The past two and a half years have been the busiest of my life. Between classes, homework, clubs, and events, I feel like I’m constantly moving and working. I keep telling myself that I just need to get through this assignment, and then I can take care of myself. But spoiler alert, there is always another assignment or an urgent and important obligation. So far, this semester, I feel like I’ve put myself on the back burner. As we reach the middle of the semester and prepare for finals, I think now is the perfect time to build up some more healthy habits. This is the first article in a series on building healthy habits in college.
Physical health is probably the first thing you think of when someone mentions health. We talk about physical well-Physical health is probably the first thing you think of when someone mentions health. We talk about physical well-being so much because it’s incredibly important and impacts other areas of health. Even when we’re super busy, staying healthy in college involves fueling, moving, and resting your body so it can accomplish all it needs to! It’s important to take care of your body in other ways too, for example, taking vitamins or necessary medications and doctor’s visits. I don’t know about you, but I always try to power through when I feel under the weather, but there’s no shame in taking a pain reliever when needed.
- consume with purpose
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I find that planning what you will eat, even if you have a meal plan, is helpful because it eliminates the anxiety of finding something tasty and healthy. Lately, I’ve just been grabbing what’s quick and sounds good, so I haven’t been making the best choices. Instead, you can choose to not eat certain types of foods. For example, you could choose to get the Smart Eats option at each dinner. You could also make an effort to eat other foods. For instance, you could plan to eat a bowl of fruit at each breakfast. I love walking into the dining hall and knowing exactly what I need to pick up to make sure I have a healthy meal!
While we’re talking about consumption, even though college feels like an escape from real life: alcohol, caffeine and other drug consumption can be detrimental to your health. Not only that, but you can also become addicted to certain substances. So while I’ve made it my personality trait to drink three cups of coffee a day, this is probably something I should change.
- Exercise whenever and wherever you can
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For some people, carving out time for an hour or two-hour-long workout each day is feasible and fun. But for those of us who see going to the gym as a chore, it can be easy to put a workout off because we’re too tired or have something else to do. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need 150 minutes of activity each week. Instead of dedicating a chunk of your day to working out, you can find small pockets of the day to work in some movement so you remain physically fit. Everyone’s definitions of staying fit and working out are different; don’t feel pressured by others’ workout regiments!
You can do some quick yoga when you wake up, use the stairs instead of the elevator, or go for a walk in your free time to get your body moving on busy days. If you do twenty minutes of activity every day, you’ll reach that 150-minute benchmark! Look up some fun but quick workouts on Pinterest or Youtube to get some workout-ideas flowing.
- Give yourself a bedtime
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I know, I know. I too am guilty of saying “I’ll just stay up, drink coffee tomorrow, and just power through.” This happens from time to time, but if you’re not getting enough sleep on a regular basis it can have detrimental effects on your health. According to the Cleveland Clinic, young adults on average should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night. The best way to make sure you’re getting enough sleep is to set a schedule. If you stick to the schedule, your body will start to become naturally tired at the bedtime you choose, and it’ll become so much easier to get enough sleep each night.
This will also help you to wake up on time and start your day on the right foot! Even if you go to bed at 1:00 A.M. every night, you could wake up at 8:00 A.M. with enough gas in the tank to have a great day! With your new bedtime, can start to plan out a better night routine. For example, if you go to bed at 1:00 A.M., you can start to get ready for bed around 12:00 A.M. or 12:30 A.M. If you really want to get some good rest, you can put your phone away around this time.
While these are all aspects of life we all know we should be doing, it’s easy to let these simple things slip by in all the craziness of a semester. I hope this reminder inspired you to make some lifestyle changes!
Works Cited
“Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep (and How Much You Really Need a Night).” Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, 25 Mar. 2022, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-body-dont-get-enough-sleep/#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20most%20serious,function%20and%20lower%20sex%20drive.
“How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 June 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm#:~:text=Each%20week%20adults%20need%20150,Physical%20Activity%20Guidelines%20for%20Americans.&text=We%20know%20150%20minutes%20of,do%20it%20all%20at%20once.