By The Editorial Board

The school year is underway, and National Self-Care Awareness Month has arrived, feeling aptly timed with an increased workload and a Google Calendar blocked out through December.

As students, we are mentally prepared to adhere to stricter schedules with less free time, as we also balance jobs or extracurricular activities on top of our classes. Making time for yourself isn’t easy, and the idea of self-care is quickly glazed over when staring down a jam-packed assignment list building on Canvas.

The National Institute of Mental Health suggests adding 30 minutes of walking, prioritizing sleeping, incorporating relaxing activities, eating healthy and setting goals each day to improve mental and physical health. From a day-to-day perspective, trickling healthy habits into college life can be stressful at first, but most fit neatly into a capped-out planner.

Even the smallest activity can keep physical and mental health where they need to be to stay successful. It could look like a night spent with face masks on, cucumbers on your eyes and a social media detox, or getting out into the sun and touching grass after five Thursday classes.

For others, self-care is something more basic, such as allowing time out of the day to disconnect from all media and sit with your emotions in silence, journaling or having difficult conversations with the people closest to you or your therapist. Because let’s be honest, self-care isn’t always glamorous. It can be as simple as just giving yourself forgiveness and taking breaks from reading or studying.

In an era of social media targeting Gen Z, self-care is often misunderstood as something that is absolutely required to live an ideal life. Yes, there is the truth behind the words, but these acts seen on Instagram Reels are performative. Self-care isn’t the same for everyone; it won’t always be pretty or brag-worthy.

Most of the time, it shouldn’t be. In fact, what self-care is can be defined by you. Anything that gives you enough fuel to push through another week of homework and classes counts.

While there is an increased focus on self-care in September, the greater implications of extensive self-awareness can contradict the effort. Sometimes it can be too easy to hyperfocus on sticking to a detailed Google Calendar and a fast food cleanse, but it’s essential to give yourself the grace to indulge shamelessly.

Make a late-night Andy’s run and catch a late movie with friends. And heck, if mini golf and a second Andy’s run is on the docket for the following night, give it a go. Sure, some things are good in moderation, but you only live the college years once. Stick to what you’re comfortable with and give yourself the flexibility to go with the flow. And when you need a break, it’s okay to decline an invite to get away with friends and take a night for yourself.

Mental health is a hot topic, and sometimes feels like overkill, but setting goals for yourself and taking the time to listen to your emotional, physical and spiritual needs can help make the 2025-26 school year the best it possibly can be. Caring for yourself isn’t over-diagnosing; it’s giving yourself grace.