Best Ways to Self-Care in Dorm Life

The first year of college brings with it a whirlwind of change: new classes, new extracurriculars, new jobs, new friends.

Trying to succeed in school while also balancing the flurry of new experiences you’re facing outside the classroom takes a whole new set of skills. And for many students, returning to a dorm room at the end of the day instead of a family home can make the transition even more challenging. It’s a lot to handle; and it’s easy to let self-care slip to the bottom of your to-do list.

But remember: maintaining your mental and emotional health is essential to your success and well-being in college. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, that’s normal! Don’t expect yourself to “do it all” without caring for yourself first. You deserve to take time to lay back, take a breather, and treat yourself with kindness. In fact, self-care is necessary to maintain a positive school-work-life balance. So, here are some tips for self-care practices that you can treat yourself to anytime, right in your college dorm room.

Pamper yourself!

• Do a face mask.
• Take a longer-than-usual shower and exfoliate your skin with a body or face scrub. You don’t need to buy a fancy one—try these homemade recipes using ingredients that you might already have in your dorm, or can pick up cheap at your local grocery store.
• Give yourself a mani-pedi.
• Lounge around in your fuzziest socks and your softest PJs. 
• Change up the atmosphere. Lots of dorms don’t allow candles, but that’s okay! Try out potpourri, an essential oil diffuser, or reed diffuser sticks to fill the room with your favorite aroma without the fire hazard!

Wind down.

• Drink a hot cup of tea. If you really want to relax, opt for a non-caffeinated tea like chamomile, peppermint, or lavender. (Chances are, you can snag a couple tea bags from the cafeteria!)
• Listen to a guided meditation or a relaxation podcast. Check out free apps like Headspace and Calm, or The Daily Meditation Podcast on Spotify.
• Watch your favorite movie from your childhood; the one that makes you feel cozy and comforted every time. 

Get inspired.

• Make some art. Try drawing a self-portrait, your favorite cartoon character, or check out some art prompts online. You don’t need fancy supplies; use whatever you have. Highlighters, colored pens, or even a mechanical pencil will do the trick! Allow yourself to let go and tap into your creative side. Don’t worry about making it perfect.
• Read something you want to read. Remember the joy of reading before it was all out of a 15th-century poem or a biology textbook? Take an hour or two, curl up and read a few chapters of a book you’ve been meaning to get around to—not one that you are required to read for class!
• Write something. Whether it’s a poem, a journal entry, a list of things that make you happy, or just rambling on what you’re feeling today, it’s helpful to get racing thoughts out of your brain and onto the page.

Have fun!

• Jam out to all your favorite songs. 
• Have a one-person dance party! (Or two- or three- person, if you have roommates or friends who want to join in.)
• Order some takeout (ask your roommates or on-campus friends if they’d like to chip in and share) and watch a fun movie or a stand-up comedy special on Netflix. Sometimes the most fun you can have when you’re stressed is to veg out a little and have a good laugh!