Let’s Talk Self Care!

With the cold weather starting to creep up on us and midterm season coming to a close, I’d like to dedicate this blog to the importance of self care. But before I dig in, I’d like you to take a moment to sit still, close your eyes, and participate in a small breathing exercise with me. Take a deep breath and hold it for 4 seconds. Now exhale and release for another 4 seconds. Relax your shoulders, unfurrow your brows, relax your jaw, and get comfortable to enjoy some tips on how you can practice self care. This may look different for everyone, therefore, I’d like to share 3 simple ways I like to prioritize my well-being and self care!

Daily walks

As a student, it can be difficult to get yourself out of the library and dedicate time for yourself. After doing a self-evaluation, I realized that I spent too much time sitting by not getting up from my desk and spending an extensive amount of time on my laptop studying or completing assignments. That’s why I’ve now set a personal goal to go outside for at least 30 minutes and enjoy a walk with a friend, family member, or alone while I listen to music.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking

Keeping a gratitude journal

Maintaining a gratitude journal has taught me to appreciate everyday things that normally go unnoticed. Everyday before leaving for school in the morning, I write down 3 things I’m grateful for. To give an example, I’ll share the three things I wrote down today:

Warm blankets
Having coffee and breakfast with my mom every morning
Great friendships

It can be easy to overlook the things we’re so used to having around! That’s why having a gratitude journal is so imperative, it’s personally helped me grow more thankful.

Prioritizing time for friends and family, or alone time!

In the midst of having a heavy schedule filled with other academic and personal responsibilities, it’s still important to set time apart to hangout with friends or family. During my hectic weeks, I like to dedicate one weekday to grab dinner with a friend or a family member and on the weekend, I might do something a bit more adventurous like going to a museum with my sisters! I’m also a huge reader, and sometimes all I need as a pick-me-up is read a book in bed.

Bookstore at the Glenstone Museum in Potomac, MD

I encourage everyone to intentionally set time apart everyday to prioritize themselves, their well-being, and practice more self care!

About melanyclaros

Hi everyone! My name is Melany Claros and I am currently a Junior at the University of Maryland, College Park at the Universities at Shady Grove. I was born and raised in Maryland and I love this state! I recently graduated from Montgomery College with an associate of arts in Business and am now majoring in Marketing in the Robert H. Smith School of Business. I also have a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship & Corporate Innovation. I hope to expand my knowledge in marketing analytics and I strive to obtain an internship where I can gain experience in the fruition that resonates with Marketing. Some topics I plan to write about include struggles that first-generation college students face (especially in the perspective of Latino households), imposter syndrome, and fun hobbies like hiking, new books I suggest people should read, new music discoveries, and much more. During my free time I enjoy reading, listening to music, discovering new coffee shops, and spending time with my friends and family.

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