Self-Care Routine for Busy Students: Simple and Practical Tips
Life as a student can definitely be draining and exhausting. The overwhelming combination of classes, assignments, exams, part-time jobs for some, plus social expectations, and extracurriculars, can all make it easy to feel stretched thin and like you don’t have enough time, let alone enough to care for yourself. Especially if you’re constantly running on caffeine and stress and lack of sleep (we’ve all been there). If you recognise yourself in this, then maybe you could try to implement a simple self-care routine for busy students to help you manage it all with more energy, clarity, and calm.
You don’t need to aim for a long, idealised version of a self-care routine for it to be properly effective and help you feel better. Even simply just a few minutes a day dedicated to self-care can be enough to help support your mental and emotional well-being. And even if you’re really short on time, just a few things here and there spread throughout the day can still have a positive impact.
Why Self-Care Is Essential for Students
Clinical studies have proven that practicing self-care is crucial for your health. So it is obvious that self-care is important for everyone, but especially students if only because the student life is so exhausting and busy. It requires so much of your time and energy, and often leaves you feeling drained and stretched thin. And it would be easy to just ignore self-care, dismiss it with a “I don’t have time” excuse, but neglecting your well-being is never a good idea – it will only lead to more stress, less productivity, and maybe worse academic performance in the long run.
Here’s what consistent self-care can do for you if and when practiced regularly:
- Improves concentration and focus
- Boosts mental and emotional resilience
- Reduces anxiety and overwhelm
- Supports better sleep and energy
- Increases motivation and self-esteem
In other words, self-care is essential. It is not a waste of time (even if you don’t have enough of it) — dedicating time to self-care is the best and smartest choice because it will be more beneficial to you in both the short and long run. It will help you feel more rested, in control, and less likely to get swept away by stress and overwhelm when they hit.
A Realistic Daily Self-Care Routine for Busy Students
The key to an effective self-care routine for busy students is to keep it realistic and simple. If you’re busy, you don’t have time for a time consuming routine, and that’s perfectly okay. Most people live busy lives and don’t have this luxury. But you don’t need hours each day for self-care to be effective, and support your needs and well-being.
The routine below helps break your day into manageable parts with simple, low-effort ways so that taking care of yourself is more easily doable. This way, there’s no need for you to stretch yourself thinner than you already are, just to be able to incorporate some self-care into your day. And if you need to alter this routine, make it even shorter, and or simpler, go ahead – don’t hesitate to personalize so that it works for you as much as it can.
Morning Self-Care Routine:
Time needed: Around 10–15 minutes (but make it less if you need to)
Mornings don’t have to be a storm that sweeps you away. Making sure you start your mornings centered, and in control can help you feel grounded and more able to handle chaos when it hits. It can also set the tone for the rest of your day.
Try This:
- Hydrate right after waking up. Hydration is primordial for your brain health. Your brain is 75% water — so you should give it what it needs to function. It also helps kickstart your metabolism.
- Stretch for 2–5 minutes. Even basic stretches can help wake up your body and increase circulation. You can even do this in bed or right after you get up.
- Take 2 minutes to breathe deeply or meditate. Try not to focus on anything outward for a moment. Just take a couple of minutes to turn your awareness within and do some deep breathing exercises with long, deep breaths until you feel centered, balanced, and in control.
- Eat a nourishing breakfast. Proper breakfast boosts brain power. Ideally something with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs (if this is possible for you) – this will fuel you better than just caffeine and pastries.
- Write down your top 3 priorities of the day. This point is optional – but a great one if you struggle with focus. Doing this creates clarity and direction while helping you keep focused on what matters most throughout that day.
These are all simple daily self-care tips that you can easily sneak into your morning without having to change your whole schedule and life. Just sneak a little something here and another little something there whenever you find a moment.
Midday Routine:
Time needed: 5–15 minutes
Midday is the time when energy usually drops and stress skyrockets (I know I’m not the only one in this case) — so making an effort to dedicate at least 5 minutes of your time to some simple self-care ritual can help manage the slump more smoothly and effectively.
Self-care tips to try:
- Take a tech break. Screen breaks are important for your brain and mental health. If you’ve spent a long time in front of a screen, then step away for at least 5–10 minutes (and if you’re able to, don’t hesitate to go for a longer break). This should help reduce eye strain and some of the mental fatigue. And you can use this time away to maybe stretch your back and legs too, have a walk around, and practice some deep breathing to slow down and return to yourself.
- Eat a real lunch. Again – if you’re able to, then try to eat some real nutritious-dense food. And not just snacks. Eating healthy has been proven to improve brain health. So if you have the means, fuel your body (and brain) with something nutritional and balanced.
- Step outside (or open a window). Spending time outside can be beneficial for your brain and mental health. So if you can, try to get a few minutes of fresh air – it can do wonders for your mind – especially if you’ve been locked in for a while. It can also help you slow down as well as step away from the stress for a moment to come back to yourself, and even settle down a little by activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
- Do a quick mental and emotional check-in. Check in with yourself. How are you feeling right now? Do you need something in particular? What do you need? And depending on your answer, try to do something about it.
Tip: If you’re on campus, you can also use walking time between your classes as a moment of mindfulness and unwinding. Focus on your breath, your steps, or the sights and sounds around you. Turn your attention to the present moment – what is happening here and now, within and around you.
Evening Routine
Time needed: 15–30 minutes (but, again, adapt to your needs)
You can’t expect your brain to shut off the minute you hit the pillow. If this is something you’re actually struggling with, then having a calming evening self-care routine might be a solution. A proper evening routine helps you unwind and slow down to recover from the day as well as prepare for a good night’s sleep.
Try This:
- Limit screens at least 30–60 minutes before bed. Blue light emitted by screens interferes with your melatonin production and can affect your sleep. So try to stop scrolling down and any other screen activity at least half an hour before going to sleep. This also helps slow down your mind so it won’t be as active by the time you go to sleep.
- Have a relaxing wind-down ritual. Having a moment dedicated to slowing down is essential to help your nervous system settle down. This could include reading, journaling, light yoga, or simply doing nothing (purposefully). Just pick up an activity that you genuinely enjoy and helps you slow down and relax.
- Reflect on your day. If intrusive thoughts at the end of the day is a problem for you – you can try doing some brain dumps in the evening, or other forms of journaling. Write down some reflective thoughts or get out things that’ve been bothering. (A personal favourite is to just put down the things I’m glad I’m finally done with – I always feel so much lighter and accomplished afterwards).
- Prepare for tomorrow. Preparing for your next day can help reduce stress, so set out your clothes, pack your bag, and or make a to-do list. Doing all of this will help ease morning stress and lighten your load.
- Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep. Again – if you’re able to. Realistically, student life doesn’t always make this one possible, but try to aim for the best you can. And remember that sleep is crucial for your brain health – memory, focus, and mental health, and you should always try to prioritize a good night’s sleep as often as you can.
If you’d like some additional self-care tips to help you unwind, you can check this: How to Practice Self-Care When Overwhelmed: 7 Simple Ways as well as Self-Care Tips for Stress Relief: 5 simple ways to unwind
Quick Self-Care Ideas for Students (For Your Busiest Days)
When you’re in a rush and don’t have time, then pick just one self-care idea from this list (or a favorite one not listed). Remember, every bit counts and does help. So between doing nothing – and a small thing – always opt for the small thing. It will be more beneficial.
- Drink a glass of water
- Listen to music that lifts your mood (you probably already have a whole playlist of those)
- Do a 1-minute body scan meditation
- Walk or stretch or both between study sessions
- Journal your thoughts — even something as short as only one sentence
- Watch or read something that makes you feel better
- Take a 20-minute power nap (truly the best self-care ritual out there)
- Light a candle or use essential oils for a calming scent
- Say no to an obligation you don’t have energy for (and try not to feel bad for it)
These are just a few quick and simple self-care ideas – so go ahead and make your own list with your favorite rituals that you know will make you feel better.
Tip: You should keep your “go-to self-care list” on your phone or desk or any other place that is easily accessible – so you don’t have to think about it when you’re tired or stressed, and just want to pick something.
You can also check this if you’re really short on time: What Is Micro Self-Care? + 10 Easy Ways to Try It Today and 5 Easy Self-Care Tips for Busy People
How to Build a Realistic Self-Care Routine and Stick to it
Simplicity plus realism is key to creating an effective and sustainable self-care routine for busy students. Then consistency to make sure it benefits you in the long run. Let’s be honest – if you make your practice too complicated and elaborate, chances are, you won’t stick to it and give it up before you can reap the full benefits.
So here’s how to make build your routine and stick to it:
- Keep it small and simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Start small and keep it simple. This is the key to keep it sustainable. Focus on one small thing at a time, and find a few minutes to dedicate to self-care whenever you can.
- Stack it. An easy way to sneak self-care throughout your daily life without having to disrupt anything is to attach self-care to an already existing habit — stretch while preparing your coffee, practice mindfulness while eating or brushing your teeth, journal before sleep while already in bed, etc…
- Track it. Tracking is helpful to help you note your progress and results. Write down what works, what doesn’t work, what improvements you notice, see how you could tweak your practice to elevate it so that it helps you more. (For this, use whatever works best for you – a planner, an app, a journal, or even just an old plain piece of paper.)
- Reward yourself. Rewards always make great motivators. So go ahead and celebrate when you stick to your goals (and hit them) – hello, favorite snack or a Netflix break or a visit to your favorite coffee shop with a good book. You should never hesitate to treat yourself. Small joys, after all, are key to a happier life.
- Be flexible. This point is particularly important. Proper self-care is meant to support you. And the way it can do this is by being adjusted and adapted to your own specific needs. And no days are equals. Some are harder than others, or just have different sets of priorities and challenges — so adjust your self-care as needed so that it can remain as helpful and supportive as possible.
And here’s a post on How to Start a Self-Care Routine for Beginners in 5 Simple Steps if you’re interested, as well as How To Create The Perfect Self-Care Plan In 7 Easy Steps
Final Thoughts
Student life can be a lot. It can be busy, stressful, overwhelming, and regularly verges on just too much. It requires so much energy and time and effort that it can leave you feeling drained, and exhausted. This is exactly why self-care is so essential.
Making sure you have a simple, personalized self-care routine suited to your own needs and schedule to rely on can help you stay grounded, in control, and manage stress more easily — even during the most erratic times.
School is important, sure, but not as much as your health and well-being. You deserve to take care of yourself, and to make your well-being a top priority.
And remember, the key to effective self-care is just to add a little something here and another little something there whenever you find a moment. Don’t try to over do it. Just adapt your self-care practice to your life and schedule – and not the other way around. This will make it easier to sneak it into your life and stick to it.
So this is it about creating a simple self-care routine for busy students.
If you have any self-care tips and tricks for the exhausted, busy students out there, please don’t hesitate to share them in the comments below.
As always, I hope you have the best day (or evening – depending on when you’re reading this post), and that you remember to be kind and patient with yourself.