As you try to make the most of your time at Princeton, you may sometimes feel overwhelmed. While being productive is important, it is equally important that you take the time to reflect and evaluate your goals and needs. Ignoring your own well-being for the sake of achieving your goals often leads to an unsustainable lifestyle.

By focusing on caring for your needs, you are making space to care for the other parts of your life. As we continue to change systems that are causing harm and oppression we must ground ourselves in self-care and community. As stated by Audre Lorde, “caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” 

Engaging in self-care is an active way to recognize that YOU matter, YOU are worthy, and YOU are enough. 

Here are some questions that you can ask yourself as you begin to reflect: 

• What are my goals and intentions? 
• What values do I want to display through my actions?
• What obstacles prevent me from meeting my goals?
• Whose definition of success have I adopted? How does this perspective serve me, in both the short and long-term?

Healthy Choices

Being healthy is about daily choices. UMatter provides information and tools to help you make the best choices for your lifestyle:

• Explore dimensions of wellness to enhance your well-being.
• Prioritize asking for consent in interpersonal relationships.
• Use mental wellness tools to understand and manage your stressors.
• Know your limit when it comes to using alcohol (and other substances).
• Surround yourself with community who value your needs, in addition to their own.

In addition, taking good care of yourself allows you to really be there for others.