Students enjoy a lot of freedom while attending college because they operate devoid of parental supervision. Unfortunately, the majority of these students don’t see the need to live a healthy life, and they spend most of their time having fun and striving to appear cool to their peers. Besides, amid classes, meetings, homework and maintaining a social life, realizing health and wellness could be an uphill task for college pupils. However, there are a few things they can do to stay healthy as explained below.
Get Enough Sleep
Most college students hardly get any sleep. With daily partying and pulling all-nighters, it becomes virtually impossible for these students to get enough rest considering that they spend the day studying and sports training. Ideally, students require at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep; irrespective of the reason, they should not stay up all night and should invest in blackout blinds to help them get better sleep. Effects of sleep deprivation include fatigue, long headaches, hair loss and reduced brain function, which might ultimately ruin their day’s activities. However, oversleeping is not recommended either.
Have a Working Schedule
To stay healthy and avoid sleep deprivation, college students need to have a working schedule. Out of 24 hours, they should commit at least eight hours to sleep and about three hours to meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The remaining eleven hours should be distributed among lectures, study time, extra curricular activities and socializing. This way, the students’ brains will always be focused and ready for the next activity. It will essentially help the student attain all their goals for the day and also afford them eight hours of sleep at night. As much as it’s passable to attend parties, it’s important to avoid making a habit out of it.
Drink Water and Blended Drinks
Students should drink more than eight glasses of water daily to keep themselves hydrated. A good method is drinking plenty of water when engaging in various activities like studying or when laziness kicks in. Cold water does a great job of stimulating the body and keeping the student awake. Blended drinks are best for maintaining good health since they are natural and free of chemical preservatives. College students should also make a habit of using some water when blending drinks to boost their health effects. They should use fresh fruits for this purpose including apples, beetroots, and pineapples for enhanced health and wellness.
Eat Healthy
Apart from nutritious drinks, college students should adopt healthy eating in general. Due to tight schedules, most students opt to get fast foods on-the-go and save on time. Unfortunately, consuming fast foods may cause heart problems and obesity due to high cholesterol intake, which is especially true if frequently done. Instead, they should strive to consume more greens and fruits. They can make simple salads and pack them for lunch or buy fruits during meal time. When in need of filling foods, they ought to eat a balanced diet and avoid oily foods.
Exercise Frequently
This shouldn’t be hard for students who train for sports; for those who don’t, they should consider joining the school gym or a local fitness center and make a habit of working out between one to two hours a day. Exercises will always keep the body healthy and active for studies. To get workout motivation, students can get trainers or group up with fellow students to train together. This way, they just might motivate each other to exercise daily. In the case, you don’t like going to the gym, you can opt other outdoor activities that involve workout, for example, cycling, scooting or swimming. Here is a guide to help you out.
Avoid Wrong Crowds
Peer pressure is very prevalent in college, and many students often become victims. From smoking to taking drugs, peer pressures rarely motivates wellness among students. When a student feels unwell, they should always get drug prescriptions from a certified professional rather than from fellow students. In the event that a student encounters a crowd of people that are always smoking, drinking alcohol and doing drugs, they should distance themselves from such peers to ensure that they maintain optimal wellness.
Uphold Hygiene
College students should wash their hands as often as possible. This includes after using the washrooms, before eating and retiring to bed. Students should also carry wet wipes for use during emergency situations. They should also check to certify that their drinking water and the food they consume is clean. For instance, the fruits ought to be thoroughly washed, plates and cups and spoons cleaned well with soap and water. Adhering to proper hygiene will allow them to avoid cholera, typhoid and food poisoning among other health complications.
Avoid Sugar and Caffeine
Most college students have a habit of taking caffeinated and sugary drinks like sodas, coffee, and energy drinks. While these help in keeping them energetic and motivated to work, properties like caffeine are naturally addictive, which might make students become dependent on them and adversely affect their health. The best way to keep themselves energized for work is to drink cold water, which is especially useful during the summer. They can also make fruit salad, pour in some milk and refrigerate it for 30 minutes before consuming. This mixture is full of protein and fiber and doubles as an energizer and snack that’ll potentially keep their stomachs full.
Communicate With Relatives
Part of upholding health and wellness is maintaining optimum mental stability. If the school is far away from home, students should make a point of calling their family often, have their friends and relatives visit frequently and talk to them about school and its challenges. Regardless of where the students go to school, people left at home know them better and can always help them to remain sane in the challenging environment. This also helps the student to know that everything is well at home hence their mind is calm and free of stress.
Seek Assistance From The Right People
When in trouble, students can seek assistance from relatives and close friends, however, it is highly advisable to seek professional help when involved in serious situations that may cause depression. Besides, students may not always feel free to discuss with their family members about some school situations due to fear of appearing like failures, which is where a guidance counselor comes in handy. Physical health cannot be fully achieved without excellent mental wellness thus professional guidance shouldn’t be underestimated. If you’re in search of an affordable and convenient online therapy platform, explore BetterHelp.
Students should make wellness and fitness their primary goal, which will allow them to say goodbye to many health complications and frequent visits to the doctor. Good health also keeps them energetic for their daily activities while also keeping their brains focused. With optimal health and wellness, it becomes child play for students to achieve success in their school work and sports.
