To my fellow Latino college students struggling with self-care, these tips are just for you. Especially as we are in the time for midterms. It is hard to find time to take care of ourselves. Studying for exams, activities, attending classes, and if we have a job, adds more stress. Along with the expectations of our families, it makes it harder to find time to take care of ourselves. It seems selfish or we do not care for our families if we put ourselves first.
In the Latino community, we do not see a lot of self-care because it makes us seem weak or selfish. If we indulge in self-care we are entitled because we do not have “duties” or “responsibilities” to do. But Mija/Mijo I am here to tell you, self-care is not selfish. You need to take care of yourself if you want to take care of others. You can not neglect yourself for the sake of others. Your mental health should be a priority because if you do not take care of yourself, no one else will.
Here are some self-care tips to incorporate into your routine. Of course, you should not do all these things as these are just some suggestions of the things to do. Only you know what is best for you so please do what makes you happy not anyone else.
Wellness Center/ Campus Therapy
One of the amazing resources I discovered last semester was the Wellness Center. As a college student, I can not really afford a therapist but many universities and colleges offer a free service every semester we can benefit from. Check it out, sometimes you need that outside perspective and help when dealing with certain situations. Also, going to therapy is not a bad thing, it is needed to deal with certain emotions and changes especially once we go into college which is not an easy transition for anyone. If you need it, go to your school’s wellness center. It has helped me a lot with many of the situations I went through last semester. So please do not discard this help provided for students.
Journaling
Something I have learned from therapy was journaling. Writing down my thoughts and emotions on paper makes them more real and understanding. If you need help starting off, cause it can be intimidating trust me, is going on Pinterest. Search up journaling prompts and you will find thousands upon thousands of prompts to start. You can start out small with your goals for the day and what are your plans. It does not have to be a lot as you are just starting.
Here is a link to my journaling board on Pinterest to start off:
Skin Care Routine
Self-care does not need to be expensive. It really does not, you do not need to spend money to take care of yourself. It can be the small mundane things that bring us joy. One thing to incorporate into your daily routine is starting a skincare routine. Just washing your face and applying some creams can bring us peace. It helps reconnect us to ourselves and have a small time in our lives to just pamper ourselves. Another thing is if you want to pamper yourself, even more, is that once a week, you can go all out. From head to toe, you can pamper yourself. It is not selfish or anything but instead you need to have a small part of the day to yourself after a busy day.
Working Out/ Going on a walk
Not only does one need to take care of themselves mentally but physically because if you take care of yourself on the inside, it would reflect on the outside. So if we start taking care of ourselves then we will take care of our bodies. One thing we can start doing to take care of our bodies is going on 30 minutes to an hour-long walk or going to the gym for a few minutes. I started going with a friend of mine and it has been life-changing. You can go alone or with friends and keep each other accountable. It is not scary as it seems like, most schools provide a gym to their students for free so you do not have to spend money on a monthly gym fee.
Reading, listening to music, coloring, drawing etc
Of course, at the end of the day, you know what makes you happy. You know the hobbies that bring happiness to yourself. Whether that is reading, music, drawing, doing your nails. Taking time for these things is beneficial. So please take time for these things whether they are once or twice a week.
Which self-care tips are you going to include in your daily life routine? Or which of these do you already do?
