Are you a college student? Chances are you’re so busy managing classes, assignments, tests, a part-time job, and a social life that you sometimes forget to lead a healthy lifestyle. We can’t blame you! There is so much on your plate that it’s hard to take a breather sometimes.
To help you stay on track, it’s important to develop healthy habits at the outset. This will make it a lot easier to remember them since they will already be a part of your daily routine.
Follow these six healthy lifestyle tips for college students to get you started on the right path:
Tip #1: Get Your College Life Organized
Organization is at the foundation of all healthy lifestyle tips for college students. Here is where you can make a list of all of the healthy lifestyle choices you want to make. For example, eating healthy and getting enough sleep.
From there, you can figure out how you will incorporate each item into your daily routine. Seeing all of these written out on paper (or a memo on your smartphone) will help remind you of all the things you want to accomplish in one day. Put the piece of paper up somewhere where you’ll see it.
Pro Tip: You can also set reminders in your phone for things like meal prepping, exercising, or even time to wind down for bed.
Tip #2: Live in a College Apartment Throughout Your Studies
Living in a studio apartment for students means that you’re always close to your school. This can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle because you can have a few more minutes to sleep in every day and you can take advantage of the amenities your college apartment may offer.
Maybe your residence organizes yoga classes for students or workshops on healthy eating. This is definitely something you can take advantage of.
If you have roommates, you can take turns preparing meals so that you have more time for schoolwork while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Tip #3: Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy diet has many benefits. It can help boost your immune system so you don’t get sick as often, help you maintain a healthy weight, keep you alert and awake during the day, and improve your overall health.
A good way to ensure you eat healthy while maintaining your busy student schedule is to prepare meals and snacks ahead of time. That way, when you’re hungry, you have something healthy that you can whip out before you have the time to reach for junk food.
Pack your lunch and healthy snacks to take with you to school so you’re not tempted to eat out at one of the restaurants in or near your school.
Tip #4: Limit Your Alcohol Consumption
While alcohol may be a large part of anyone’s college experience, it’s always best to limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol can interrupt your sleep cycle, make you feel hungover and unable to focus on your responsibilities, and lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.
If you want to enjoy alcohol, try not to make it a habit and enjoy it only for special occasions. This may include a friend’s birthday or simply passing a test that you worked hard studying for.
Tip #5: Make Time for Self-Care
We know you have a busy schedule but it’s essential that you carve out some time for yourself. If you keep pushing yourself without taking a moment to relax, chances are you’ll burn out.
Some things you can do for yourself include going for a massage, reading a novel for a few minutes before bed each night, taking a hot bath, and going shopping with some girlfriends.
Taking time for self-care doesn’t require a lot of time. Even an hour a week will go a long way in helping you take care of yourself so you can do even better in school.
Tip #6: Stick to a Sleep Schedule
It’s definitely tempting to stay up all night studying or to go partying with friends. Although you can certainly do this from time to time, it’s best to adhere to a sleep schedule where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
This will ensure that you’re as rested as can be for the day ahead. When you get enough sleep, your attention is sharper, and the day doesn’t seem as daunting.
It may be hard to stick to your sleep schedule every day but try it out. You may just see such great benefits that it will be worth skipping out on binge-watching your favourite TV show!
College life is certainly a busy time in anyone’s life. We hope these tips will help you make the most of your time and lead as healthy a life as possible.
