When Erin Christine started utilizing self-care, she began her mornings by meditating at home for five minutes.
“I set a timer to go off after five minutes and (I) just closed (my) eyes and try to make the thoughts pass by instead of really thinking about them,” she said.
As a yoga instructor, Christine believes including yoga and meditation has helped her productivity by taking a “mental break”.
“You kind of learn to focus on whatever you’re doing in the moment and living in the present versus thinking about your to-do list or the homework you have to do,” she said.
Some students may feel anxious about upcoming assignments and exams as the semester begins. Ohio University’s Counseling and Psychological Services hopes to assist students by reminding them about the importance of paying attention to their health — both physical and mental.
The term ‘self-care’ refers to the act of looking after one’s mental health and has become a popular term searched on Google, particularly during the days following the results of the 2016 Presidential Election, according to a New York Times article.
Although it could be difficult to take the time or have the finances to focus on one’s health, Barry Brady, a staff counselor at CPS, emphasized that self-caring could take the form of simple activities such as petting a pet at home or talking to a friend on the phone.
“Figure out the things that (you) like to do for self-care,” Brady said. “But also try to figure out some smaller things that (you) can do day to day (and) integrate into (your) lifestyle.”
Brady stressed the importance of self-care as it is not only a form of rejuvenation, but it also allows people to gain additional energy and motivation to complete certain tasks throughout their day.
Stigmas surrounding mental health care resulting from the lack of discussion about the topic may cause many to feel reluctant in seeking help, Brady said.
“If someone has a broken leg, they probably don’t mind sharing that they have a broken leg,” Brady said. “However, you don’t hear people say, ‘Oh yeah, I had depression in senior year of high school,’ … You don’t hear the same stories (for mental health problems).”
Brady encourages students to recognize how they’re “functioning in different aspects of their lives” and to attend CPS drop-in hours as soon as possible if they begin to notice any health declines or changes within their daily routines that may have been affected by their mental states.
Changes in academic performances, having difficulties concerning relationships with friends and family and negligence in general health care are among the symptoms of wavering mental health that students should be aware of, he said.
Christine suggests yoga as a method for students to de-stress and believes a person’s mental state is connected to their physical state.
“If you’re constantly stressed out (and) your mind is thinking about everything you have to do and whatnot, it could lead to physical problems,” Christine said. “Calming your mind can help your physical body.”
"Many may believe self-caring requires “a huge dramatic change,” Anna Neawedde, a senior studying specialized studies with a concentration on gender, communication and management, said. However, little activities such as guided meditations and having a regular sleep schedule help her deal with stress and anxiety.
“I don’t do guided meditations every day, but if I start to feel really anxious I’m like, ‘What can I do to make myself feel better right now’,” she said. “Just doing little things to make yourself feel better can make all of the difference.”
Brady encourages students to develop and integrate self-care methods as habits.
“I think everybody needs to find their own way to do it,” Neawedde said. “Guided meditations and sleep has worked for me … but that might not be the way other people de-stress. I think people just need to find out what works for them and go with it.”
