5 Ways To Stay Healthy in College

The very idea of joining college is daunting and exciting at the same time. When the time comes and you officially become a college-going student, you sign up for a world absolutely bizarre, meaningful, unorganized, and organized. Yes, college life is weird. A lot is at stake for you because how you perform during your college years often ends up deciding your future. Moreover, one’s society in college influences the growth of the individual, especially when you are a first-time college student. Amid all of this, your health may take a backseat and that can really complicate things.

Speaking from experience, there is no dearth of health-related experiences during this crucial time of your life. From the stress of imminent semester examinations to disputes among your friends, there is a whole range of issues you will be dealing with. So, you must not be reckless with your health, physical or mental. How do you do that? Let us find out what we have in this small piece of article.

Here are 5 ways to stay healthy in college.

1. Get your sleep cycle right
   Tell me about it! One of the most difficult tasks is to fix your sleep cycle. College life ends up being very erratic. You will be involved in assignment-making, continuous lectures, group projects, individual readings, and intermittent socialization. Many of us start getting encouraged by the greater freedom to decide our course of life so we stay up late at night doing all kinds of activities, from Netflix and chill to chatting with friends until the break of dawn. What do you sacrifice for all this? Your sleep, of course. But, seriously, don’t. You need at least seven hours of sleep to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

2. Exercise
   Now when I say ‘exercise’, I do not suggest a high-impact workout for everyone. But, you need to avoid the temptation of being a couch potato. You must keep that body of yours moving regularly. If you are not into a gym workout, don’t go to the gym. Just go for the equally good alternatives. These include walking, Yoga, aerobics, running, or basic warm-up exercises. Avoid elevators and climb up and down the stairs whenever the chances come. Staying in bed or not moving around much will weaken your muscles and affect your performance as you will feel drowsy and unmotivated throughout the day. An active lifestyle is a must to excel in college.

3. Keep your surroundings sanitary
   Ah, the kind of horrid scenes from hostel rooms I have seen. College students just forget about the concept of organized life completely when they become complacent. I have known people who didn’t do their laundry regularly, flung around dirty linens everywhere, disposed of half-eaten eatables for days, and didn’t open the windows or clean their rooms once in a while. They will stay with a pungent smell in the room and not mind at all. If you really care about yourself, then keep things clean around. Failing to do so will cause the manifestation of germs and bacteria and you know what they do.

4. Drink water
   It is surprising how simple it is to keep oneself healthy yet people find it most complicated. A simple rule to a healthy life is staying hydrated. Many of us are the forgetful types. So, there are ways to ensure that we keep a track of our daily water intake. Take a water bottle along to the lecture, download fitness apps that track water intake, or keep reminders by pasting post-it on the wall. Whatever you feel comfortable with, do it. An average male adult requires 3.7 liters of water every day and an average female adult requires 2.7 liters of water a day. So, you should try maintaining the quota as much as you can. Dehydration, otherwise, will cause fatigue, dizziness, poor skin, and bodily weakness.

5. Eat your meals on time
   Skipping or irregular consumption of meals drastically impacts the growth of your body. You must not miss your breakfast; it is the most important meal of the day. Start your day with nutritious food depending on the culture you belong to. However, ensure that there are dry fruits, cereals, milk or egg, or whole-grain food in the combination somewhere. Eat your afternoon meals and dinner on time, especially dinner. I used to eat my dinner way late and this caused a lot of problems such as weight gain and upset tummy. While we are at it, I advise you to avoid taking in too much junk food. I won’t ask you to forsake it altogether because you won’t. So, limit your intake.