Pampering Yourself

Exam season is quickly approaching and stress levels are slowly rising. It's a hectic time of year and the last thing as students that we care about is our well-being. Lack of sleep and too much stress can lead to tension, feeling overwhelmed, and sometimes breakdowns. During this time of year it is especially important to remember to treat yourself the best way that you can without consuming too much of your time. Time management is very important. Here are a few things that I do to pamper myself and relax from a long day of studying. Painting my nails To me getting my nails done is a treat. I feel so much better once I do it. There is something calming about going to a nail salon and having someone scrub and massage your feet and painting your nails. In the end I always feel refreshed and calm while having awesome nails. With nails you don't necessarily have to get it done professionally, you can easily take the time and do them yourself as well while watching a good tv show and save money.

Gym One of my goals for this year was to take care of my physical health more. One way that I do that is going to the gym at least 3-4 times a week. I have come to love the gym. Once I feel overwhelmed going to the gym and getting a good workout reduces all of those feelings immediately. It just vanishes and I feel re-energized to continue another round of studying. Sometimes I do my own personalized workouts or I attend drop in fitness classes at Hart House or AC. If you are the type who gets intimidated by going to the gym because you never know what to do or feel self conscious, you should definitely try the drop in fitness classes. Working out with a group of people not only motivates you to push harder because you see other people working hard, but also it's great social interaction as everyone encourages each other to do the best they can. Watching your favourite tv show or YouTube video During study breaks I tend to watch 15 minute Youtube videos. Technically the best way to take a study break is to take a walk and stretch in order to loosen the tension in your muscles for sitting for long periods of time. At times I do take a water break and other times I like to just watch a short YouTube video as my treat for working for so long. It reduces my stress level as I watch one of my favourite YouTubers and have a good laugh.

It's always doing the littles things that make you happy that make you feel 100% better. You feel slightly less stressed and you are taking care of mental health as well. The ways that you pamper yourself does not have to be extraneous, but something simple like doing a face mask while drinking tea or playing your favourite video game. Take time to take care of yourself because your well-being is just as important as your grades.