One of the biggest obstacles when starting your freshman year of college is figuring out how to manage a healthy balance between your academics and social life– but don’t forget that practicing self-care is a key piece to that balance. Making yourself a priority during the hustle and bustle of your first year of college will help you create and maintain healthy habits for the rest of your schooling to come. 

Imagine being on an airplane, you get your luggage stowed, you buckle up and the video in front of you starts to play informing you of all the safety measures to take in the event of an emergency. One of the biggest tips they stress is when the oxygen masks come down, always put yours on before helping the person next to you. You cannot help someone if you cannot get air yourself! This goes for life, and even freshman year. If you do not make time to take care of yourself, everything else will start to fail too. But you know the best part of that? It is easier than it sounds!

Here are a few self-care tips for you as you take on this new journey!

1. Set goals and track them

One of the best ways to nurture your inner being is to set goals and keep them. It takes the average person around two months to make a behavior a habit. Monthly goals are our connection to the year’s purpose and help keep us motivated and feeling accomplished. Keeping track of your self-care goals will turn self-care into a habit and set you up for success this fall! Have you wanted to up your workout routine from two days a week to four days? Or maybe you have been eating out too much and want to eat more meals in the cafeteria? Whatever your goals may be, this tool isn’t to get upset about what days you are not reaching your goals but is to give you an overall picture of where you are at in reaching them!

2. Don’t skip your medical appointments

Of course, a major part of your college career is studying. On average, a single class requires 6-9 hours of studying per week. Most freshmen average 4-5 classes a semester which brings this weekly number to 24-36 of studying per week. That is a lot of time and an even bigger strain on your eyes! All the more reason why it is important to not be dismissive about your eye health. If your college is out of state or far from home, you can easily book a virtual eye exam and even shop for glasses online from the comfort of your dorm! The new era of virtual health has made it easier than ever to stay on top of your appointments and keep your health at the forefront of your priorities.

3. Get adequate sleep

It is no secret that good sleep is crucial for a healthy mind and body. Yet, studies show that 70% of college students get less than eight hours of sleep on a regular basis. If the negative effects of sleep deprivation are well known, why is it so hard to make adequate sleep a regular priority? Many day-to-day habits actually make it harder to get the proper amount of sleep needed and create a domino effect in our lives. Students who receive less than eight hours of sleep have shared that they regularly experience feeling tired, having trouble concentrating, see a decrease of balance in their life, have a weakened immune system and more. Need a few ideas to get started? Start first by limiting your screen time before bed. It is important to give your brain the time to unwind before falling asleep. Next, reduce how much and when you drink caffeine.

Too much caffeine or consuming too late in the day can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Lastly, get a white noise machine. Oftentimes sharing a dorm quarters can be extremely noisy. This will help drown out unwanted noise around you and provide longer sleep! 

4. Stay connected to family and friends

Lastly, in such a new environment, sometimes the best source of self-care is staying connected to the people that feel like home. In the world of FaceTime and Zoom, keeping in contact is easier than ever! Make it a point to stay in touch with the family and friends from back home by even scheduling weekly interaction. Staying connected doesn’t have to be an hour-long zoom call every time but could even be sending photos of campus, sharing how you have your dorm decorated or about the new friend you made in class!