By: Annabelle Pan

Graphics Editor

People tell us to do a lot of things. We finish some tasks, like chores, because others force us to. We push off others, such as homework, until the last second. Yet there exists a small category of responsibilities that people frequently ignore: self-care. I don’t mean putting on face masks and doing yoga. Lack of self-care, or rather self-preservation, is a broad term that points out the many ways in which you fail to take care of yourself. Let’s see how many examples of lack of self-maintenance you can read through without feeling called out.

Coming in first, as the most common form of neglecting your body, is dehydration. Doctors say you should be drinking six to eight cups of water A DAY. But whatever, they don’t know what they’re talking about. You can survive on one cup of water a week. It’s not like water’s even that important to our health…oh wait, it is.

The next aspect of self-neglect is not eating well. According to social norms and a quick Google search, you should eat at least two to three full meals a day. You’re not a plant; you can’t just passively absorb energy from the sun. Besides, there are more reasons for your big mouth than just spouting brainrot. The least you can do is eat a pack of Cup Noodles for dinner, although eating unhealthily brings on its own load of problems.

Speaking of problems, one of the biggest challenges high schoolers face is creating and maintaining a good sleep schedule. Remember back in elementary school when we got ten full hours of sleep? Why can’t we go back to those days? Some high schoolers sleep an average of two to four hours per night, and that definitely isn’t what your body requires. As you sit at your desk trying to focus on a math problem, your brain is desperately begging you to lie down in bed and give it a break. But do you listen? No, you continue to ignore everything your body is telling you, pushing on with your appalling lack of self-preservation.

Another example of failing to care for your body is physical inactivity, and I admit I am guilty of this one. For lazy bums like me, running and all other forms of exercise seem like a waste of time and energy, with the end result of feeling absolutely miserable. Fear not, there is a solution for this problem. I haven’t found it yet, but I’m sure it exists.

Last, and perhaps least to you but definitely of high importance to those who have the misfortune of being your friend, are high stress levels. Being in a constant state of stress or anxiety may seem fine at first, but when the slightest thing goes wrong, you either enter a spiral of negative thoughts or lash out. Now, that’s not very fun for you or the people around you. To spare your beloved friends, you should try reducing your stress levels by drinking water, eating well, sleeping eight hours a night, and exercising, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m failing at most of these.

If you made it to the end of that list without relating to any of them, then congratulations. Your level of self-care is much higher than the majority of high schoolers. If you didn’t, you’re in the same boat as a lot of other people. It may be a sinking boat, but it’s a large boat nonetheless.