Self-Care

Your emotional, physical and mental health contributes to your academic success. Good overall wellness helps you stay motivated, focus, learn better, and recover more quickly from set-backs.

Photo by Luisa Brimble on Unsplash

Self-care is about maintaining or improving one’s health and wellness, and is especially important during busy and stressful times.  Here are some strategies from VCC counsellors: 

  • Schedule in daily self-care time, then do it! 
  • Nourish your body by eating healthy meals and snacks at regular intervals. 
  • Exercise every day, preferably outdoors.  Even a short walk around the block will refresh your body and mind. 
  • Schedule social time with your friends and family or spend time with a pet.  Talk about things other than work and studies, play a game, share a drink or a meal, exercise, and laugh together. 
  • Pay attention to your sleep quality. Good sleep is essential for memory formation and the ability to focus and engage with new concepts. Try this 2-minute progressive relaxation for sleep video. 
  • Practice mindfulness and live in the moment. One mindfulness practice is a daily gratitude list.  Write down or share with a friend 5 things you are grateful for.  
  • Reach out for help. VCC counsellors are here for you, to listen and support you with academic concerns, career questions, personal and relationship matters and crisis that may arise while you are a student. 
  • Progressive relaxation video (15 min). 
  • VCC counsellors' top 10 tips for managing stress and anxiety related to COVID-19 
  • Self-Care Plan - Use this template from Peak Resilience therapy to create a self-care plan.  
  • Mindshift - Download this free app that uses scientifically proven strategies (based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)) to manage anxiety and worry. 
  • Tips for Managing Stress and Anxiety  - VCC counsellors' top 10 tips for managing stress and anxiety related to COVID-19 

  • Mindful Meditations  

    A series of free, guided audio meditations by UCLA's Mindfulness Awareness Research Centre

The VCC Counselling department is here to help. To make a free and confidential appointment to talk with a VCC counsellor: 

  • Call 604-871-7000, option 2, or 
  • Use our online booking system. Please note to use online booking, you must be a registered student and you will need your student ID number and password. 

If your appointment request is urgent, please call the reception line during business hours and let them know. 

More information is available from the VCC counselling website.