September 2019

Practicing self care based on your personality type 
by: Michaela Minnis

The beginning of a new school year can bring a range of emotions: worry, fear, anticipation, or excitement. Thinking about how to balance your commitments while taking care of yourself can be enough to bring on stress. Having to juggle classes, work a job, and remain active on campus can make one feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. That is why taking care of yourself must be a priority. A great way to think about how to practice self-care best suited to you is to think about your personality type, and then create a fitting routine. 

In the 1950s, a psychology theory was developed by Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, which laid out two different personality types and their respective behavioral traits. Personality Type A individuals tend to be driven, competitive, and highly organized while thriving on the stress of competition. Those with Type B personalities tend to look for the enjoyment in their interests rather than striving to compete, are creative, and are reflective when faced with failure. Friedman and Rosenman concluded that Type A’s live more stressful lives than Type B’s, putting them at risk for poorer physical health, but Type B’s disregard physical and mental stress when faced with unachievement. 

Now, some individuals may not fall into either of these personality types, instead possessing behavioral traits of both Type A and Type B’s. Regardless, these tips for practicing self-care below can be helpful to anyone that wants to uphold their competitive nature or preserve their creativity: 

1. Take some time on the weekends to do absolutely nothing, or something you enjoy: Type A’s may find that organizing their room or making sure that their schedule for the upcoming week is in order is a way to relax, while Type B individuals may want to learn a new skill. 

2. Reward yourself for any accomplishment every week: Type B individuals should consider journaling about their accomplishment as a way to reflect, while Type A’s could write out their next long or short-term goals. 

3. Use positive language/self-talk: Important! Both personality types could post sticky notes with daily affirmations for themselves around their room to look at every day. 

4. Meditation/other spiritual practices: Spiritual practices such as praying or meditating are great ways for both Type A and Type B’s to relieve any level of stress-this allows for personal time with your mind, body, and spirit.