When at college, you’re in a different environment than you’re used to. You need to adjust to a new schedule, new routine, new atmosphere, and essentially just a new way of life. Yet with all these adjustments, we sometimes forget to prioritize our health, which can be a problem. Here are a few simple ways you can maintain your health college. Some of these tips are easier said than done, but simply attempting to incorporate them into your routine can make all the difference
Eat Right
This one goes without saying, at least for me when I think of being “healthy” I automatically think of eating the right foods (but as I’ll later mention, there’s a lot more to being healthy than simply just the food you eat!) My best piece of advice here is to simply balance out what you eat. Of course, some people have the mentality to steer away from junk food and only eat foods that are deemed healthy yet doing that is hard and kind of impossible for some of us. Don’t swear off junk food, just incorporate more healthy foods. You deserve to reward yourself every now and then; if you had a long day or worked out at the gym, indulge in some of your favorite junk food. Yet if you relaxed all day, maybe eat some healthier foods. I personally decide to eat fruits and vegetables as they should be an essential component of our diet. If you’re trying to incorporate healthier foods into your meals, try using the “vegetable tax” method in which you eat a bowl of veggies or a salad before you dig in to your pizza.
Drink More Water
If you read any article about your health or beauty, this should definitely be a piece of advice. Drinking water is perhaps the best thing you can do for yourself in general. Not only does it keep you hydrated, but it benefits the growth and maintenance of hair, nails, skin, flushes out toxins, and so much more! Whenever I eat a meal on the less healthy side, I always try to balance it out with lots of water. Drinking water can even help you lose weight because sometimes when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty. Our body can trick us into thinking we need food, when actually we just need water. So, my best piece of advice is to stay hydrated because it will benefit you in so many ways–– including feeling healthier and happier.
Stay Active
It’s important for your overall health to stay active and doing so now can help benefit you later in life. This one for me is way easier said than done because it requires a lot of motivation yet working out always makes me feel good afterwards and I use that as an incentive to stay active. I personally decide to go to the gym, yet there are so many other simple ways you can keep your body moving! Join an intramural sport, take a yoga class, sweat your butt off at Zumba! Manhattan has many activities that are fun, easy ways to exercise. And if those don’t sound like you’re thing, don’t worry. We have PLENTY of steps at this school, so try walking up the stairs more and opt out on the elevator. If that doesn’t work, take a longer route to class just to get a few more steps in.
Pay Attention to Your Mental Health
Ever since I got to college this has been highly emphasized, and I feel grateful that most people now understand your mental health is a crucial part of your health. With advice from my professors and lessons learned in classes, I now know how important it is to focus on your mental well-being. When school gets to be too much, you just need a break, need to relax, and need to do what is best for your health. Practicing different mechanisms to control stress (like organizing your calendar for example) or partaking in mindful meditation are just a few ways in which you can improve your mental health. When it comes down to it, when you’re feeling stressed, tired, over-worked, just do what’s best for you–– even if it means skipping a class. Your health should alwayscome first.
Get Sleep
Sleep is for the weak? More like no sleep will definitely make you weak. Getting an adequate amount of sleep each night is a key component to our health. When we don’t get enough sleep, it can throw our whole body off balance and even weaken our immune system, causing us to get sick. In fact, not getting enough sleep can be the cause of that stubborn belly fat that won’t seem to go away no matter how many ab workouts you do! Focus on prioritizing your sleep. It might seem better to stay up late and cram for an exam, yet at that point sleep is way more important. Trust me.
Stay Motivated
Like I said before, maintaining your health is easier said than done. It’s not something that can be done overnight and reaching the healthy state you want is a gradual process, it takes time. Take these tips a step at a time. Focus on improving an aspect of your health, then gradually add in other components. But most importantly, stay motivated! Keeping up with your health is hard to do, yet if you continue to do it, it will become habit, and will eventually become your way of life.