By Ilona Plat – Contributor

“I don’t even know where to start; I have three assignments due on Tuesday,” says my roommate Landen. His stress is not shocking since we have officially entered the semester’s most hated, stressful, and challenging part: the end of classes. The last day of class should sound like a relief, but it only means that all your final projects are due that same day, marking the beginning of finals. While it is easy to let yourself get overwhelmed and work all the time, remembering to take time for yourself seems more challenging. 

For the last three weeks, my schedule has been full of assignments. I was clearly struggling between finding time for classes, studying, doing my weekly readings, starting my assignments, and having a social life. After weeks of stress, regardless of my progress on assignments, I struggled to find what else I could do to feel better. I initially thought that working even more would help, but no. The solution was much more simple: self-care. 

When we are under high stress and have busy schedules, it is easy to forget that taking time to enhance our well-being matters. You may even think that you don’t have the time for it, but there are many small things that you can do daily to help yourself relax. Taking time for yourself should be the most important thing you can do for yourself and in getting through your assignments. Remember, you are important, and your well-being should be a priority. Being too overworked usually does not result in quality work. 

Most people use their phones or television to relax. Still, if you genuinely want to feel disconnected, you should avoid screens as they remind you of work. Instead, try to organize a painting, games, or self-care night with your friends or even do a spa day. Sometimes, socializing while doing something different can help. It is almost Christmas, so also don’t hesitate to decorate your apartment or build a gingerbread house with your friends. 

For those who need alone time to relax, taking a long hot bath while reading a book is a good start; going for a walk or baking, doing yoga, journaling, sleeping, listening to a podcast, listening to music, etc.… What matters is that you ensure that at least 10 minutes of your day is spent away from screens and doing something that makes you feel good.

There’s also resources offered on campus to help increase your well-being in this dark time, such as the BUnited peer support center. They host weekly wellness Wednesday lunchtime activities between 12:30 and 1:30 pm and Community Events every Thursday, so don’t hesitate to stop by!

To conclude, the end of the semester, as distressing as it can be, should not wreak havoc on our well-being. On the contrary, allowing a little bit of your time daily to be dedicated to doing something that makes you feel good can help you improve your work. So remember, self-care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Take that extra bubble bath, read that book, or go for a walk. You deserve it, and it will make a difference in how you manage your workload.