When Was the Last Time You Took 5-10 Minutes Just for YOU?
When Was the Last Time You Took 5-10 Minutes Just for YOU?
That question hit different in a room full of college students who are juggling everything at once...
I recently had the privilege of heading back to my alma mater, Cedar Crest College, a women's college here in the Lehigh Valley, to lead two DIY Sugar Scrub workshops as part of their leadership development series. And it felt so great being back on campus, meeting such smart people, and seeing the pride we shared being a part of "The Crest."
The room was full of individuals of all ages, majors and backgrounds, business students, nursing students, forensics majors, you name it. Different paths, different pressures, but one thing they all had in common: they all were juggling multiple responsibilities. But were they taking time out for themselves?
That's the thing about college. Everything competes for your attention: deadlines, social life, part-time (and sometimes full-time) jobs, all the things. Self-care is usually the first thing to go. But it doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Sometimes it really is just a sugar scrub and 10 quiet minutes.
So that's exactly what we did.
Each student got to build their own sugar scrub from scratch. Everything from choosing their sugar base, their oil, and a fragrance based on how they wanted to feel. The categories were simple: Energized, Calm, Confident, or Grounded. No wrong answers, no pressure... just a moment to check in with yourself and ask what do I actually need right now?
That question resonated more than I expected. Some students went straight for Calm.. Others mixed Confident and Energized scents together for that extra boost to carry them through the rest of the semester. They named their scrubs, grabbed self-care stickers, and left with something that was completely theirs, made by their own hands.
The best part? Word spread between the first and second session and four more students signed up on the spot. That told me everything.
I had to learn that self-care is necessary, and mandatory. It's not a luxury, not something you earn after you've checked everything off your list. When I'm mentally drained and don't feel like doing anything, sometimes the thing that gets me out of that funk is simply getting up and going through the motions... making something, creating something. That act of showing up for yourself, even in a small way, fuels everything else. Your creativity. Your focus. The way you show up for other people.
These students got that immediately. And watching it click for them reminded me of exactly why I started Noraa Body Love in the first place.
So wherever you are today, whether you're a college student, a working mom, a business owner, or all three, I want to leave you with the same thing I left them with...