Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.
Leaving and going off to college is a source of excitement. However, it also presents a wide range of new challenges and worries. Classes get harder, you need to decide what clubs to join and people are already asking you what your plans are after graduation — it’s overwhelming.
As the semester continues, it can feel like there is no break when everything piles up. Academics, social life and even deciding what’s for dinner each night have the potential to cause stress. But that doesn’t mean this stress needs to take over your life.
While stress can be a motivational tool, too much stress — or the wrong kind — can lead to negative emotions. It is important to take care of yourself when the stress starts to feed into and amplify these negative emotions.
Self-love and self-care are usually the first things to go out the window when stress starts getting to people, but they are some of the most important things to remember during difficult times. Some people play down the importance of self-love and being kind to oneself. However, self-love is actually extremely important, especially in a stressful environment like college.
As the semester continues and stress seems to engulf everything, remember the importance of being kind to others and to yourself.
One way you can show yourself love is through self-care — and no, self-care is not just face masks and cuticle maintenance. Self-care varies from person to person, and it can be anything you want it to be. There are so many ways to maintain your well-being, and they all benefit your overall health.
You can focus on your physical health, mental health, relationships or spirituality. Taking a walk out in nature, responding to journaling prompts, reaching out to a friend or a family member, or reflecting on your goals and values are all great ways to practice self-care.
Taking care of yourself is an important step in practicing self-love. You are a person, too, and you should treat yourself with kindness. You can also practice self-love through rewarding yourself and celebrating your accomplishments. College is no easy feat, and that is not recognized enough. Achievements, no matter how small, deserve recognition, too.
Turning in a long research report, doing well on a test or giving a presentation are all things to reward yourself for. Going to an early morning class? Get yourself some caffeine and a sweet treat. Celebrating yourself and viewing your accomplishments as wins is a great way to feel good about yourself. Celebrate all your hard work the same way you would celebrate anyone else’s.
Self-love, however, might not always be completely positive. Sometimes, it is letting yourself feel emotions and learning to give yourself grace. Feeling stressed or anxious is not a bad thing. Instead of suppressing emotions, grant yourself the space to feel and validate your emotions. Nothing is solved by ignoring or neglecting your well-being.
Part of self-love is recognizing that we all mess up and it does not mean we are any less worthy of love. While it might not feel like it, a small mistake does not matter in the grand scheme of life. Forgiving yourself while also learning from your mistakes is a great — and often forgotten — part of self-love.
Self-love is not selfish. There are many ways to show yourself love, and it does not require much effort; you just have to be dedicated to showing up and being there for yourself. As the semester continues and stress seems to engulf everything, remember the importance of being kind to others and to yourself.
Reach Hana Pavelko at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @hanasolo13.
