“Should I REALLY eat that Oreo?” You think to yourself at 2 a.m. on the night before an excruciating final when you FINALLY finished studying. You look down at the container of Oreos and then remember something you read on a health blog somewhere that says that you must NEVER eat anything past 8 p.m. or you’ll instantly gain 50 pounds (are you positive that’s what it said?), so you put down the Oreo and go to sleep with a pout on your face and a yearning in your stomach.
You should have eaten the Oreo. Why? Because positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to stay active in obtaining goals. You studied for eight hours straight, so eat the Oreo and reward yourself. So many college students are trying to balance five million things at once, mainly academics, physical health, mental health, social life, a job and any extra-curricular activities they may have to boost a resume. Many students are only able to balance a few and leave the other ones in the dust, which is OK. It is OK if you skip the gym for a day to watch a movie and take a nap because you had a long day. It is OK if you do not join the Italian Renaissance Club. Getting a good night’s sleep is OK. Eating that Oreo after a long night of studying is OK.
This is especially important to remember during the holiday season, which is also, unfortunately, finals season. Unhealthy food will be waiting at every corner throughout these next few months and instead of telling yourself “No” to each cookie that is offered, think about all the good things you have done to deserve that cookie; and if you want the cookie, eat the cookie. Physical health is important, but loving yourself and being proud of your many accomplishments is more important. Trying to juggle all of those different aspects of life and never rewarding yourself for it can take a negative toll on your mental health. When you say “No, I can’t have that, I need to be skinny,” you are also telling yourself that even after studying for eight hours, even after getting an A on that insanely hard research paper, you still have not done enough to deserve a treat. But you have. And students need to realize that an accomplishment is an accomplishment and any accomplishment is means for a self-congratulations. Positively reinforce yourself; condition yourself to keep working hard, and condition your brain to realize that you are doing just fine.
Every single college student has a goal that they wish to achieve, big or small. Achieving small steps toward that goal can be just as fulfilling as achieving the whole thing. The holiday season can be a scary time because of a little thing called finals, but use this time to your advantage. Each final is a step toward your goal and studying for them and completing them are accomplishments, so in the wise words of Donna from the hit show Parks and Recreation, “TREAT YO’ SELF”.