Edited by Veronika Potylitsina
School is back in full swing and while there’s excitement in the air, I always dread the time near midterms where I’m sleep-deprived, caffeine based, and overall, just not happy. Making wellness has been a priority for myself during the school year because I know that ultimately, my grades will suffer if I don’t. Here are some ways that I stay on top of my wellness.
Exercise
Regularly scheduling exercise time can be so beneficial for wellness. Sometimes, when I’m working on an essay that just isn’t flowing, stepping away from it and hitting the gym can help me clear my mind. U of T makes it easy to step up your exercise game from our three gyms: the Athletic Centre, the Goldring Centre, and the Hart House gym. All three offer both registered and free drop-in classes as well as a variety of equipment. Hit the gym and clear your head!
Sometimes, stretching is an easy way to loosen up after a long day of sitting. My handy yoga mat and 2 lb. weights are essential for days when I can’t get to the gym. YouTube videos are also helpful if you’d like some guidance while exercising.
Proper Eating
It’s 9:30 pm and you look up, bleary-eyed, from the essay you’ve been working on for the last six hours. Then your stomach grumbles. What do you do?
It may seem tempting to reach for the phone and order a pizza, but it often leaves me feeling sluggish. Don’t get me wrong, I love to indulge once in a while and junk food often calls my name. (I love potato chips.) But eating healthy does leave you feeling more energized and who doesn’t need some energy when running around campus?
I use My Fitness Pal to keep track of my water intake and the food I’m eating throughout the day. The app allows you to enter food portion sizes, keep track of calorie intake, and a variety of other elements. However, I just use it to track my food groups and make sure I’m eating enough fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy throughout the day!
Managing Stress
Stress. Stress. Stress. It’s unavoidable during certain periods of the year. There are many ways to manage it. In place of searching for real bubble wrap, popping some virtual bubble wrap is oddly satisfying. The best part is that its unlimited popping.
Also, I practice “free writing.” Sometimes, I’ll take a sheet or scrap piece of paper and just write without stopping for five minutes. The purpose of this exercise is to not think about what you’re writing and instead, just to get all of your feelings and emotions out. Afterwards, reading over what you’ve written can often determine the source of your stress or emotions. I highly recommend it.