Ever since online classes have begun, every day follows a similar path. You wake up to the sound of your alarm, notifying you to log onto Zoom just five minutes before your first class. Then comes the smell of iced coffee from your caffeine obsessed roommate.

You sit through your classes with the feeling of tired eyes and a pounding headache caused by constantly staring at a computer screen. By the time you are done with classes, completing homework becomes worse than a chore.

Whether you’re feeling stressed out and swamped by the workload of online classes, or you’re coping just fine with this change, self-care is important and is not to be ignored.

Here are some ways you can perform self-care during a busy (or dreadfully boring) online semester.

Let It All Out

Sit down, crack open a notebook, and write down how you’re feeling, what you did that day, or what you watched on Netflix (I heard Grand Army is pretty good). Even if you’re not much of a writer, just getting your emotions out on a page is enough to take some of the edge off. By anything, I mean truly write anything.

Clear your mind

Meditation is found to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression, improve your self-esteem, and has many other mental and physical benefits. There are tons of YouTube videos, apps, and online resources all about mediating. If you’re an avid Spotify user, try searching “meditation” and see how many great playlists show up.

You can take as little as a few minutes out of your day to clear your head and connect with your surroundings. It can seem a bit intimidating at first, but once you stop thinking so hard, it’ll feel great to escape. My personal favorite meditation app is Headspace.

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “I am beautiful” five times out loud. Seriously, try it. Your words have more power than you may realize. Choose a few positive affirmations that fit your needs and say them to yourself throughout the day.

Make them specific to personal goals you’re trying to achieve or insecurities you’re trying to overcome. If you tell yourself something enough, you start to really believe it no matter how little you believed it before.

Do What You Love

It doesn’t matter if you love to watch movies, bake treats, read books, exercise, or put on a full face of makeup at 2 a.m., do it. Participating in your favorite hobbies or pastimes is a great way to unwind.

Take a Social Media Break

Social media can be extremely draining for your mental health. Constantly comparing yourself to Instagram models or worrying about getting the right amount of likes on a post while you’re already stressed out about school is a huge no-no.

Take a social media detox, even if it’s only for a couple of days, to focus on the other aspects of your life and see how different you feel. Take a walk, try something new that you haven’t done before, or spend time with your loved ones (safely—we are in a pandemic). Delete the apps off of your phone if you have to, I promise they aren’t going anywhere.

Stretch Your Stress Away

Combining the relaxation aspect of meditation with the health benefits of exercising creates one of the most effective methods of self-care. Due to the pandemic, you may be unable to go to a yoga class in person, but don’t let this deter you.

There are plenty of YouTube videos, apps, and online yoga classes, including ones at Temple University! For once, there’s a benefit to everything being online, meaning that Temple’s yoga classes are easier than ever to join with only the click of a Zoom link.

Connect With Religion and Spirituality

Depending on your beliefs, connecting with your religion or spirituality can become a place of comfort and security. Perhaps, this means you get more involved in your place of worship (here are some in the Temple area!), or maybe you will deepen your relationship with your spirituality.

If you’re interested in meeting others of your faith, maybe consider joining a faith-based student organization. Here you can make new friends while also getting more involved in your faith.

Have a Spa Night!

Take a bubble bath, a long shower, do face masks, listen to music, or your other favorite ways to take care of yourself. Recently, I’ve been unwinding by listening to Ariana Grande’s new album while in the shower. Just taking an hour or two to do a mini-spa night can be incredibly therapeutic.

Now that you have some tips on how to take care of yourself, hopefully the weight of online school won’t be so heavy. Don’t forget to take a break sometimes and breathe, you deserve it.

Cover Photo Credit: Kendra Franklin

Self-Care during Zoom University