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My fall blog from 2019 started off with explaining how self-care had grown in popularity on social media.
Clearly, if I thought it had grown in popularity then, I really didn’t have any insight into my future.
I figured I’d give a little bit of an update on how my view of self-care has changed since, or how it’s stayed the same, throughout 2020:
“Take your vitamins.” Yeah…I wasn’t good at this one, even after I wrote it last year and told all of you to take your vitamins. I am now, though. I even set an alarm for them every night. It’s a good practice to have at any time, but for any of you that still aren’t taking your vitamins, I’d really recommend you all start.
“Cry when you need to.” YES. In fact, I can tell you all that I definitely cried within the last week. It’s not something to be ashamed of. Don’t let your stress and emotions build without releasing them through a good cry…it’s not as healthy!
“Surround yourself with incredible people.” This one has definitely changed. But still, with all of the technology we have, there are so many ways to keep in touch with others while protecting yourself from COVID. Call or text a friend this week and tell them you miss them!
“Get enough sleep.” It’s still important to do this, but I honestly still have trouble doing this. I definitely prioritize it more than I did a year ago, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes I’m up because I have homework to do, and sometimes I’m up because I’m stressed or anxious over things going on outside of school.
“Exercise.” This one I’ve tried to stick to, but I have a harder time doing it now that gyms are closed. I still try to go for walks, but it definitely hasn’t been a priority.
Even though I feel like these tips fit pretty well for my situation last year, I think a few more needed to be said. I’ve grown as a person and I’ve been through a lot, and since Fall 2019, have realized that there are important things I left out of my original blog post. Here are a few that I would like to add:
Don’t be afraid to seek help from a therapist. This one isn’t said enough. In one of my classes recently, a classmate spoke out about how they had been going to therapy and how their life had been changed. As someone who has thought about therapy as an option but has never taken the leap and scheduled the appointment, it was really encouraging to hear someone speaking out about it. If you are considering going to therapy, you’re certainly not alone. It’s not something that should ever be taboo.
Set strict boundaries. I can definitely be the type of person who answers emails and works on schoolwork until 1am, especially since we’re mostly working from home. Now more than ever, though, I’ve realized that just isn’t healthy. I’ve allowed myself to set strict boundaries so that I have time to focus on myself.
Find mindless hobbies. For me, I personally really love crocheting and sewing. I don’t even have a sewing machine at college, but I definitely make it work when I need to take my mind off of school.
Be easier on yourself. Pre-pandemic Allison took everything way too hard. If I got a less-than-perfect grade on an assignment, I took it to heart and found it hard to bounce back. Now, I take a much different approach. Good grades still make me incredibly happy, but the world doesn’t revolve around them. I can pick myself up after not getting an A on an assignment I worked hard on. I try to remind myself that I did the best I could, and look at ways to improve in the next round. I think this mindset is much more helpful to me than the rigorous perfectionism that I used to take on.
I started off the year with tons of New Years Resolutions. I’m ending it with one: make self-care a necessity, not a luxury.
Allison Boarman is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2023. She is studying political science and politics, philosophy, & economics at the University of Louisville.