Self-Care for Busy Students

This post includes a free printable.

Self-care is a popular topic these days. My Instagram feed sometimes feels like an endless loop of:

What's your self-care routine?

Are you carving out time for self-care?

You really need to prioritize self-care!

Self-care has become the be-all and end-all solution to every modern parenting woe. And rightly so. You can't, after all, pour from an empty cup, so it makes sense that you need to fill your own figurative cup before you can care for your children.

But there's something missing from this self-care conversation: we don't talk about our children's need for self-care.

You might be thinking that every moment of every day is a form of self-care for kids and teens. While it's true that from our adult perspective our children have far less to juggle than we do, that doesn't mean they can't benefit from self-care.

In fact, the rising rates of anxiety and depression in children and teens suggest that developing a self-care routine is not only beneficial for them, it is also essential.

Here are a few steps you can take to make self-care a regular part of your child's day:

1. Model self-care: Be sure to let your child see you prioritizing your own self-care. Explicitly label what you are doing. If you're talking on the phone to a friend, your child might not think anything of it (other than possibly being annoyed that you're unavailable!). But if you say, "I love catching up with my friends on the phone because it makes me feel happy. Phone calls with people who are important to me is one way I take care of my mental health."

2. Build connections between activities and feelings: How do you feel after you go for a walk? How do you feel after you stay up late texting with friends? Help your child start to discover which activities fill her bucket and which activities empty it. You could also talk about activities in terms of whether they are energizing, relaxing, fun, draining, or stressful. The goal here is to help children be more intentional in what they choose to do. If they have had a long day and are tired, a child who is tuned into his self-care needs will know to select an activity that is relaxing to help him recharge.

3. Discuss phone and technology use: For some children, technology can be a form of self-care, but for others, the act of self-care comes from taking a break from technology. Help your child explore how technology use impacts her sense of wellbeing so she can make informed choices about how and when she uses it.

4. Nourish the body with sleep and well-balanced eating: Getting a good night's sleep and eating well form the foundation for all other self-care routines. Guide your child in thinking about how his sleeping and eating habits affect how he feels.

5. Make a list of self-care activities: What exactly does self-care look like for a child or teenager? Just like for adults, it really depends on the individual. Below you'll find a list of 20 self-care ideas for children and teenagers. Print it out and post it where your child will see it. Encourage her to add on additional ideas.

Imagine if you had been raised to believe that prioritizing your self-care needs was just as important as eating your broccoli. Let's raise this generation to never think twice about filling their cups and to never feel guilty for taking that extra long bubble bath.