once I’m done with all my work, I walk all the way back home. Usually the walk is around 20-30 minutes. It may not be the treadmill, but I am moving my body. Now that the weather is getting better, I find it easier to be outside too! So, if you’re not keen on going to the gym, try to find time in your day to go for a light walk. Maybe try some at home works out as well in the morning before work or school! There are some great quick work outs on YouTube, free of charge! Some people that I personally follow are blogilates (check out her fitness channel here! ) and MyLifeAsEva (check out her video here!). And, if you do decide to go to the gym, try going with some friends! It will make the transition easier and you’ll find yourself itching to put on some work out clothes.

I hope these tips serve you well this Mental health Awareness Month and all the other months to come. If you find yourself needing more assistance, some of my favorite tips on self care from hereandhere!

Remember, it’s much harder to get things done when you’re not taking care of yourself. 

Tahina Mukit is an undergraduate student at NYU studying Psychology with a minor in Studio Art. She joined Sakhi as a volunteer because she wanted to gain more insight into her own culture and be able to support South Asian Women. She loves supporting the Sakhi cause and hopes to be even more involved in the future.