30 self-care ideas for students, most of them free

1. 1. Fill your water bottle.
2. 2. Walk the long way to your next room.
3. 3. Eat something that isn't from a vending machine.
4. 4. Sit outside for five minutes.
5. 5. Stretch your neck and wrists.
6. 6. Put your phone away and look around.
7. 7. Say hi to someone you sit near.
8. 8. Take three slow breaths before you walk in.
9. 9. Listen to one song with your eyes closed.
10. 10. Find a quiet spot on campus and remember it.

11. 11. Study for 25 minutes, then get up.
12. 12. Move to a different chair.
13. 13. Keep your phone across the room.
14. 14. Have a real meal before you start.
15. 15. Write down what's worrying you, then put it aside.
16. 16. Ask one person for help with the bit you're stuck on.
17. 17. Stop at a time you've picked in advance.
18. 18. Do the easy question first.
19. 19. Put on a [rain sound](/self-care/features/sounds-music) if your room's noisy.
20. 20. Sleep rather than stay up rereading.

21. 21. Call home, or someone who feels like home.
22. 22. Cook one cheap thing you like.
23. 23. Go for a walk with a friend.
24. 24. Use the campus gym or pool, if it's free for you.
25. 25. Change your sheets.
26. 26. Go to a club meeting, just once.
27. 27. Borrow a novel from the library.
28. 28. See what free counselling your school offers.
29. 29. Tidy your desk and nothing else.
30. 30. Do nothing, and don't study while you do it.

Exams, money and being away from home can pile up. Most schools have someone you can talk to. It's a normal thing to use, and you don't need to be in a bad way first.

Need to talk to someone now? In Singapore, call Samaritans of Singapore on 1767, open 24 hours. If you or someone near you is in danger, call 995, or your local emergency number outside Singapore.

• Journal prompts60 questions and a box to answer in
• Self-care ideas60 more, sorted by time
• Breathing timerfollow the circle before an exam