chloe.

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

YOU ARE MORE THAN JUST YOUR GRADES

Whatever happens please remember that you’ve done your best and everything will work out aright in the end x

 I’m stressed and nervous and terrified and if I were granted one single wish now, it would be to skip forward until midday tomorrow so it would all be over with in a blink. I’m just saying this now because it’s perfectly natural to be stressed, and it’s good to be aware of stress and not discount it. After all, there is a lot riding on what happens tomorrow, and it’s perfectly natural to worry about it.

 This post is going to be a bit different from the other Results Day wind-up posts, because it’s also going to tackle different kinds of self-care in relation to your studying (which you can use more generally), but if you follow the natural progression of these steps, it might help you get through today, because by tomorrow it’s going to be all over, but you need to get through today.

1) The Long-Term Self-Care (useful for the morning and afternoon)

 This is the kind of stuff I was talking about in my Month Before Results Day post: it’s the exercising, eating balanced meals, taking care of your mind and your body, planning ahead. It’s green smoothies and early mornings and drinking water and it’s fantastic for your daily living, especially when you’re under intense mental and physical stress. If you’re like me and you have a holiday job, then you’ll be at least distracted. If you don’t have one or are lucky enough not to need one, then pick out elements of this type of self-care over the course of your day: go for a hike with your family, or go for a run on your own, or do something that gets you on your feet and doing things. Even if you don’t like exercising, at least it will help you sleep better.

2) Self-Care in Distraction (useful for a couple of hours in the day)

 As I said, it’s good to have a job to engage and distract you, but there are plenty of other kinds of distractions. This self-care is getting lost in a new book (or an old favourite), going shopping with friends, going to see a movie, binge-watching a series on Netflix or YouTube or wherever, or learning to play or sing something new. It could be exercise, but it doesn’t have to be. Spend a couple of hours today doing something you really love that you haven’t done in a while. It’s a means of taking care of yourself by removing yourself from the stress, even for a little bit.

3) Self-Care in Self-Indulgence

 Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between self-care and indulgence or vanity. On days like this, it’s perfectly fine to treat yourself. This self-care is ordering a pizza with your favourite toppings and extra cheese, binge-watching (as a distraction but also as a treat), making yourself a hot chocolate with marshmallows, buying new socks, or new makeup, or something you really want. It’s all about spoiling yourself, and whilst this isn’t a normal practise for day-to-day self-care, it’s a way of making yourself feel special and important. Because you are. Don’t be consumed by your stress. You are not defined by what comes. You define the situation for yourself. You deserve to be spoiled.

4) The Relaxed Evening Self-Care

 This is having a long bath with a bath bomb and a face mask, having a cup of loose-leaf tea, meditating, praying (if you are so inclined), curling up under blankets and watching things on Netflix that don’t require too much concentration (even if you’re not a huge fan of romcoms I would recommend them on this occasion). This kind of self-care is about calming down, finding balance and relaxation, getting yourself into a situation where you will be able to sleep better. If you think it will help, try a natural melatonin supplement to help you sleep (non-prescription and non-addictive). Take deep breaths. Watch the sun go down. Do some yoga/stretch whatever feels tight. Unclench your jaw; relax your shoulders; breathe out.