17 Refreshing Self-Care Activities for College Students to De-Stress
This post is all about the best self-care activities for students!
The best self-care activities for students HAVE to be FUN and help you forget about college stress..
That’s why I only recommended self-care activities for students in college that would be enjoyable, easy to make and/or seriously underrated!!
In university, this is the list of self-care activities for students that I WISHED someone had told me about.
Let’s begin!
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Best Self-Care Activities for Students
1. Self Care Activities for Women: Having a Self-Care Beauty Day
Finals are approaching.. and you know this is the time to relax a little before studying takes over your life.
Re-energize with a self-care beauty day!! Even an hour or 2 works if you have no time.
Take a quick walk to the nearest drugstore (or order online) and grab some beauty essentials. If you are lucky, you can find a self-care essentials package such as this Spa Day Package.
2. Self Care Activities for Adults: Origami for Beginners
More self-care activities for students:
Origami is a hit or miss depending on your patience levels for folding paper and college stress.
If you are able and willing, why not do some origami?!
I have found that while studying, my origami frog kept me company and gave me something to twiddle with while I navigated Public Health <3
This origami for beginners kit already has the paper you need and easy to follow instructions.
3. Therapeutic Art Activities: Diamond Painting
I HAD to talk to you about diamond painting!! The only bummer is it is not actually diamonds..
If you haven’t heard about it yet, it is like a painting with numbers where you “paint” with fake diamonds. As a Resident Advisor, my residents tried helping me one day to fill one in. It was really fun and took some stress off their already chaotic schedules.
They even pressured me to watch a scary movie..
I would recommend this one which is a multi-pack and even includes Stitch from Lilo and Stitch!!
4. Self Care Activities for Adults: Make a Boredom Box
More self-care activities for students:
Chances are you are bored out of your mind so you are researching this.. why not make a “boredom box” of things you wish you could have RIGHT NOW?!
Seriously, I’m talking finding fun sh*t that makes you happy to put in your self-care box!
I go over more self care activities for adults here:
5. Therapeutic Art Activities: Marbling Painting
Alright, so after Jenna Marbles tried out marbling painting, I thought that was the perfect self-care activity for college students!
I love painting with my best friend before studying and chatting about life OUTSIDE OF UNIVERSITY.
I found a marbling painting kit that already has it done for you in case you don’t want to go the “full DIY” route as well. 😉
6. Self Care Crafts: DIY Stress Ball with Water Beads
More self-care activities for students:
We cannot talk about self care crafts for college, without the stress ball!
I had about 3 stress balls in college and somehow managed to break all of them when I was stressed.
You can always buy regular stress balls, but what’s the fun in that?! Playing with water beads like these is the BEST and they are really easy to make.
You can also find more calming crafts for adults like the DIY stress ball here:
7. Wellness Activities: Create a Self-Love Wall
When you are contemplating your choice in major, why not try some wellness activities out?!
A self-love wall is perfect because you get to write down all the things you love about yourself.
We both know college can really test your limits and makes you figure out your life.. why not give yourself some love 🙂
*ps: that pic is of me when I was an undeclared first year*
Self-Care for Students
8. Virtual Self-Care Activities for Students: Meditation for Anxiety
Meditation to alleviate anxiety is great if you are looking for something calm to balance out the busyness of college.
Plus, you can do it at home and virtually! There are some great meditations such as this one by Goodful on YouTube to help you out.
I have replayed this meditation over and over again because it really asks the questions that help my anxiety feel heard.
9. Self-Care Activities for Groups: A Mini Self-Care Staycation
More self-care for students:
A mini self-care staycation is PERFECT for self-care activities for groups!!
The self-care staycation is like the “pre-game” before you all settle down and have a study night.
Eat your favorite snacks, watch a nostalgic (yet still fun) movie, put on some face masks, meditate a little, and incorporate a multitude of all these activities on this post!
Then, get back to studying with less distractions. BUT ACTUALLY STUDY OKAY.
10. Self-Care for Students: Baking for Fun and Stress-Relief
Baking your favorite dessert is really underrated for college students!!
Sometimes cooking starts to seem like a chore in college if you are trying to balance studying, working out, eating Boba, and going to class.
Baking for FUN is something that can be great self-care for students (and you get a treat!).
11. Self-Care Activities for Mental Health: Calming Tools While Studying
More self-care for students:
Lava lamps are mesmerizing to look at right?!
While lava lamps are not exactly an activity, liquid motion timers like this one look like lava lamps and can help you while studying.
You can feel motivated looking at something mesmerizing and take a break when the bubbles subside to the bottom 😉
12. Self-Care for Students: Massage Tools Under $10
College students NEED tools that help massage your scalp.
There is a lot of information coming in throughout college, so your head needs some lovin’.
These scalp massagers feel SO good!! Sometimes, a quick head massage is all you need to get back on the studying grind.
13. Self-Care for Students: Massage Tools Under $25
More self-care for students:
Walking around a COLLEGE campus can be a lot for your feet.
It is no secret that some say students are most fit during college because you walk EVERYWHERE (especially if you have no car yet).
A nice foot massage using a foot massage tool like this one can be just the thing to help you relax a bit when you get back to your room.
I might or might not be using one while writing this..
Self-Care Tips for College Students
14. Self-Care Tips: Create a Self-Care Plan
Sometimes self-care is about making your life easier. Why not make a self-care plan to help you feel less stressed throughout the week?!
I use Asana to write down my tasks (the free version) and Google Calendar to write down major events/assignments/deadlines.
Some great self-care ideas to include in your plan are:
- Weekly cleaning hour
- Self-Care Day (you can also break apart your self-care time to 1-2 hours per day)
- Meal Prep Days
- Meal Prep Ideas
15. Self Care for College Students: Mason Jar Meal Prepping
More self-care tips for college students:
My absolute favorite recommendation meal prepping is using mason jars!!
If you are like me and find visually appealing food easier to eat, then “mason jar meal prepping” is a really good idea for you!
As a college student, it is easy to eat out a lot and mason jar meal prepping is not that difficult to do to be honest. Here is 1 mason jar idea that I have done for a whole week. I only create mason jars for breakfast and lunch because that’s when I am out usually but you can also make them for dinner if you struggle figuring out dinner plans.
For Breakfast:
- Simple Parfait: Yogurt, granola, and fruit option
For Lunch:
- Simple Salad: Salad greens, favorite dressing, shredded chicken, cheese
Of course, you can add additional “grab-and-go” snacks to make your life easier in school. Pinterest is a great place for more mason jar inspiration.
16. Self-Care Tips: Fun Physical Exercises
One of the greatest self-care tips that exists is doing things because you want to (not because you have to)!
Do a workout that is fun! You can even try out a dance workout?!
I would search “Fun [whatever workout you are looking for]” and see what pops up.
17. Self-Care Tips: Make a Google Form With Your Life Wins
One of my favorite self-care tips that is great for college students is creating a google form for YOU that you just put all your college wins.
Your form should have questions like:
- What is today’s win?
- How big is this win?
- Describe how this win makes you feel?
- Any other info (for when you want to look back at all these wins during self-care time!)
A fun way to start getting use to even saying your wins, is reciting morning affirmations!! Here is a whole list of affirmations to provide some extra mental health support.
Rough patches happen in college and sometimes a quick browse at some of your past wins is the motivation you need!
Wow, we have went through 17 of the best self-care activities for students and I really hope you found some of them useful.
Keep me updated on how these self-care ideas work out for you!
Summary of post: This post goes over self-care activities for students.
