Will you take a break already???

Self is the name, and care is the game. 

Okay, that was cheesy. But seriously.

Self-care.

It's become a sort of buzzword in a lot of circles these days, to the point where some people tend to cringe when they hear it, but I don't think people really get what it means. Getting into a doctoral program in psychology, we were barely in the door when our professors all started talking about the importance of self-care. 

This is a very intensive program, they said. You need to remember to take care of yourself, they said. 

Yeah, well...that's easier said than done. 

My cohort being what it is, we are in the final days of our second semester of our first year in this program, and we are all feeling the effects of the pressure, and the workload, and the effort, and the stakes of each of our final assignments and tests. And we are hurting. 
Some of us have figured out the key to pacing ourselves and taking time to still be human amidst the never-ending barrage of graduate-level expectations, but some of us have not. 

And I am willing to bet some of you, who have nothing to do with this program, are in the same boat.

So this post is for you. For those of you who are feeling like you are ready to fall over and give up. For those of you who want to cry but don't have the energy for even that. For those of you who feel tired just thinking about taking care of something productive.

Warning Signs: 
* sleep disturbance 
* fatigue (no matter how many cups of coffee you inject) 
* making stupid mistakes (some of which you don't even remember why you made) 
* difficulty concentrating 
* losing interest in fun things
* neglecting the adulting things (cleaning, doing dishes, sometimes eating, laundry, etc)

Ladies, gentlenerds, and wonderful others, this is called burnout. It's no fun. And, if left un-dealt-with, can lead to some more serious things, like getting in trouble at work or school, anxiety and panic attacks, and depression. Nobody wants that. So what do you do?

Well, first, if you made it this far, kudos. You're already on your way to a better today, cause reading this has nothing to do with anything important.

Second, sit down, shut up, and close your eyes. Take 5 deep, slow breaths. Inhale for a count of 4, hold it for a count of 3, and then exhale for a count of 7.

No, seriously. Do it. I'll wait.

Okay. Now. What do you like to do for fun? 
Do you like to: 
- read?
- nap?**
- watch movies/tv shows? 
- like to pick things up and put things down* (lift weights)?
- do the sporsketball*** (any sport - basketball, football, soccer...)?
- knit?
- hang out with friends?
- play video games?
- cook/bake?
- drive aimlessly?
- swim? run?
- do math (okay, nobody actually likes doing this, but you get the idea)?

Seriously. Think about it for a second. What brings you joy? What do you consider relaxing?

Now find a time to do it.

It could be for only an hour. Maybe a couple times a week. Possibly only once, over the course of an entire weekend. It doesn't matter...just try to find a time to plug it into your day, and do it. Uninterrupted.

You could even start it off with the breathing exercise I started with. It would be a great way to slow things down and give yourself a chance to get out of your planner. Focus only on what you decided to do, for however long you've given yourself to do it.

This isn't an end-all, be-all, because I'm just one person, talking to the ether. But we humans can only do so much before we need to take a break - even if it's a short one. We need to remind ourselves why this thing we're chugging along, doing ceaselessly, is not all there is to life.

On that note, pay attention: you will get through this. You will be okay. This is temporary. You. Will. Be. Okay.

If I didn't list your "thing" for self-care, comment and let me know! My world is only so big, and you guys are creative. What do you do for self-care?




Is there something else you want to know, or read about? Let me know in the comments and I will look into it! Let me know how I'm doing, too! I love feedback, even if it's brutal!



________
* This is the expression my roommate, AJ, uses to describe it. I like it.
** research I've read says naps are the bomb...if they're either 20 minutes long, or an hour and a half. Anything outside of that, and you're likely to wake up feeling weird.
** I don't remember who said this, but it wasn't me. I can't claim credit for that one. But I like it too.

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Disclaimer: I am a graduate student of psychology, and therefore am not a licensed psychologist yet. I am here to offer helpful tidbits about this field I am dedicating my life to, but I should not replace formal education or therapy. If you disagree with something I say, please tell me. Science is a good way to show me I am sharing something inaccurate.
If you need help, please consider speaking to someone. There are many great resources out there, and they genuinely want to help.