I cannot stress how incredibly important it is to really look after oneself. I mean seriously , we are all adults and if you are a teenager reading this , well soon you will be an adult and you will have to learn how to internalise things that you face in your surroundings and fend for yourself emotionally , spiritually and finanically. These are not easy things to easily regulate especially in these volatile times, where even being independent is difficult because let’s face it , the times have changed drastically.

It is not easy to settle down , be financially stable, broken homes are record high (and the list goes on) but we owe it to ourselves to take care of ourselves , to treat ourselves right and well because honestly if you cannot take care of yourself, do you expect others to do so? Firstly , that is not healthy and second of all , no, get up and be bold and beautiful. Take ownership of your life right now !

(Okay , so that is a sneek peak into the morning routine that I nagged at myself at the mirror but you get the gist)

So here are 5 ways I look after myself and take ownership so that I can be delicate, daring and classy in my every day life:

I choose to sleep every night for at least 7 hours. No, I do not miss a night of sleep. It is so hard to be this strict about my sleeping schedule because I was one of those night owls that chooses to study or work at night thinking it would make me more productive. However, the lack of sleep was evidently etching itself upon my countenance from unsightly eyebags to poor skin. No guys, please just get your sleep. It is called ” beauty sleep ” for a reason.

One of my favourite things to do is to retire to a little corner at a cafe nearby and just snuggle up with a warm cup of tea or coffee ( depending on my mood). If I am stressed, I would drink a tea and if I am just wanting to relax, I would get a coffee. Also , I do this alone. It helps you to tune into yourself and help you to internalise your thoughts, feelings and even tasks that you have to accomplish for that day or week. It is almost healing in a way , like a nap but with a coffee or tea instead.

Oh, do I love shower time. It is the sure fire way for me to “wash” away all the stress and when the cool water hits you, oh yeah! It just feels so great! No work or exam is more important that your shower time , really. Set aside a good amount of time a day to take a refreshing shower before you begin the next tedious task or study because it really relaxes the muscles and relieve tension. I love showering as a form of taking care of myself especially during an exam period. Get some scented bath gels or even light a perfume candle to really augment your showering experience! (Lavender ones are my favourite)

Taking breaks are so important. The brain needs time to process, and you need to rest and rejuvenate. Eat something healthy like a corn , or a tomato salad or even some delicious full meals if it is your lunch or dinner time. Do not skip meals because they are paramount to maintaining a healthy metabolism and weight as well overall mental health. Take a few minutes to watch a funny video or to read something that intrigues you. If you are those that love to take multiple breaks, keep them short like within 30 minutes and if you are like me who do not like multiple breaks, take a long one between the day to recuperate from the tasks that you have completed or are completing.

I will admit, I hate to plan things so rigidly. I like to have my freedom to change things up and not limit myself to a timeline because I personally used to find it so restricting. However, planning strictly has been quite beneficial for my overall health. Especially , when you have to complete multiple tasks in a short span of time or simultanteously, planning using a timetable helps to prioritise what needs to be done asap and to helps gauge what else needs to be done. It helps to show you how much spaces of time you can use for recreation besides work and study and it is overall good for time management.

Following a timetable has allowed me to complete most of my degree requirements in the projected time frame that I have set for myself at the beginning of the year. Though, I must admit, planning is hard, really hard especially if it is not in your nature (I am a typical case). I hate being restricted but hey the benefits of planning has been so tremendous that I am definitely going to make this into a lifelong habit. I personally use google calendar and save it onto my taskbar so that it is easily accessible always to plan and see what I have left . Free and simple! Here are some free online calendars that you too can use!

1. Keep&share
2. Doodle
3. Google Calendar ( My favourite)
4. DayViewer

I recommend using an online calendar because I am conservative about printing a calendar and using paper unless it is absolutely necessary but if that is your thing, just do you.

I hope these tips may help someone out there who is trying to have some form of stability or mental hygiene. It is so important to take care of you! Thank you so much for reading this post if you do and always feel free to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below. I love hearing and learning from all of you. If you do use any of these tips, let me know how it was for you and if you have ideas that could improve our mental health and overall happiness do share as well! After all, sharing is caring. ❤️

With lots of love , Stephanie ❤️

“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. ”

– M. Scott Peck