Whether it’s routines on social media or wellness posters pinned up around school, “self-care” is a phrase we hear nearly everywhere nowadays. It’s usually only linked to mental health, since our emotional and psychological well-being often requires active effort to maintain. However, in reality, the true meaning of self-care for students is much simpler and easier to fit into everyday life. 

For students, self-care doesn’t have to be solely about skin treatments, expensive products, or lighting candles for aesthetic routines. Many people have already expanded the meaning of this phrase into tasks like just taking power naps or even listening to music for a while. The real principle of self-care lies in the small, consistent habits that simply help you feel more like yourself throughout the school week. 

“I feel like doing self-care is just a relaxing way to isolate yourself from the rest of the world,” said freshman Mimi Chow-Wilson. 

Self-care can mean doing what you know will aid you in feeling more balanced and productive amidst all of the stress in your daily life. For some students, this could be journaling, playing a sport, drawing, or spending time with family and close friends. It could also look like getting enough sleep or taking short walks in nature. 

“Personally, I like reading, watching anime, or playing games for self-care,” said freshman Daniel Arun Santhosh. 

These activities aren’t just hobbies or preferences, and they don’t need to be dramatic changes to improve your life. Self-care can be found in the everyday choices you make, as long as they are able to help you reset outside of the pressure of grades, deadlines, extracurriculars, and other expectations at home. 

Furthermore, self-care can even be about setting healthy boundaries on something that may come at the cost of your well-being if there’s too much pushed onto you at once. This might mean easing up your schedule or taking breaks when needed, even if there’s pressure for you to continue working. 

Self-care has moved beyond mere trends on online platforms, having turned into something that teens can rely on to manage their busy, often chaotic lives. In the end, self-care is more about making everything feel manageable and healthy, and remembering to take care of yourself.