BY ACHS President Dorene Petersen
It’s the back-to-school season, which is a very exciting, energizing, and busy time of year. Before your schedule and commitments kick into high gear, I want to take a few moments to talk with you about self-care.
At the American College of Healthcare Sciences, we have a passion for health and wellness. In fact, many of us are back in school to learn how to help other people—friends, family, and community members—to achieve their health and wellness potential. Yet, when life gets really busy, do you always make the time to ensure you are taking care of yourself, too?
I hope you confidently exclaim, "Yes!" But if that's not the case today, you will soon. When you enrolled in school, you made a commitment to your education. Personal transformation is part of that commitment and includes learning how to best support your own heath and wellness as you work towards your professional goals.
As you can see, making self-care a priority is an essential part of your education (especially if you're a holistic health student at ACHS!). I encourage you to make a Self-Care Idea List including simple ways you can best support your health and wellness once all the busyness sets in.
Here are my top 6 self-care suggestions for busy students. Just remember, for good HEALTH:
1. Have at least 8 glasses of water every day.
2. Energize and take 20 deep breaths every day.
3. Admire your accomplishments and celebrate with aromatherapy every day. I posted one of my favorite energizing blends (great for studying!) to ACHS Facebook. Just click this link to "Like" ACHS Facebook and download the recipe.
4. Love your life every day.
5. Think about your short- and long-term goals every day.
6. Hum for short intervals of time every day. It’s very calming and supports heart health.
Once you have your Self-Care Idea List complete, I encourage you to share it! Exchange new ideas and tips with your community of students, holistic health enthusiasts, and holistic health professionals on ACHS Facebook here: www.facebook.com/ACHSedu.
I look forward to reading your posts.