As college students, we always joke about juggling a social life, school, family, exercise and mental health altogether. Although we may joke about this, sadly it’s something we all must deal with. Half of us can juggle all of these issues with no problem while the other half need a little help, and this article is going to just that! Here is a list of things to try to help you become a healthier college student:
- Counseling
Sometimes when trying to balance so much in our life, from maintaining a social life to school, can be stressful and challenging for us. When it comes to this, sometimes our body can just shut down and ruin our mental health. Mental health is a huge part of any student or anyone’s life, and that’s why Saint Leo is here to help us by offering free counseling services for every student, just located in DeChantel Hall. The point of the counseling service stated on the website is that it “provides for the emotional, psychological and spiritual needs of its students and campus personnel.” If you are ever feeling down, stressed or just need to talk to someone they are always taking appointments, and don’t worry because it will always be confidential.
- Washing Your Hands
Yes, I do understand that we are college students and I am not your parent who needs to constantly tell you to wash your hands, but this is serious. When we are in college we are always around people no matter where we go and being in a place filled with so many people means germs are everywhere and on everything we touch. Sometimes you can’t always trust other people if they wash their hands or not. By simply just washing your hands it prevents the spread of germs and prevents you and others from getting sick. We all want to avoid getting sick because sometimes we can’t afford to miss a day of classes.
- Drinking Water
This is something that every student might have trouble with. There are people who love water, and there are others who can’t stand how boring it tastes. Our bodies need water to stay hydrated and we can’t rely on sugary drinks and coffee all the time. When we drink sugary drinks like Pepsi instead of water we are just putting sugar and unhealthy chemicals into our body. It is okay to drink these drinks occasionally, but water should be everyone’s number one drink. Some benefits of drinking water are it flushes out toxins, helps with weight loss, boosts your immune system and helps with your mood. All around campus, we have water fountains that we can refill our reusable water cups or plastic water bottles between classes or on breaks, so there is no excuse for staying hydrated. If you aren’t a big fan of water because of how bland it tastes, try adding lemon or lime to add some flavor.
- Getting Enough Sleep
Us college students usually stay out late going out with friends or even doing homework
and studying until midnight. Dr. Crossman, a professor at Saint Leo University, teaches Choosing Wellness a class about ways students can live healthy and happy lives. In an email, Dr. Crossman stated “Here is a bit of advice I would share with students … One of the many ways students can live healthfully is by getting regular, recuperative sleep. Yet, sleep problems and sleep disturbances are very common among college students. While students probably know by now that limiting ambient light and establishing a routine bedtime and wake time can promote sleep. If they have tried this and still do not sleep well, perhaps this issue is stress. Since students may not have the skills to cope with stress, they can benefit from learning about and practicing some strategies to reduce their stress levels. So, the advice I would share is to find ways to manage stress (such as yoga), and you may find that you fall asleep more easily and sleep more deeply. We offer free yoga classes on campus on Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:15 in Kirk Hall Room 123. If yoga is not for you, try other relaxing activities like listening to music, or deep breathing.” This is advice every college student should take to help with sleep.
- Eating Healthy
Living on campus away from home can mean we have no one to tell us how and what we should eat. Being a busy college student always means relying on the quickest way to eat, which is cheap, fast food restaurants. Eating the right amount of food means we are giving our bodies the right fuel to keep going throughout the day. The best way to eating healthy is by following MyPlate groups, which describes what and how much we should be eating for every meal to stay healthy. Another great way for college students who are always on the go to eat a healthy balanced meal is to meal prep whenever they have some downtime. The number one thing we should always be doing is making sure we eat enough fruits and vegetables in every meal. If you do not know what you like it is always great to try and sample everything to figure out what you would like to eat. There are also many healthy, easy, dorm room dinners you can make yourself that you can find online.
Credit: Saint Leo University
- Exercising
Exercising is number one on this list for many reasons. Exercising can help us with mental health, avoiding weight gain, relieving stress and helping with our moods. College students should always try to fit exercise into their daily routine even if it is only for an hour a day. Saint Leo students have access to the Fitness Center which is open Monday-Sunday at different times of the day; students can go to the gym before classes, in between classes or at the end of the day after work or classes. If the gym isn’t your favorite way to exercise, you and a friend can walk, jog or run around campus any time of the day. While Saint Leo does have athletic teams, the University also offers intramural sports that are open to all students. Intramural sports are not as competitive and are a great way to socialize and get in a fun workout. The Bowman Center Pool is perfect to do laps in, as well. There are so many fun and healthy ways to get exercise right on campus that students should take more advantage of!
