With all of the stress and busy schedules that college endures upon every student, it can get very hard to work on staying healthy, both physically and emotionally. When I first started college, I used to think that staying healthy was the most difficult task in the entire world. But, I realized that it does not take tons of time and effort (AT ALL) to maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle in college. These are my five tips to you to help jump start your journey:
1. Eating Healthy
Eating healthy is so important in college. But, it can also be very hard. There may be times when you’re in a hurry to get to class and you’ll grab something quick and unhealthy. Personally, I am most definitely a victim of this. Instead of the quick, “grab-and-go”, try to prepare a healthy meal the night before. When you’re in a hurry, you can take this meal on the way to your next class. If you don’t have the time to prepare a meal and the only way to go is to grab something fast before your next class, try and get a pre-made salad or fruit with yogurt. These foods can be very filling and will be a healthy alternative.
2. Making time to go to the gym
Making time to go to the gym consistently throughout the school year can become a challenge for many students. If the gym is something you’re passionate about and you can’t find that much time to go, try to plan your day to see if there is any time to go in the morning before classes, or at night after all of your classes are finished. If you are not the type of person that wants to go to the gym, try taking a walk in the city on the weekends. This can be a great way to find new restaurants downtown, places to shop, and great entertainment.
3. Hanging out with positive, motivating people
Hanging out with positive people during the school year is so important for your mental and physical health. Personally, I find this tip to be the most important one out of every one that I am mentioning. Being around positive people is important because these are the people you can go to if you’re ever dealing with an issue and you need someone to talk to. True friends like these will motivate you to get healthy and fit, and may even want to get into a healthy lifestyle with you. Friends can definitely make or break your college experience, so find some genuine people to hang out with and you’ll have the time of your life in school.
4. Getting involved
Getting involved is a great way to branch out to new people and to build up your resume. When I was a freshman, I was really scared to get involved in clubs and I tried to stay as far away from clubs as I possibly could. Now, I try to join as many clubs as I possibly could. There are so many opportunities to get involved on campus and so many of these clubs/ organizations host activities like: 5K’s, scavenger hunts, fitness challenges, etc. that can allow students to stay healthy and fit.
5. Setting aside time for yourself
Setting aside time for yourself in college is such a difficult task, but it IS possible! As the semester progresses, there will be more and more assignments that begin to hang over students’ heads, making them feel as though there’s not a second of time that can be wasted. My advice to you: plan ahead. This is so important and it can benefit you in the long run. Manage your time, work on assignments early, and don’t wait until the last minute to complete tasks. If you follow this tip and the other tips that I have mentioned above, you will have so much time to set aside for yourself. This will allow you to have a relaxing and less-stressful semester that you and every student deserves.