College can be a fun and exciting experience, but it can also be exhausting. It is a journey of self-discovery and academic growth for most of us.
However, amidst managing exams, meeting deadlines, and maintaining an active social life, we often neglect our personal health and well-being. Balancing academic responsibilities with personal life becomes a monumental challenge, leaving us physically, psychologically, and emotionally exhausted. It is crucial for college students to prioritize their health to ensure optimal physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Here are a few things you can do to achieve a healthy lifestyle:
Remember:
Being healthy doesn’t mean weighing less than 50kgs or having a slim waist and broad shoulders. True health encompasses much more than just appearance or numbers on a scale. It’s about nourishing your body with wholesome foods, staying physically active, and taking care of your mental and emotional well-being.
Get Enough Sleep:
College life is often stressful, so it’s important to establish a consistent sleep pattern. Create a sleep-friendly environment by keeping the bedroom dark and quiet, avoiding screens before bedtime, and establishing a nightly routine. Focus on the quality of your sleep rather than the duration.
Have a Balanced Diet:
College students often skip meals to maintain a certain body shape, but this can leave you low on energy and hinder your focus. Ensure you have three proper meals a day filled with protein and nutrition. Increase your intake of vegetables and fruits while reducing your consumption of processed food, sugary snacks and excessive caffeine. These changes will help you feel more energetic and active throughout the day.
Indulge in Physical Activity:
Engaging in physical activity is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. Find a form of exercise that you enjoy and aim for at least one hour every day. Join your college sports club, go to the gym, or simply incorporate activities like walking or cycling. Exercise helps relieve stress, maintain focus, increase attention span, and enhance overall well-being.
Practice Time Management:
Most college students struggle with time management. While it’s not possible to plan every minute of your day due to unexpected events, try to complete your work ahead of time by reducing the time spent on social media. When creating a study plan, set realistic goals with enough breaks in between. In this way, even on days when you have sudden plans, you won’t be stressed about pending assignments.
Reflect Every Day:
Reflection doesn’t mean writing a long essay about your day. It can be as simple as listing down the things you accomplished. Describe your day in one word, such as productive, boring, casual or wasteful.
This practice helps you assess how you spent your time and motivates you to do better tomorrow. Listing what you completed today allows you to see your productivity and plans for tomorrow, so you wake up knowing what needs to be done.
Everyone has a different way of adapting to new habits. Incorporating these six habits might be challenging initially. Take your time to adapt to a new routine and don’t push your body beyond its limits.
Listen to your body and work with it to achieve a better lifestyle. Remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is about taking care of your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Make conscious choices and remember that every small step has a significant impact on your overall lifestyle.