Thriving Over Surviving: Breaking Harmful Habits to Protect Your Physical and Mental Health This Finals Season

Many college students often joke about not getting enough sleep to finish a huge project, or rely on caffeinated beverages to stay up all night in order to study for a huge exam. In a society where grind culture is normalized, it’s easy for us to neglect our physical health, which often leads to mental health struggles, as the mind and body are interconnected. These habits can eventually consume you, causing many long-term issues down the road. As finals season is approaching for a majority of college students, here are some bad habits to avoid (surviving), followed by good habits (thriving) I personally love that you can incorporate into your daily routine for a healthier you! 

Meals

Surviving: Disordered eating

Thriving: Eating well balanced meals on time

A lack of adequate nutrition is rampant among most college students, as skipping meals and relying on unhealthy, processed foods for convenience have been normalized. For example, you might have heard of many jokes online about how college students rely excessively on ramen, or someone solely surviving off of energy drinks for a day. To be frank, I’m guilty of this too, sometimes skipping meals, often just grabbing a pop tart or protein shake before I head out the door in the morning, and not eating anything else until the evening. When evening does come, I find myself gorging on literally anything in the kitchen, since I’m so hungry. This results in a cycle: stress overtakes my desire to eat, then not being able to focus due to hunger, and eventually overeating in the end. 

I combat this by prepping well balanced meals that are filling and make me feel good, giving me energy to function throughout the day. Although this may seem challenging — as it may appear financially draining and time-consuming — it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to go to Whole Foods and buy expensive name brand, organic ingredients or spend hours cooking. Staple ingredients, like rice and beans, as well as frozen vegetables are relatively inexpensive and can be used to make a variety of different meals. As for time, I love utilizing TikTok, which has so many healthy recipes that I can make in a short amount of time or meal prep in advance, so I don’t have to worry about preparing a meal every time I want to eat throughout the day.

Sleep 

Surviving: Sacrificing sleep to study, only getting a few hours of rest

Thriving: Getting a good night’s rest for improved clarity and focus

This is something I’ve struggled with a lot, as have many other college students. The average college student gets roughly around 6-7 hours of sleep every night. Sometimes I find myself pulling all-nighters for an exam and abusing caffeine and energy drinks, which only make me jittery and anxious. Not only am I impeding my ability to focus throughout the day, but also messing up my circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle. I find myself excessively napping for hours during the day, which causes me not to feel tired at night and end up doom scrolling. Before I know it, it’s 4 a.m. and I need to get up in a few hours. 

Developing a healthy schedule of tasks I have to do throughout the day, such as studying or doing laundry, is beneficial and avoids procrastinating until late at night to get tasks finished. I mean, who wants to end up studying all night for an exam you don’t know anything about until that moment? Replacing caffeinated beverages with water, tea, or drinks with naturally occurring electrolytes, such as coconut water, has curbed my anxiety and helps me retain energy. Avoiding electronics within 30 minutes of bed is a must, not only because blue light emitted from devices hinders your ability to sleep, but it also helps to quiet the urge to doomscroll. Taking melatonin and speaking with my doctor about my issues with sleep have also been very beneficial in ensuring I have a good night’s rest, so I can wake up feeling amazing. 

Exercise

Surviving: Minimal movement

Thriving: Frequently doing some form of physical activity

Being in college somewhat forces you to succumb to a sedentary lifestyle, due to long hours of studying, sitting down in class, or simply rotting away on your phone. I’ve found myself at times sitting at my desk for long periods constantly stressed out, without even realizing it. The only exercise I would get is walking to my classes or leaving my apartment. 

Incorporating more physical activity into my life has helped a lot with feeling better about myself, and has helped relieve some stress. Exercise has been shown to improve mental health, by releasing endorphins, reducing stress, and improving cognitive function. Having a consistent gym routine is something I’m working on, which is super helpful in maintaining a fit or toned body. I’ve found that going to the gym for 30 minutes a day and incorporating low intensity cardio and muscle exercises is best for my busy schedule. So put on a cute gym fit, listen to your hot girl gym playlist, and get your body moving!

Self-care

Surviving: Doing the bare minimum for yourself

Thriving: Incorporating creative activities and pampering yourself into your schedule

All of the habits above are forms of self-care, however, going the extra mile and incorporating creative activities or pampering yourself are good habits to relieve stress. Many college students become so preoccupied with school that they don’t take the time to pursue anything outside, like hobbies or having a pampering self care routine. School can be hectic and tiring for me, and oftentimes I don’t have the energy for anything else besides schoolwork. 

However, with these improved habits, I’ve found myself pursuing hobbies such as art, writing, cooking, and even learning how to play chess. Incorporating a pampering self care routine is also important to me, which could be an everything shower, face masks, or painting your nails, all while vibing to some of your favorite music. I like using Sundays to pamper myself, in addition to eating a nice meal while watching my favorite shows or movies. Taking time to do activities you enjoy can really elevate your mood in the midst of a bunch of exams and assignments thrown at you. 

Wishing everyone a successful and healthy finals season!

• mental health
• self care
• wellness