10 Self-Care Tips
By Julissa Ozuna & Jordan Davidson
Given our interest in mental health, we worked together on an infographic highlighting actionable steps teens can take to de-stress and recharge.
Spend Some Time Outside
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, go outside and try to relax. Need an example? Go for a long walk in the park. Try sitting on a park bench and reading a book. Or bring your headphones and listen to some music.
Take Time to Decompress
Ever feel like everything is beginning to overwhelm you? Take at least 30 minutes from your day to decompress. Listen to some music, take a nap to clear your mind, or meditate. It can help focus and clear your mind.
Phone a Friend
If you’re feeling alone, text or call someone close to you. We all go through tough times where we have to get our emotions off our chests and express ourselves. Calling or texting a person dear to you allows you to stop bottling up your feelings and finally gain some peace.
Kick Negative Thoughts to the Curb
At times we are put in positions where negative thoughts come to attack. But we cannot allow them to take control, so here are some suggestions to try! Every day when you wake up, try this affirmation: I am proud of who I am becoming. I am doing the best I can. I am beautiful inside and out. This will allow you to start your day on a positive note.
Grow Good Vibes
Start gardening. It doesn’t have to be anything significant. You can even start with a simple snake plant. Gardening teaches us how we all need care to thrive. In addition to teaching us an important life lesson, watching your beautiful flowers flourish will allow you to relax inside (or outside)!
Get Organized
Do you find yourself getting frustrated because of the mess around you? Take 20 minutes to organize your desk. Simple things like keeping an organizer or cleaning up your area after working can decrease any stress you may have.
Talk to Someone Who Gets It
If you don’t feel like expressing yourself to someone you know, it’s okay. Reach out to a free hotline, and anonymously talk about anything that’s troubling you. We don’t want anyone feeling as if their emotions don’t matter, so try reaching out :). If you like texting, you can message the Crisis Text Line by sending “HOME” to 741741.
Write, Write, Write
Sometimes we can’t vocalize how we feel, so the next best option is to begin a personal journal. This can be a one-on-one conversation between your thoughts and paper. There’s no restrictions to what you can or cannot say because this is yours, so express yourself as much as you want.
Go on DND for a While
Try getting off of social media for a few days. Social media tends to distract us from what we’re trying to do and pressures us to keep up with its beauty standards. Although it may be an entertaining platform, taking some time off can reduce stress and procrastination, filling you with productivity and confidence.
Lay Down & Think
Take some time to reflect on the little blessings that you have. Sometimes we forget the small things we have in our lives when we only focus on the negative. Take at least five minutes out of your day to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished in life. Remember, small actions help us grow!
Process
We decided to showcase 10 self-care tips. First, we picked 10 items to focus on. After that, we worked on descriptions for each item. Once we were happy with the copy, we came up with a design we liked and imported the text into the design we created.
Julissa Ozuna
Julissa Ozuna has an opinion to share and writing is the way she expresses herself and her emotions. She’s very outgoing and thinks "outside the box" when writing her pieces. Julissa grew up around music, she played the violin and played on stages big and small. Music makes up her whole character and brings out the best in herself. She enjoys traveling and meeting new people with new and unique things to say. Julissa Ozuna has a goal to be successful in life and wants to make her family proud of her and overall make a difference in the world.
Jordan Davidson
Jordan Davidson is an award-winning health journalist. She is currently writing a nonfiction parenting book for people who are unsure if, when, or how they want to become parents titled So When Are You Having Kids?. Her work has appeared on BuzzFeed, CBS Interactive, Men’s Health Magazine, Teen Vogue, Elemental, Everyday Health, Scary Mommy, Upworthy, Rodale’s Organic Life, Prevention, Sharecare, Yahoo Health, The Mighty, Rewire News, MSN and AOL.
