With all the things on a college student’s list, health can fall short. Managing health is a challenge throughout life, but it’s especially difficult when trying to balance classes, work and social life with it.
Although students may trade a good night’s sleep for a term paper, or sometimes, a decent breakfast for a bag of chips, health is the cornerstone for every other priority in college and life.
It may not feel like there’s enough time in a day, but research shows that forming small habits, enjoying fun exercise and staying mindful can lead to improvements in school performance and overall health.
That being said, here’s a guide to keep the body healthy and happy while navigating the stresses of college.
Small habits lead to big changes
With the usual jam-packed school weeks, there’s not a lot of energy left over for self-care, but research shows it may not take a ton of effort to make an impact.
A study published in the Educational Psychology Review (2020) found that building good habits can lead to positive changes in behavior, from studying to exercise and sleep.
According to Dr. Logan Fiorella, habits can help students skip the decision phase and leave more energy for other choices and actions.
“Further, habit-based interventions may support durable changes in students’ recurring behaviors…” Fiorella stated, “... by disrupting cues that activate bad habits and creating supportive and stable contexts for beneficial ones.”
Fiorella’s research also suggests that these habits don’t necessarily need to be big. Start with building small habits that can grow over time.
Good habits can include:
• Form a short morning routine (make the bed, brush teeth, wash face, etc)
• Designate a certain place solely for studying, like a coffee shop or library
• Add a small salad or vegetable pack to meals at the dining hall (yes, dips and dressings are allowed)
• Move all chores to one day a week (cleaning and laundry on Sundays, etc.)
Stay active with enjoyable exercise
A lot of high school athletes will stop playing sports when they get to college. Plus, the workload of a given week doesn’t allow much time, let alone motivation, to consider a trip to the gym. For this tip, experts suggest making the exercise itself the motivation.
A recent experiment (2021) surveyed more than 200 exercisers at nine health clubs. They found the most dedicated exercisers simply loved what they did to break a sweat.
“... Enjoyment was highlighted as a significant determinant of intention to continue and exercise adherence…” the group of researchers stated. “However, due to the intrinsic characteristics of the activities offered in health clubs, promoting exercisers’ enjoyment may not be easy.”
To put it simply, the team opens their review with a question: “Did you enjoy it?”
Whether it’s a workout at the gym, a game of soccer or even a walk in the park, it’s easier to stay active when a person does it for enjoyment.
Here are a few suggestions to get started:
• Explore activities in the community (climbing gyms, hiking trails, pools, etc.)
• Join a club sport or active group, whether on or off campus
• Use exercise as a study break (walk around the block, etc.)
Take a step back once in a while
These days, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the busyness and stress of college, but sometimes, taking a second to breathe can be beneficial.
Drs. Julianna Rava and Emily Hotez experimented with university students during the pandemic to see how mindfulness practices would affect them. They had these students complete regular journaling prompts as a requirement for a college course.
Despite negative emotions from college and the pandemic, many students were able to calm those feelings through the exercises.
“Many students used mindfulness exercises as a tool to cope with the various external stressors,” Rava and Hotez stated. “Also, the majority of students expressed a mindful shift from sentiments of negative well-being to positive well-being thanks to the mindfulness activity.”
Here are some great ways to practice being mindful:
• Commit to daily light journaling — even if it’s just a few sentences or a short list of goals
• Come up with a game plan before social events (consider the next day’s tasks, monitor alcohol consumption and other activities)
• Take short breaks between homework (maybe take that walk)
• Get some sleep: Sometimes taking a step back leads right into a bed
Good health is proven to help in other facets of life. These are small but mighty ways to not only improve performance in school but maintain a level head in the college chaos.
