My Five Favourite Self-Care Activities

In the midst of midterms, taking a refreshing break can often be the last thing on students' minds. We may take procrastination breaks all the time -- YouTube videos, Buzzfeed, scrolling through social media -- and these are definitely valid in their own way. However, I find that more than a half hour of such activities often leaves me feeling guilty or more stressed. Instead, allotting the same amount of time for a calming, self-care activity tends to make me feel much more at ease. Here are several of my favourite ways to temporarily detach from work.
  1. Taking a bath. One of my favourite feelings in the world is sinking into a tub of hot water. Taking a bath is a wonderful, low-commitment de-stressor because I can bring a book along and do my readings in a more relaxed atmosphere. Usually, I like to choose a fun, enjoyable novel, and since I am an English major, this works out. Sometimes, a change of environment is all it takes to refocus. In this way, I get to relax without feeling too guilty about abandoning work.
Book and mug on bathtub tray
Source: homeedit.com

Coming Home to Caffiends

When I got back on campus at the end of Orientation, the first thing I did was visit Caffiends, Victoria College's student-run fair-trade café, located on the first floor of Old Vic, the college's castle-like building. As always, stepping into the cozy room felt like going home in a way that no other place on campus quite managed to rival. Coffee cup on a table in Caffiends

Top 189 types of Instagram posts using the #UofT hashtag

Just kidding. I mean top ten. Can you imagine 189???

Happy birthday week to UofT! 189 is a ripe old age and our academic institution has seen lots of growth and development over the duration of its existence. Danielle’s recent posts on major historical moments at UofT give a great outline of what we’ve been through to arrive at this point. The present-day lifestyle of a UofT student is rather different than what it used to be, on account of there being significantly more glass buildings, less trees, a lot more online presence, and a lot more hashtags.

UofT logo with birthday hat edit.

In celebration of our university’s 189th birthday, I took the liberty of perusing through the ever-so-reliable information forum popular amongst us millennials (Instagram) to bring you the top ten types of Insta posts that use the #UofT hashtag, to see whether this is indicative of a current student’s UofT experience. One takeaway from this week’s blog: UofT students are AMAZING photographers. 

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee: A Search for an Alternative around Kensington Market

Like most students, I absolutely love coffee. Although I am not a PSL drinker (if you don’t know what that is, pat yourself on the back), I do love my vanilla lattes and cappuccinos. Recently, however, I have been drinking…