After all, the primary temple I come home to in college is my own body. Time to practice the 5 love languages on yourself.
Related: On Self-Worth And Self-Love, Ruru Madrid Just Gets It
Overload units, thesis, several organizations, internships—it’s a miracle that I am still alive at this point. Keeping myself sane despite all these things happening all at once has been a huge challenge for me to the point where it takes a toll on my performance. The last thing we need right now is burnout. That is why I like to grasp onto micro-moments of practicing the 5 love languages to myself. Here’s what I do in an attempt to keep myself sane:
The Plant Experiment: Words of Affirmation
Several researches have shown that saying positive affirmations to a plant optimistically affects their growth. According to a 2018 South Korean study, plants respond to sound stimulation. The noises of buzzing insects, for instance, plants distinguish the insects as either friends or enemies based on the sort of sound they make. Just like plants, our brains are wired to grow positively when positive affirmations surround us.
Talking to myself in soft tongues, affirming that I am doing a great job, and complimenting myself goes a long way in keeping my sanity intact. Aside from this, I try my best to journal and spill my thoughts onto pages at least once a day. Seeing my abstract thoughts into words on paper has been an excellent way for me to keep up with the ruckus that is in my brain.
Reading self-care books and essays has also become an excellent avenue for me to fill my mind with soft words of affirmation. Being kind to my brain was a learning curve I learned the hard way. After all, aren’t we all just plants seeking validation, trying to get by life?
Princess Treatment: Acts of Service
Doing myself a favor can be difficult, especially when dealing with an intense workload. But encompassing acts of service to yourself doesn’t have to be grandiose. The biggest favor I can do to myself to be able to keep my life moving is to stay organized. One method I have been applying in an attempt to keep it together is by building a second brain.
Simply put, a second brain is an external outlet for organizing and preserving the ideas and thoughts circling in your brain. Your second brain can be in the form of a traditional planner, a notebook, or go digital with curated organization tools found online. Just having a unified space for thought and task dumping helps me stay on top of everything.
Micro acts of service can also be found in keeping my desk clean whenever I’m working, making my bed the moment I get up, cleaning around my space, and ticking off tasks from my to-do list. Doing these small things energizes how I engage with my environment, a HUGE favor I can do for myself.
Aside from organization, I like looking through time and doing things that I know my future self will be thanking me for. Wearing my sunscreen every day, staying hydrated, saying “yes” to opportunities, and living in love and genuineness—I will look back to these moments and appreciate the softness I have developed all throughout my days.
There Is Always One For You: Receiving Gifts
If I were to tally my most said words throughout my whole life, the word “deserve” might just make it to the Top 5. And you know what? Deserve. This might be a little over the top, but every time I finish a task, no matter its significance in my life, I reward myself with little dopamine shots in the form of snacks or watching an episode of my favorite show. It has been a system for me that every time I turn in an assignment, I reward myself with a Going Seventeen episode. Works quite well so far. This keeps me motivated to finish a task and get my reward after.
My dad also always reminds me not to guilt myself for wanting to eat good food. I can be stingy in other aspects, but not with food! Aside from the (not recommended) retail therapy, I like spoiling myself with good food. Deliveries from my go-to restaurants and slapping it on with a Modern Family episode on my laptop, and I’ll have the best time of my life. A happy tummy is equal to a happy life!
Do Not Disturb: Quality Time
One quote I greatly treasure goes, “Loneliness is still time spent with the world.” There is an unquestionable comfort in knowing that quality time does not always mean that you have to be with other people. Quality time with yourself, alone in your wandering thoughts and nonstop curiosity, is just as valid and important. I like giving a heads-up to my friends and family whenever I feel like spending the day with myself or what I call “me time” to respect my concept of being on “do not disturb.”
Going grocery shopping, strolling in malls, immersing myself in museums, watching time go by at parks, or simply staying in bed accompanied by the serenity of the moving world around me are quality times I wish I were privileged to have more. Crunching in micro-moments of solitude keeps me sane and intact with my own peace of mind.
Of course, saying yes to hangouts is also a way of giving yourself quality time. Time spent with people you love provokes a different kind of serotonin. Sometimes, when I go out with my friends, I take the time to bask in and appreciate the very moment I am in. This is life, and life is worth living.
Be Kind To Your Temple: Physical Touch
Over time, I have learned that as much as I have to be kind to my mind, I must also pour the same gentleness towards my physical body. Sleeping within the suggested hours of sleep did wonders for how I could cope throughout the day. In the morning, I allot a 15-minute frame to stretch my body from my head all the way to the tip of my toes. Someone as busy as me does not have the time to engage in a full workout or attend gym classes, so I take advantage of the distance and walk myself to school to get my steps in!
At night, after a long, stressful day, I like to freshen up with a warm shower while thoroughly cleaning every inch of my body, thanking it for braving yet another day. The delicateness of taking a warm bath is the best way to handle your body with absolute care. Having a skincare routine also helped me keep my life in order. Moving in steps and following a particular pattern gives the impression that I *might* just have my life together. Aren’t we driven by a little bit of a placebo effect sometimes?
Juggling life with my two tiny hands has been challenging for a while now. As much as I want to girlboss in everything I do, I must not forget that on the inside, I’m still a little girl trying to get through life—and this little girl deserves all the love in the world, even those from herself.
Continue Reading: Finding It Hard To Love Yourself Still? The Stories Of These Young Women Will Help
