Keep Up with Trin
Vol. 1
Going through life, the ups and downs, in and outs, this or that, are all major factors that guide our day. But what contributes to benefiting a person’s life for the better and others around? Self care. Self care means the action of improving one’s own health. Believe it or not, the starting point of being a successful person and a great attribute for you and others around you starts with yourself. Focusing on one’s mental health and taking care of the body will improve a person’s behavior, feelings, and thinking which then carries over how one treats others.
Self care practices come in many forms that can fit all needs of any individual. According to a recent survey handed out to the senior class, there are different ways to take care of one’s body and mind. Although there were a variety of suggestions, including sleeping adequate hours, exercising, eating a nutritional meal, listening to music, meditating, journaling, connecting in faith, volunteering, or meeting a friend; the most important seemed to be sleeping at least eight hours of sleep, exercising, and listening to music. Sleeping at least eight hours was the most important and common way of performing self care for 83% of the class. The class as a whole said there is a direct correlation between self care, mental health, and how people treat themselves and others.
Establishing self care is very simple. With the most common practices of taking care of the body, (sleeping eight hours at nights, exercising, and listening to music), there are easy ways to start on time worthy habits. Set an alarm for yourself before bed to remind you to get ready for bed at night, put the phone away and relax without technology. During the day, set a time to go outside for 10-20 minutes and increase the increments as weeks go by. There are different types of music listeners out there and different styles of music that listeners tend to relax to. According to the University of Nevada, Reno, “Sounds of rain, thunder, and nature sounds may also be relaxing particularly when mixed with other music, such as light jazz, classical (the "largo" movement), and easy listening music.” There are effortless and painless tasks that many can do to make a strong start to bettering themselves. Focus on nutritional meals to fuel the body. The healthier the physical body is the healthier the mind is and vice versa. At the beginning of a self care journey, start small and add more self care activities every few days or even by the week. Once you get going, it is easier to do more for yourself. And, remember to stay positive! Self care is a work in process and takes time to heal the body and mind from other stressors.
Taking care of the body will benefit the mind and heart. Looking around, there is always room for self improvement. Starting with yourself, will make huge changes in the way people treat others and ourselves. With self care practices being used frequently within the 2023 senior class, some of the senior leaders would like to reach out on behalf of the senior student body, Alyssa Ellis encourages others, “Find time to give your body a break or it will take one for you…and it probably won’t be a convenient time.” All bodies need attention and a break, and it is okay to give yourself one. If you don’t give the body a break, physical injuries can occur and mental health can take a toll in the wrong direction. Another senior added, “Always keep your head up and ignore the evil going on in your life.”
