Hey, besties! Welcome back to this week’s edition of Paige’s Page! This week we will be discussing self-confidence, self-care, and self-love. I feel like this is a really great theme coming off of this season of love, because as RuPaul says, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” If you know me, you know that confidence is something I have consistently had an abundance of, which is why I feel absolutely justified in answering all of your questions with absolutely no qualifications every week. With that being said, let’s get started!
Hey Paige! Do you have any advice on how to be more confident and comfortable in my own skin?
Hi, bestie! I absolutely do! Personally, I express myself with the way I dress. I love constructing both basic and complex outfits that match my mood for the day ahead. I love wearing things that one would reasonably not expect to see in the classroom at 9 a.m. When I look good, I feel good. I know that is certainly not the advice for everyone, but, try to find something consistent and comfortable that makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Maybe a signature scent, an accessory (I bought some amazing jewelry at the student art sale this past weekend and they make great new staples), even just a new part of your morning routine that makes you feel whole. I also very much believe that spending time with people that empower you and make you feel good about yourself is so helpful for feeling confident. Honestly, being confident is really difficult. People pick themselves apart for not being like everyone else, but I think a good way to get out of this mindset is to remember that you have your own unique strengths that make you, you. No one wants you any other way.
Hi Paige! I’m experiencing classic Muhlenberg symptoms of doing way too much and therefore don’t have enough time for myself. Do you have any tips on slowing down/little things to do to feel like yourself when everything is so busy?
Hey, bestie! I wish we had a fun Muhlenberg name for the typical over-extension of Muhlenberg students. Unfortunately, this stressful reality is really, really hard to maintain without physical and emotional burnout. I tend to have tunnel vision when I get really busy, and all I can focus on is the image of my Google Calendar for the day. These thoughts run through my head while I’m eating, sleeping, and even trying to literally just sit. My evenings are really the only times that I have to just be, where I could be casually social if I wanted to, or I could sit and not speak to anyone. I think having a constant activity that you do every single day to separate you from the work really helps with this burnout. Or even escaping your every day activities by doing something you don’t get to do very often as a treat to bring you back down to earth. I, for example, love to sing. I am not involved in choir or a cappella and sometimes I will just grab a practice room in the CA for an hour and turn off my mind to do something fun for me. When I was adjusting to college life my freshman year, I decided that I needed to watch something so mindless and stupid that it would be impossible to think about anything else while watching it. For me, that is “The Bachelor.” The star is always doing something dumb, and so are contestants. My favorite way to deal with this is to yell at my screen for two hours a week. It’s so cathartic, and it definitely allows me to disconnect from my busy reality for a short period of time. Just breathe, you can do it! And if you can’t, then you need to prioritize yourself and your health. It’s okay to take breaks from things. Everything will be okay!
Hey Paige, what are some of your favorite self-care tips? I am so bored with my regular routine.
Hi, bestie! I am so excited about this question! I am so awful at self-care because when my mental health is not the best, I forget to take care of myself. I’m sure that this is applicable to many of you as well. When it comes to self-care products, if I have a lot of time, I love having a fun and extravagant beauty routine which looks eerily similar to Cassie’s manic 4 a.m. regimen in this season of “Euphoria.” I have an eight-step routine on standby that, unfortunately, is shortened to about three on an everyday basis. I love a sheet mask so much; I have this one from e.l.f. that is exfoliating and bubbles up. Not only does it make your skin feel lovely, but it is also so funny to look at. When I am having a bad day, sometimes I need to laugh at myself, and this is a really fantastic way to do that. I love fun things to do with my hands as well. I started knitting in quarantine, and that really helped me to disconnect from reality and just sit and breathe. Listening to podcasts or music has also been really great while I get ready in the morning, or at night to help me to think about other things and wind down after a long day. Find things that make you happy and do them every day. I promise it will make each day better and easier. Give yourself grace and please be nice to yourself.
You can submit questions to https://tinyurl.com/paigespagequestion. It will also be linked in my Instagram bio: @paigeweisburg and in The Muhlenberg Weekly Instagram Linktree @bergweekly.
