Students are known for having crazy schedules, cramming all-nighters, and spending many hours in the library. However, some studies have shown that one in three students experience depression while attending college. This can be due to stressors like workloads and time constraints! So how can you combat this?
Here are some tips for staying mentally and physically well throughout your student life:
1. Drink plenty of water!
Drinking plenty of water is an important and often overlooked part of any healthy lifestyle. While most people know that they should drink water, many do not realize the importance of staying hydrated at all times.
To keep your body hydrated, you need to make sure you are drinking enough water every day. The best way to tell if you’re drinking enough is by how often and when you are urinating. If your urine is clear or light yellow in color, then this means that your body has been properly hydrated throughout the day! If it’s dark yellow or cloudy looking, then it’s time for some more H2O!
2. Exercise at least 30 min per day.
Whether you’re a student or not, exercise is a great way to make sure your body gets the care it needs. Exercise can help improve your sleep quality and reduce stress levels. It can also give you more energy throughout the day, which makes it easier for you to focus on schoolwork when needed. Additionally, exercise can help make losing weight easier by burning calories faster than if you were just sitting around all day!
3. Eat a balanced diet.
To stay healthy and fight off illness, it’s important to eat well-balanced meals. A balanced diet has the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals for your body type. It also helps to vary your food choices so you’re getting different nutrients each day. For example:
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to get vitamins A & C that help build up your immune system.
- Add some protein (meat or fish) in with other foods like rice or potatoes as this will help you feel fuller for longer so that you don’t overeat later on in the day!
- Choose wholemeal breads instead of white bread because they contain more fibre which helps keep digestion regular and stops bloating!
4. Find a creative outlet.
Whether it’s blogging, drawing, writing poetry or short stories, learning an instrument, making music (or creating music), teaching yourself something new and useful—or anything else that lets your mind wander and your hands move freely—finding something to do for fun will help you stay calm during stressful times and make you into a happier person in general.
5. Take breaks.
You might think that the best way to take care of your health is by studying as much as possible. This is a common misconception. When you spend too much time focused on your studies, you can get so caught up in it that you forget to take care of yourself.
Take breaks from studying every hour or so, and do something different for 20 minutes: Go for a walk outside, get some fresh air and sunlight; take a nap; or just sit down somewhere comfortable (maybe at the library) with nothing but your phone or computer turned off so that you can rest while still being productive (or maybe even reading this article!).
6. Get enough sleep.
Sleep is important for your health in many ways. Not only does it affect your mood, but not getting enough sleep can lead to physical and mental problems such as anxiety, depression, and memory loss.
The amount of sleep you need varies from person to person; generally 7-8 hours of sleep is recommended for adults. However, students should try to go to bed at a reasonable time so they can get up early enough in the morning without feeling tired during their classes (or later on when they have an exam).
7. Use your resources.
Every school or college has a health and wellness center, and most are open to students who need their services. They can provide you with information on mental health issues, physical health issues, dietary concerns (including eating disorders), sexual assault prevention, abuse prevention, and more. Counseling services may be available through the same office or in a separate location on campus.
8. Plan ahead.
The most important thing you can do to keep yourself healthy, physically and mentally, is to plan ahead.
Planning ahead will help you to be more productive because it will allow you to be more organized and efficient. When it comes to being healthy and fit, planning ahead helps with stress management as well. Planning ahead can also benefit your mental health by helping with time management, which can help prevent depression or anxiety.
9. Get active on campus!
Here are a few ways to get active on campus:
- Join an activity: There are so many ways to get involved at your school that you can easily find an organization, club or sport that works for you. Whether it’s singing in the glee club or playing on the volleyball team, staying active is a great way to make friends and stay healthy at school.
- Get a gym membership: Finding time for exercise can be difficult for students who have busy schedules. However, having access to a gym membership allows you to work out whenever it’s convenient for you—even if that means getting up early before class or working out after school until 8 p.m..
- Find a workout buddy: Having someone else there with you makes exercising more fun! Plus, it will help keep each other motivated when either one of you starts feeling tired or bored during workouts.
10. Try something new!
If you are feeling bored and unchallenged, try a new sport or activity. It’s as simple as that!
Think about how many times you’ve said, “I’m going to get in shape.” Then think about how many times you have actually done anything to make that happen. If you aren’t working out regularly on your own time, consider joining a class at the gym. A trainer will help motivate you by setting achievable goals and providing encouragement along the way. It is also important for students to remember that their health does not need to wait until after college—make an effort now so that wellness is something you can look back upon fondly instead of regretfully when it’s too late!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle while you are a student. You don’t have to be perfect or even have all the answers. Just take things one step at a time and remember that success is about progress not perfection!