Particularly as a new student, there is so much pressure to be doing everything humanly possible to immerse yourself in student life – society fairs, sports fairs, meeting flatmates and course mates, lectures, and all while navigating a new city by yourself. There is also a tendency to get swept up in drinking and the pressure to be sociable 24/7 which will leave you tired and emotionally vulnerable and drained.
Self-care doesn’t have to be a daunting gesture of intense self-love and can appear in the form of little routines throughout the week to ground yourself.
Self-care doesn’t have to be a daunting gesture of intense self-love and can appear in the form of little routines throughout the week to ground yourself. A few easy to incorporate rituals I have found to be helpful are putting on your headphones and cooking yourself a delicious meal. Cooking is a time where you have no obligations to anyone but yourself and can truly detach from the frenzy of first week with homemade food and a good playlist. Other small acts might be following a short meditation designates only a few minutes in the day for you to detach; reconnecting with or taking up an old hobby like painting, writing, crafting or baking; taking a walk outside is a proven method to raise mood, and there are a plethora of lovely spots in Newcastle such as the Jesmond Dene, Leazes Park, Exhibition Park and more, so make the most of the green spaces.
Remember, there is so much time to make friends, and join societies and establish an academic routine. Slowing down and relaxing by doing something fulfilling will give you a much better foundation to have a fantastic university experience.