Taking care of your health while in college ensures that you stay ahead of your studies while being in perfect mental, physical, and spiritual states. However, many college students find it challenging to stay healthy on campus compared to when at home.
Everything that is often well-taken of at home, for example, washing, diet, physical activity, and medical checkups, is delegated to them. These new responsibilities can be quite overwhelming, and when they fail to meet them adequately, they put their health at risk.
Besides, college students in 2021 have a new challenge to their health altogether, thanks to the devastating COVID-19 virus. To stay ahead of it, they now have to contend with wearing masks, sanitizing, and keeping a safe social distance from others.
Considering these developments, we cannot afford to ignore the threats to a college student’s health. This article provides 7 practical tips to help college people stay healthy. Let’s get started.
Ensure That You Eat Different Foods
To attain and sustain good health, you need various nutrients, meaning eating the same food perennially, e.g., fries, will lead to nutrient deficiencies. Always ensure that your meals are balanced, and within a short time, you’ll be reaping the health benefits. A balanced meal contains components such as carbs, protein, fiber, fats, minerals, and water.
Get Enough Hours of Sleep
Getting sufficient sleep will ensure that you stay healthy during your college years. While you are asleep, your body will repair and replenish itself, countering the wear and tear from your everyday college hassles.
How much sleep should you get to live healthily? As seen in an article on Harvard Health, the National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to eight hours of sleep for people over age 64 and seven to nine hours for ages 18 to 64. Being a college student, you fall in the 18-64 bracket, meaning you need an average of eight hours of quality sleep time.
To ensure that you get adequate sleep, you need an excellent sleeping environment. Switch off the lights, set your phone on airplane mode, turn off the TV or laptop, and quiet down the place. You do not want any lights and sounds in the night that could pull you out of your sleep.
Experts also recommend that you have a sleep routine. Sleep at 9 pm and wake up at 5 am every day, or choose another eight-hour window that works for you. If you have trouble sleeping when your hour arrives, consider adopting a pre-sleep routine. You could meditate to relax, take a shower, or have some chamomile tea.
Occasionally, you can break out of your sleep routine. There might be a party or event or something that you need to attend. The idea here is to follow your schedule on most days.
Form a Habit of Tidying Your Space
A clean space will keep the germs and other disease-causing organisms at bay. Take your sheets to the laundry often, wipe your surfaces, clean the bathroom, and wash your utensils before use. Doing these things will keep you from contracting diseases caused by various viruses and bacteria.
You need to also aerate your room by opening the windows to let any dust and other particles out. This way, you keep the sneeze or flu away.
Exercise Regularly
Doing regular exercise is an excellent way to stay healthy in college. Physical activity keeps you alert and enhances your sleep quality and cognition. Besides, exercising promotes other healthy habits such as drinking enough water, a good diet, and self-appreciation. Importantly, exercising can help boost your immune system, enabling your body to fight off any diseases easily.
Manage Your Stress Effectively
College assignments and lifestyle can be overwhelming, making it easy for you to feel stressed. Determine the things that are leading to your stress and take the necessary action. If assignments, e.g., essays, are causing you distress, consider getting help from a professional essay writer. For psychological issues, a therapist would come in handy.
Go for Medical Checkups
Going for medical checkups is an excellent way to keep tabs on your well-being. It ensures that you can spot a problem early, which goes a long way in guaranteeing successful treatment. You could check up for conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure, bacterial infections, etc.
Pay Attention to Your Body
Pay attention to any changes in your body to stay ahead of any illnesses. Do you feel a cold coming on? Are you fatigued? Is there pain in a part of your body? You want to use these and other questions to assess the state of your body from time to time. This way, you’ll know when something is wrong and seek the necessary help.
Final Words
These are some tips for staying healthy in college in 2021. Of course, there are many more out there; each meant to help you lead a healthier college life differently. If you have some advice or comments, feel free to share them below.