Is the stress of school getting the better of you? Maybe you’re in the midst of exams and cannot possibly see how you are going to manage everything. How do you stay sane and get through this crazy time?

As a third year behavioural science student, I’ve been through the stressful demands of papers and exams. A phrase us behavioural science students hear a lot is self-care. Some people don’t prioritize this, but to me it can mean the difference between completely going mental and feeling on top of things. 

Self-care is the act of doing activities throughout the week that are simply for your own enjoyment and pleasure.

For me this is running to clear my mind, or hanging out with my roommates and eating popcorn. What I have found is that when I dedicate 6-7 hours of self-care a week, I am a more happy and healthy person. (This is only one hour a day, people! So it is completely doable!) Not only is self-care important for you to be more effective when working with other people or getting through the stressful times, it is also fun! You are basically allowing yourself to spend on hour on yourself every day, guilt free!

The most important aspect of self-care is the Sabbath, or what Mark Buchanan refers to as ‘snow days’. The Sabbath was designed for us to rest and commune with God, and yet so often this is not a practice in our lives. I find that being a student I feel that I have to be doing homework every possible minute 7 days a week, or I feel guilty for not being more productive! However, I found that when I was doing this I was tired all the time, was never recharged, and had a hard time staying focused on the homework I had planned to get done.

When I started implementing the Sabbath and resting one day a week where I did not even think about homework, I felt more energized and more productive in the times I spent during the week focused on homework. It is honestly the most important thing! Spend time with the Lord in prayer and worship, read an inspirational book, or just spend time in fellowship with believers. It put everything into perspective because when you turn to the Lord in the midst of the chaos, it is then that you are able to find true rest. How are we to be effectively outpouring everyday if we are not filled up by the source?