Wellness is something that is very important to me, and I’m always on the hunt for simple tricks and tips to make life a little bit better and easier. There are so many simple habits that you can incorporate into your everyday routine. College life is stressful, from studying to work and our busy social life, students tend to neglect self-care habits. Today I wanted to pile together a simple list of tricks that I do, either on a daily or weekly basis. You don’t have to follow all of these tricks at once, find a few that can be applied to your life and see what an incredible difference they make.

Dry Brushing

This is one of my favorite things to do before jumping in the shower. With a Dry Brush that I got from Target (for only $4.99!), I brush my entire body in a firm upward motion towards my heart. I start with my feet and brush each section of my body about ten times. It has to be an upward stroke towards your heart, and in a circular motion on your chest. This directly helps your lymphatic system which is apart of your circulatory system. It helps your body on the inside and out! Your skin will be exfoliated and glow, and the toxins inside your body will be gone. It literally only takes 2-3 minutes to brush the entire body, and at first, it is a little uncomfortable (because the bristles are really firm), but you get used to it after a couple of times. If you don't want to dry brush before showering, you can also do it after you shower with body oil.

Face Massage

Stress. Stress. Stress. We’ve all been in the library late at night or cramming for a quiz ten minutes before class. Pressure tends to build up in our faces, especially at the jaw and temple. One way to help relieve that stress is giving yourself a quick face massage. You can do it anywhere, I’ve done it in my dorm or our libraries study rooms. Put a little bit of moisturizer on your face and place all ten fingers on either side of the face and press into the jaw. Slide your fingers up towards your temples and repeat this motion a couple of times. I also press my fists in circular motions from the top of my cheekbones and down to my jaw. Finally, I push one finger into my temple and another finger into my jaw muscle and hold that pressure for a few seconds. I found this technique on goop.com, and they have a bunch of different face-massages to help with stress or to encourage sleep!

Yoga

Yoga changed the game for me. I’ve been practicing at various studios since the start of the year, and I have fallen in love with it. I feel so strong, yet relaxed while practicing, and my flexibility has improved dramatically. You can practice yoga at a studio near campus, or there are plenty of youtube videos with various flows if you want to stretch in the comfort of your dorm.

Create an ambiance in your room

Taking care of your living space makes it more inviting to return to at the end of a long day. The three things that are essential in my dorm space is a sea salt lamp, essential oil diffuser, and fairy lighting. I have a Himalayan salt lamp sitting on my desk, and it's like having a soft, pink glowing source of fresh air. Their main benefit is that they cleanse and deodorize the air by trapping air pollutants. The color of the lamp also improves one's mood and promotes a better nights sleep. I have a post that is all about essential oils here, check it out to learn about all of its excellent benefits. And finally, fairy lighting creates more relaxing lighting compared to the harsh dorm lights. I love having small lights all around the border of the room and around my bed.

Snacks

Have healthy snacks in your room so you don’t end up binging on Cheetos and cheese-its at the end of the night (not going to lie, I’ve done that once or twice before). If there are nutrient-rich options that will fill you up and give you lots of energy you won't need sugary snacks in the middle of the day. Some of my favorite options are trail mix, organic hummus with cucumber slices, or fruit.

Let me know in the comments if you try out any of these tips and I'll talk to you soon!