Wellbeing in a Time Crunch

As students, the word wellbeing is one we often hear tossed around. But what is it, and more importantly how does one "do" wellbeing when there are hundreds of other things to do? It sounds wonderful to spend time every day exercising for 30 minutes, eating well and getting 7-9 hours of sleep, right? In reality, it can feel a little overwhelming. To avoid throwing out wellbeing altogether, here are 4 tips for looking after your wellbeing when you don’t have a lot of time.

Tip #1: Plan, just a little.

This should not be an elaborate plan. Think of simple ways to work wellbeing activities into your schedule. You could pick a day every week you do wellness activities, a time of day, or a few wellbeing goals for the week. This is something that will help make wellness a positive habit instead of one more thing on the to-do list.

Tip #2: Keep it simple.

I know this sounds self-explanatory but hear me out. Keeping our wellness activities simple, small, and accessible means that there are fewer reasons not to do them. For example, when thinking up a wellness activity, ask yourself if it is something you would be willing to do after a long day. If you find yourself hesitant, it may be worth evaluating how accessible this goal is with the time you have.

Tip #3: Find wellness activities you enjoy.

Wellness and self-care are not one size fits all. Adding activities that you love into your wellness plans means you can really enjoy and look forward to them. An example of this could be having that bubble bath but doing this with your phone on do not disturb to disconnect for a while.

Tip #4: Use your time intentionally.

What if you only have a spare 30 minutes a day or less? Try to use your time wisely and overlap your wellness activities. Take a quick walk outside with your phone on do not disturb. This activity is investing in your physical wellness, mental wellness and emotional wellness.

All aspects of our wellbeing work together. Instead of trying to meet every need on a list, we are just looking after ourselves. Consider booking an appointment with our academic support team through the Student Success Center for help creating balance in your schedule. Remember to have compassion for yourself, wellbeing doesn’t happen overnight.

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Attribution Statement: This work, “Understanding Wellbeing” is adapted from “Tips for incorporating self-care into your daily routine” by Kevin Sonney licensed under CC BY-SA and “Mental Wellness- Capacity to Connect: Supporting Student’s Mental Health and Wellness” by Gemma Armstrong, Michelle Daoust, Ycha Gil; Albert Seinen; Faye Shedletzky; Jewell Gillies; Barbara Johnston; and Liz Warwicklicensed under CC BY.