Ashleigh Nefdt
Every week, Perdeby takes a look at something you should have learned at school to assist you in day to day life. This week, we take a look at self-care hacks for students.
The student life has never been accused of being a glamourous one. Trying to balance getting good grades, attending all your lectures, maintaining a social life, avoiding any mental breakdowns and still getting enough sleep at night can all seem impossible to achieve within the measly 24 hours we are given in a day. Unless you somehow got ahold of Hermione’s time turner, you probably feel just as burnt out as we do. And so, here are a few simple sweet and cheap self-care hacks to ease your burnt out-ness.
Calm down
After a long day, the first and best thing to do to is to remind yourself that it is okay to not have 1 000 thoughts racing through your mind. A great way to expel any lasting worries is by listening to white or pink noise, both of which you can find on the app, Calm. Sounds like rain falling, fires blazing or birds chirping will make you remember that it’s okay to be calm.
Switch off
It has also been scientifically proven that turning off your phone and disconnecting yourself from social media is a sure way to wind down your mind, so try your best to stay off your phone for a while.
Save your skin
Whether it’s a few spots or a breakout, your skin is a huge indicator of stress. Here are some easy skin care hacks to use. For oily skin use 2 tablespoons of aloe vera (in any form) and ½ cup of cucumber. For dry skin try 1 cup of cooled green tea mixed with 1 tablespoon of honey and ½ a mashed banana and for combination skin try a ¼ of watermelon and 1 tablespoon of honey. When we are stressed we also forget to drink water which further negatively impacts the skin.
Get moving
Doing a few yoga moves can easily iron out that stress-stiffness. If you don’t have a mat, use a towel. The downward facing dog, the cobra stretch and the child pose are easy to do. There are also plenty of short, easy to follow yoga videos available on YouTube if you would like to do more in-depth poses. Exercise has also been proven to help reduce stress so maybe take out your running shoes occasionally.
Getting enough sleep
The best self-care hack for your mind and body is getting a good night’s sleep. Here’s how. Make yourself a warm beverage, warm milk, chai tea or even hot chocolate. Avoid all technology an hour before bed (that includes the TV). Make sure the temperature of the room is not too hot or cold. Finally, allow yourself to drift off. If you find shutting off your thoughts difficult, try focusing on one simple thought for as long as you can, such as a colour.
Image: Elmarie Kruger
