Austin Scholar #63: The magic of a self-care list

& Why a self-care list can help improve your relationship with your teen (and their mental health!)

Hey, y'all!

I'm in the middle of AP exams this week, so I'm coming at you with a slightly shorter-than-normal newsletter–but about a topic that's highly relevant to things like end-of-year exams.

This week from Austin Scholar...

1. Austin’s Anecdote: The magic of a self-care list

2. Why a self-care list can help improve your relationship with your teen (and their mental health!)

3. Scholar’s Sources: My favorite articles on self-care and balance

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Austin’s Anecdote: The magic of a self-care list

I’m writing this at 3:00 PM on a Friday. This week and next, I’m in the throes of taking AP tests. I spent all week doing last-minute practice tests and memorizing my study guides and actually taking my first two AP exams of the year. My stress levels have been very very high, but I’m managing.

A few years ago, I put together a list of fifty things that, when I do them, make me feel a little bit happier and calmer. This week, because of how intense the end of my junior year has been, I decided to update my list.

When I’m anxious and I feel the tension in my entire body and I’m exhausted and kind of sad, I go to my list and do one or two of the things on it, and my day turns around.

Here is Austin’s self-care list:

• Go ice skating

• Dive and listen to loud music

• Walk and listen to loud music

• Go to Book People (my favorite bookstore!!)

• Go to Target

• Put on a sweater from Aerie

• Read a book

• Watch a show with my family

• Talk to my sister

• Get a Starbucks frappuccino

• Journal

• Hang out with my friends

• Go to Kura Revolving Sushi (it’s so fun!!)

• Watch a baseball game

• Get a slice of cookie cake from Great American Sugar Cookie

• Fill an online shopping cart (no purchase required–just gotta fill it up)

• Play card games (sometimes I’ll do this at school with one of my friends–Speed is my favorite)

• Talk about Taylor Swift

• Watch the first Avengers movie

• Watch Legally Blond with my mom

• Watch any of the Ocean’s movies (my comfort movies for sure)

• Watch reality shows like Survivor, Amazing Race, Love is Blind, or The Kardashians

• Honestly, just put on my favorite PJs

• Take a bath with a fizzy, colorful bath bomb

• Take a really hot shower (the scorching-your-skin kind of hot)

• Use my weighted blanket

• Listen to The Night Circus audiobook

• Square breathe (and if I’m really stressed at the moment, I use 5-4-3-2-1)

• Honestly, just take a nap (naps make me very happy!!)

• Take a self-care day

When I get home today (after a very long, very stressful week), I’m going to take a long, hot shower, put on my favorite PJs, and watch a show with my sister.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I have a ten-hour study plan to prepare for next week’s APs. So, in the morning I’m getting myself Starbucks and setting up my workspace all nice. Doing these things in the middle of the most anxiety-inducing two weeks of the year makes me feel like I’m doing nice things for myself, so I’m less stressed while I’m studying and testing.

Once all of my AP exams are done (next Thursday), I’m going to do a full-on self-care day. 

I’m going to take Friday off school to go get my nails done and get a massage on one of those massage chairs. I’m going to be looking forward to this all through this next week of testing (wish me luck!).

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Why a self-care list can help improve your relationship with your teen (and their mental health!)

Parents: your kid is going to go through a lot of stressful times during high school. SAT tests, AP exams, finals, and college application deadlines. That’s not to mention all of the personal dramas: messy relationships, first breakups, and hormone chaos. If you help your kid make a list of all of the things that make them feel good, when they come home anxious, instead of arguing with them, you can suggest they do something off the list.