One of the most important things that I’ve learned in college is to listen to my body. Your brain and body are amazing aspects of who you are. They tell you things that you need in order to take care of yourself. Your body only wants the best for you and it is rooting for you to get an A on that test or crush that interview.
Listen to the messages that your body is telling you. Rather than leaving their messages on read, reply back and say, “YEAH! You know what, I do need a pick-me-up snack” or “I am feeling a little sluggish today, a brisk walk would definitely brighten my mood.”
Being college students, it can be hard to find time to eat three meals a day (trust me, I’ve slept in some days just so I only have to eat two meals); but it’s so important to fuel yourself. You won’t be able to think clearly if your body and brain don’t have enough energy.
Also, eating a meal or a snack is a great way to take a break from the busy day, and it shifts your focus away from all the things that are weighing heavy on your mind.
If you’re feeling sluggish, get a snack. If it’s 8 o’clock and you still haven’t gotten dinner, get dinner. Although it seems pretty simple, it can be time consuming to make or get a meal, but you’re doing your body a favor by reenergizing so that you can get back to work.
Another thing that many college students don’t make time for is exercise. Think about it, each day you’re sitting for about 1-5 hours a day for class and probably 3-4 hours a day sitting to do your homework. That’s quite the amount of sitting and that definitely is not good for your body.
Whether it’s a 5 minute — intentional — walk (the walk to and from classes doesn’t count, so you can just reset your steps counter), running on the treadmill for 10 minutes, or doing some yoga in your room, anything to get your body moving is so important.
If your body needs a good stretch, then stretch. If you’re feeling cramped in your room, then grab a friend and go for a walk. You’ll be doing your brain and body a huge favor, and this is also a great way to take a study break from all your hard work.
One thing that I realized this year is that a nice warm shower makes all the difference. After a long day of classes, your body is exhausted. A shower will definitely help to perk you up, but also help you destress from the day.
Showers can be very cleansing, physically and mentally. I know for me, it helps me focus on what my most important tasks are, and move on from there. After a shower, I usually feel a lot more clear headed.
Sometimes during the day there is just too much going on, and if I try to do my homework or write a paper while all of the day’s burdens are weighing on me, I usually have a hard time focusing. But warm (or cold) showers always make me feel much better.
Lastly, I would suggest taking naps, but I personally find naps very dangerous. You could fall asleep and then wake up 5 hours later and find out that it’s 10 pm and you still haven’t done any work, oh and also, you’ve missed dinner. So that’s totally up to you if you feel like your body would really benefit from taking a nap. I know I’m not going to stop you from getting some extra Z’s!
Well that’s all I got for why you should listen to your body. Your body is the only one you have, so make sure that you’re doing your best to take care of it!
HCXO,
Leslie Quan