Reading week always feels like it should be calm. In my head it is the time to catch up, get organised, and get ahead of deadlines. In reality, it usually starts with good intentions and ends with me feeling overwhelmed and a little guilty for not doing enough.

When deadlines are close, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I tell myself I should be working constantly, and if I am not, I feel like I am wasting time. Over time I have realised that this mindset usually backfires. I get tired faster, lose motivation, and the work I do manage to get done often does not feel productive.

For me, self care during reading week is not about having a perfect plan. It is about listening to how I am really feeling, rather than how I think I should feel. Some days that means doing a couple of solid hours of work and then stopping. Other days it means accepting that my brain just isn’t cooperating and giving myself permission to rest without guilt.

Lowering my expectations has been a game changer. I used to make long to do lists and feel frustrated when I could not tick everything off. Now, I focus on one or two realistic tasks each day. Even something small, like reviewing notes or starting a rough plan, feels like progress. I have learned that doing something is better than doing nothing, and perfection is never the goal.

Self care also comes down to the basics I often neglect during busy weeks. Getting enough sleep instead of staying up late, eating properly, and taking short breaks away from my screen make a bigger difference than I expected. When I take care of myself in these small ways, studying feels a little less overwhelming.

I have also had to remind myself that it is okay to struggle. University is not easy, and reading week does not magically erase stress. Motivation comes and goes, especially around deadlines, and that does not mean I am failing. It just means I am human.

So this is how I try to practice self care during reading week and deadlines: taking things one step at a time, being realistic, and remembering that rest is part of the process. I am still figuring out the balance, but being kinder to myself has made a real difference, and it is something I am trying to carry with me beyond reading week too.