Self-care can mean a lot of different things to different people. When you’re in the throes of studying, conducting observerships or rotations, and juggling professional and personal life events, it can be easy to forget to take a minute for yourself.

It’s important to unplug from everything once in a while and give yourself permission to just take care of yourself. As someone in the profession of caring for others, don’t put yourself in the backseat all the time! Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or time consuming (unless you want it to). Here are a few ideas if you need a nudge in the right direction to take a breather:

Easy Self-Care Ideas

1. Do some aerobic exercise
2. Take a hot bath/shower. For added zing, add some essential oils or light a candel!
3. Take a nap
4. Meet a friend for coffee
5. Take yourself out to dinner at a nice restaurant
6. Go for a walk in a local park
7. Try cooking a new dish
8. Practice meditation
9. Engage in journaling
10. Explore a new outdoor area (parks, trails, ponds)
11. Play your favorite video game
12. Listen to a fun podcast
13. Start a project you’ve been putting off
14. Clean your room and make your bed
15. Watch a few episodes of a show- and don’t feel guilty about it

This is of course the tip of the iceberg. How you recharge is completely dependent on your personality and personal preferences. Some people like being alone, and others feel revitalized by being around more people. Some people love being outdoors, and others would rather stay inside in the air conditioning on a sunny day.

Really, all that matters is that you’re cognizant of when you’re starting to feel burned out, and you take a step back to care for yourself. What are some of your favorite ways to take “me” time? Or better question, when was the last time you took that time?

We are in the business of helping you get on track professionally, but that also includes making sure our future and current practitioners are also taking care of themselves. Need more assistance? We offer tutoring options, study guides, and have a whole arsenal of topics in our Question Banks . Contact us and see how My Psych Board can help you!