This year has been a mind-f**k. Yet here you are - mid-way through it, on level three of lockdown – and you have survived! Chances are, though, that as a student and part of our youth, you have used all your creative thinking skills to keep going. You may be feeling drained. You definitely need to fill your cup.
Fill Your Cup
This expression comes from the advice that you need to remember to fill your own cup because you can’t pour from an empty one. By taking care of yourself first, others can benefit from your overflow.
Open any magazine (social media page, or even CNN) lately, and you will find tips on self-care – said in a calming whisper. While we totally agree that massages, bubble-baths, and choc-chip cookies are glorious, self-care loses its value when there is no self-accountability.
When you take the easy route – skipping your workout, scoffing an entire chocolate, buying another pair of black shoes – you are not expressing self-love as much as downgrading yourself.
Especially as a student, real self-care is about pushing yourself, learning and growing, striving to be your best self - decision by decision.
Self-Care is a Daily Choice
Whether it’s staying on top of your finances, connecting with nature, or making that doctor’s appointment, real self-love requires daily decisions to do what is best for you – even if that includes hard work and accountability.
Here are some unexpected ways to fill your cup so that you can serve from the overflow:
Get up half an hour earlier. That may be less appealing than ever in winter, but giving yourself a bit of a head-start is a wonderful way to care for yourself.
You can use the extra time for some of the tips below.
Meditate. Visualise. Boost yourself. Starting your day with a calm purpose has been proven to lead to greater success. If meditation, visualisation of a positive outcome, or even being your own cheerleader is your thing, take control of your day before it takes control of you.
Practise gratitude. Set aside time to count your blessings, or actively notice and rejoice throughout the day. Remember when you so desperately wanted what you have now.
Purge. Do a brain dump of everything you are stressed about, need to do, ideas you have. This allows you to focus your attention 100% on the task at hand, without worrying that anything may slip your mind. Once a task is complete, move to the next on your list.
The Dux Advantage
If you are looking to nurture and develop your students, look no further than Dux. Our reason for existing is to give learners all the mental and emotional support they need in order to thrive academically - and as contributing members of our society. Contact us today, and get your ducks in a row: 060.656.1305 | info@duxpd.co.za
Dux | dʌks | noun "The top pupil in a class.”
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