Hi sisters! Now a lot of you look at self-care and immediately think solely of face masks, because for awhile I did too. My fifth week of freshman year, I was using a different face mask every night and had enough rewards points at Lush to buy back half the store. But that’s not to say using face masks aren’t apart of self-care, they’re more so just a part of it.

By the end of week two right now, hopefully all you have to do over the weekend is a quick homework assignment or two, a few readings here and there, or maybe just a quiz. Flash forward a few weeks and it’s halfway through the term, you have three readings four assignments and a quiz the night before a midterm and a lecture that requires you to take a certain infamously brutal set of red stairs to the third floor of your building.

Now instead of getting four hours of sleep and probably living off of nothing but coffee and Red Vines, I’m here to share some of my favorite ways to take care of myself, and given that it’s sweater weather, some good ways to stay cozy this Fall.

For starters, to even begin relaxing I have to look the part. Whether it’s a night in, or a day in downtown Corvallis a good sweater is always the move. I personally always go for the simple grey sweater I’ve had since I was fifteen. Right now, Target ushered in its fall collection but Fred Myer has been a pretty slept on place to get some cute fits. 

Secondly, I’ll figure out what I’m going to do and it really depends on what my mood is or what I’ve done that day. As a junior, I like to do things that I can sort of just turn my brain off to and take time to relax. If it’s a weekend or if I’m done early enough in the day, I might put on a Fall inspired outfit and my earbuds in to take a walk downtown.

If I decide to stay in, my routine starts by lighting a candle and putting on a good record, something alternative or chill. Lately I’ve been listening to the new Lana Del Rey album, some old Ed Sheeran and some classic Bobby Vinton.

Like most students, I’d probably sell my soul for a cup of coffee before a morning lecture but as much as I didn’t want to believe it, when I’m trying to relax my caffeine intake plays a huge factor in my inability to decompress. As a substitute, I’ll usually opt for some tea, warm apple cider or a cold hard cider if it’s too late for a cup of coffee.

For me I have three ways to just zone out and decompress at home. Before starting college, I was a huge bibliophile who really enjoyed reading but since starting school, reading has sadly became more of a chore than a passion. Right now I’m on a mission to find the right novel that’ll get me to fall back in love with reading so recently I’ve been reading Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman in my free time. 

Another outlet I take to destress during a night indoors is to play some video games or put on an old movie. There’s something about that sort of scratchy noise you hear when watching an old film, or the look of an old movie that puts me at ease with my go-to’s being Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the 1950’s Cinderella. 

I admit that while I do come across as the aesthetic obsessed, brooding writer type, I’m also a fiend for a good video game. When I’m having a self-care night, especially in the Fall for some reason, I can zone out to this game called Stardew Valley for hours at a time. Everything about the production of the popular farming simulator, down to the music and relaxing 16-bit graphic style helps me decompress while feeling oddly productive at the same time.

In terms of the more common self-care rituals that I follow, you know you can never go wrong with a good face mask. Some of my favorites include this coffee face mask from Lush or a homemade mask made from turmeric, plain yogurt, rose water, and honey, My philosophy is not to over use masks because not only does it take away from treating yourself, overwashing your face is a real thing and my freshman year skin paid the price.

When all’s said and one these are just my personal self-care rituals but everyone is different, and I think that only you understand how you relax, so it’s honestly all about finding your own routine and balance in your life to really take care of yourself. Now, go slay this term and take care of yourself out there.