It can be hard to look after your mental and physical wellbeing while at university – especially around deadline season – which is why it’s so important to create achievable goals for maintaining your wellness and alleviating that end of term burnout. Below is 6 easy ways to create healthy habits while you’re studying at university.
- Drink plenty of water
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I’m starting the list with an obvious one here, however, I think it’s important enough to be included. Drinking enough water throughout the day has amazing effects for your mental and physical wellbeing – it can improve mood, help prevent headaches and migraines, and aid your body’s digestive functions. Keeping a large glass or bottle of water beside you while you study can help to ensure you stay hydrated throughout the day.
- Try to get outside for 30 minutes everyday
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Getting outside for 30 minutes a day can help with mood and vitamin D intake. Getting out and away from your study space can lead to better clarity of thought and act as a refresh for when you decide to go back to your study space. A change of scenery is also a great way to improve your mood and avoid boredom.
- Establish a bedtime routine (and stick to it!)
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Everyone needs different amounts of sleep, however, around 8 hours is usually a good goal to aim for. Creating a bedtime routine is a great way to improve sleep habits as it teaches your body to feel tired at the same time every night – helping you to get to sleep faster. It is also a good chance to work in some time for relaxation before you go to bed. Doing some mindfulness exercises, writing in a journal, or listening to relaxing music or a podcast are good activities to incorporate into your evening routine.
- Create a morning routine
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Having a routine in the morning is just as beneficial as a good bedtime routine and can help you start your day in a positive way. By creating a morning routine, you can control how your day begins which can often have a ripple effect on how your feel about the rest of your day. Try avoiding going on your phone first thing in the morning (I’m definitely guilty of this!) and instead try a mindfulness exercise or some light stretches. This time away from your phone when you first wake up is great for your long-term mental health by helping to alleviate stress and anxiety which may be unintentionally triggered by social media and news apps on your phone.
- Set boundaries for yourself
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While you are at university, it can be really hard to ever feel like you are ‘done’ with work. Especially on courses with less contact hours and structure, it can be hard to judge when you have done enough work and can relax. Setting boundaries for yourself can really help with this feeling. Try setting a time for yourself when you will work and (more importantly) when you will stop working. This can help your brain to switch off and unwind without that feeling that you ‘should’ be doing something.
- Put aside time for fun/relaxation everyday
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University can be stressful at times which is why it’s so important to make sure that every day you set some time aside to relax and have fun. Whether it’s socialising over Zoom or in-person with housemates, friends, and family, or taking some time for yourself by reading a book or watching Netflix, it’s so beneficial to take time to enjoy yourself – especially while trying to navigate both university and a pandemic. It will help to keep stress levels down and give balance to your life during more the more stressful elements of university life like during deadlines and exams.
Whether you try one or two of the suggestions, or all of them, I hope this list was helpful!