7 Self-Care Tips for Balancing School with Extracurriculars
By Leah Jackson, University Student Representative from St. Francis Xavier University Student
(Teale, 2025)
Getting involved in extracurricular activities is often encouraged as part of the university experience. Whether it is joining societies, volunteering, serving as a student representative, athletics, or participating in leadership roles, these opportunities can be incredibly rewarding. They help students build connections, develop skills, and feel more engaged on campus. At the same time, balancing extracurriculars alongside coursework, exams, and personal life can quickly become overwhelming.
1) Treat Extracurriculars Like Scheduled Commitments
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One of the biggest mistakes many students make is treating extracurricular activities as “extra” or flexible. When you put meetings, event planning, presentations, and team roles into your calendar the same way you schedule classes and labs, because that way, you will reduce last-minute stress, avoid overscheduling, and precisely see where your time goes. For example, if you are part of the Student Union, the Nutrition Society, and community volunteering, schedule those meetings and planning sessions like you would a lecture. Block out study time around them, and give yourself official breaks in between. Try to schedule all academic and non-academic commitments into a digital calendar so you can visually balance your week.
2) Be Strategic About What You Sign Up For
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When opportunities are everywhere, it can be tempting to say “yes” to everything, but involvement should be purposeful, not exhausting. Ask yourself: Does this align with my goals? Will this help me grow in a meaningful way? Can I realistically manage this with my current workload?
For example:
- If you’re passionate about food security, maybe you lead a campus food pantry project rather than joining every society.
- If your schedule is tight, you might stay on a committee rather than serve as president this semester.
3) Set Boundaries Around Your Time
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High-achieving students often underestimate the power of saying no (Hinton et al., 2020). Saying no isn’t giving up, it’s protecting your peace! That might look like:
- Declining an invitation to hang out during exam weeks
- Letting teammates know you’re unavailable outside scheduled meetings
- Saying “I can, but not this week”
Healthy boundaries help you honour your academic responsibilities while still contributing meaningfully to societies and leadership roles.
4) Simplify During Peak Stress Periods
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Busy weeks happen especially during midterms or project deadlines. During these periods, simplifying your routine can help you stay afloat. For meals, try meal prepping or using campus food services or even takeout during peak stress times, so you don’t waste mental energy on planning meals. It's still important to get daily movement in, so try to prioritize any movement, even if it includes just walking, stretching, or a short yoga session instead of intense workouts. Keep your morning and evening rituals consistent to reduce decision fatigue.
5) Share the Load with Peers
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One of the most effective ways to balance involvement is by leaning on your teammates. Delegating tasks, co-planning events, and checking in with fellow student leaders creates a support network rather than a solo burden. For example: If your society is hosting a nutrition workshop, divide responsibilities: one person handles logistics, another outreach, another presenter coordination. If you’re part of a council, rotate note-taking duties so no one person carries the administrative load. Shared leadership builds capacity and prevents burnout.
6) Recognize Emotional Labour as Real Work
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Student life and extracurriculars often involves listening to others, representing concerns, and showing up professionally even during stressful periods. This emotional effort is real work and deserves to be acknowledged. Recognizing emotional labour can help reduce self-blame and make it easier to approach leadership with compassion for yourself. If leadership feels draining at times, it does not mean you are doing something wrong, it means you are doing meaningful work that requires care and balance.
7) Don’t Skip the Basics: Hygiene Still Matters When You’re Busy
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When schedules are packed, basic hygiene is often one of the first things people let slide. Skipping showers, forgetting to brush and floss, wearing the same clothes for several days, or neglecting handwashing can feel like small sacrifices in the moment, especially when time and energy are limited. However, maintaining basic hygiene is an important form of self-care that supports both physical health and mental well-being. Practicing good hygiene helps reduce the risk of illness, which is especially important during busy academic periods when getting sick can derail productivity even further. Simple habits like regular handwashing, washing your bedding regularly, oral care, and changing clothes can help prevent infections and reduce fatigue related to poor sleep or discomfort. Hygiene also plays a role in mental health as feeling clean and refreshed can improve mood, focus, and confidence, particularly when juggling leadership roles that involve meetings, presentations, or social interaction. Importantly, hygiene during busy periods does not need to be time-consuming or perfect. Short showers, quick face washing, brushing teeth twice daily, flossing, and keeping a small hygiene kit in a backpack can make routines more manageable. This small kit can include things like floss picks, travel toothbrush/toothpaste, face wipes, a hair brush, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and hand cream. Prioritizing basic hygiene is not about adding another task to your to-do list; it is about protecting your health and helping you show up more comfortably and confidently during high-demand weeks.
Remember That Self-Care Is a Professional Skill
Learning how to take care of yourself during university is not separate from becoming a future dietitian; it is part of it. Developing habits around boundaries, rest, and realistic expectations supports long-term sustainability in both academic and professional settings. Self-care is not about doing everything perfectly. It is about learning how to balance responsibilities in a way that allows you to grow, contribute, and stay well throughout your university experience and beyond.
Helpful Resources for Student Well-Being and Balance
If you are feeling overwhelmed while balancing coursework, leadership, and personal life, the following resources may be helpful:
References
Hinton, A. O., Jr, McReynolds, M. R., Martinez, D., Shuler, H. D., & Termini, C. M. (2020). The power of saying no. EMBO reports, 21(7), e50918. https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202050918
Teale, J. (2015, August 26). Angus L. MacDonald Library. The Sajin. Angus L. MacDonald Library – The Sajin
Unsplash. (n.d.). Unsplash — Beautiful free images & pictures. Beautiful Free Images & Pictures | Unsplash