The mundane schedule of a college student: wake up from five hours of sleep, go to class, do homework, eat, stress, barely sleep, repeat. Our bodies have grown accustomed to this way of life; it’s like we are a program, going through the motions without any question. As a student with such a full plate, it almost feels impossible to maintain health (or even think about health). This includes mental and physical health, which are both required to remain successful at school. Here are some simple ways to make sure you are keeping these in check throughout the semester:
Make A Mood Chart/Journal
It may seem a little excessive, but it truly helps to keep your emotions and mental health in the back of your mind. Creating a mood chart or journaling at the end of the day forces you to take the time to reflect on your day. Refer to similar questions everyday, overtime you will find some similarity with your feelings. How am I feeling today? Am I stressed with school work? Did I get enough sleep? Am I having issues with friends? It is important to reflect with this concept in mind in order to keep yourself accountable for how you are feeling. If you are feeling sluggish and quiet one day, reflect on why. This can help you to be proactive to finding solutions to problems like these in the future. Just taking a few minutes at the end of the day to digest your emotions can be extremely powerful in creating a healthy student and individual.
Eating and Working Out
Although the “Freshman 15” is a reality for some, there is also the flipside that some students don’t eat at all due to stress or feeling like they don’t have enough time. Being in charge of what you eat while being at college does not seem like much of a responsibility, but when you really reflect on it, it is. You are the one that chooses how to fuel your body and you control how it functions. Maintaining a balanced healthy diet is something you have to think about as a student. Make it a priority to eat three meals, or one or two meals and snacks scattered throughout the day. This also goes along with physical fitness. If you are not eating or if you are not consuming the right food, it will be hard to maintain energy. Eating healthy and working out can help relieve stress and will inevitably make you feel better, giving you one less thing to worry about on top of school.
Plan A Schedule Ahead Of Time
Everyday is packed with classes, homework, and a plethora of other things. Keeping track and being on top of things can be extremely stressful. Planning out your day and scheduling out chunks of time for certain things are extremely important. Try planning out your meals, homework, and gym time the day before. This will help your day feel less chaotic by adding a bit of structure. Allow yourself the alloted time to get work done and stay healthy, but of course give yourself some leisure time. It is important to stay focused and do work, but it won’t do you any good if you’re constantly wrapped up in it. Making time to relax and doing things you enjoy provides a healthy balance and keeps you less stressed. Being healthy is all about balancing your priorities and your desires. The more you start to equally prioritize both, the easier college will feel.