Achieving Balance:
Stress, Diet, Exercise, Sleep
All
of us at one point in time have felt that no matter what you do,
you’re almost always stressed out. Well, unfortunately stress
just happens to be a part of life, especially a part of college
life. In college there are so many things going on that it may
feel like you never have time to relax. Between classes,
schoolwork, studying, roommates, social life, eating, and if
there is time, sleeping, you will notice that your lifestyle has
changed immensely from before you came to college. All of these
factors, if you cannot handle your stress, can even put a strain
on your health. Hopefully some of the following tips will
help you survive the life of a college student.
Stress:
Of course very college student will feel stressed
at one point, but the better you take care of your yourself now,
the better you will be able to deal with stress when it comes. Stress
can affect our health both physically and emotionally. When you
do not take time to replenish yourself, stress can reoccur
frequently affecting your self-esteem, personal relationships,
and academic performance. Here are some of the main signs of
emotional of physical stress.
-
Emotional:
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Sudden mood changes
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Confusion
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Inability to concentrate
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Increased use of alcohol and other drugs
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Physical:
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Nervousness
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Muscle tension
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Changes in sleeping, eating, or sexual
habits
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Lack of energy
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Headaches
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Increased heart rate
-
Hives
Being able to manage your stress is the key to becoming
successful in college. As you will find it is hard to get
everything done that you would like, but it is definitely to
incorporate some downtime into your busy schedule. Friendships
may be one of the best stress relievers that you will find in
college. You can go to them and talk about your situation or
just go out with them for dinner or have a movie date. Friends
are great for letting you know everything will be okay and will
be there when the times get hard. Here are some other stress
management tips:
-
Eat healthy
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Exercise
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Get enough sleep
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Avoid alcohol, drugs, and too much caffeine
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Schedule down time with friends
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Take time each day to try a relaxation
technique (yoga, meditation)
-
Take a short nap if needed
Diet:
As
I am sure many of you have heard of the freshman 15, and
unfortunately it is not myth. Many college students do not have
time to really think about what they are eating and whether it
is good for them or not. The cafeteria on-campus has so many
different types of food to choose from that it is easy to not
make the healthiest choices and sometimes even go back for
seconds. Also, because your sleep schedule changes, so do your
eating patterns. You may skip meals, eat more during other
meals, snack during the day, and even have some late night
munchies. Instead you should eat three well balanced meals with
healthy snacks during the day. Instead of having French fries
and pizza every meal, make sure that you eat whole grains,
protein, and vegetables. Also try substituting fruit,
vegetables or even pretzels for that bag of Cheetos or Doritos.
And as much as you can, stay away from refined sugars, alcohol,
caffeine and drugs. All may increase anxiety or even lead to
insomnia or headaches.
Healthy Snack Ideas:
·
Baked chips
·
Fruit (apples, grapes, raisins)
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Yogurt
·
Vegetables and dip
·
Granola bar
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Nuts
·
String cheese
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Pretzels
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Popcorn
·
Juice
·
Crackers
Exercise:
Even though you may feel that the last thing you have time for
is to exercise, it has been found to be positive for both
academic and physical fitness. An important part of staying
healthy and energetic is exercising at least 20 minutes a day,
3-4 days a week. There are many things that you can do right
here on campus. You can go for a run outside, go to our fitness
center, go swimming, or play basketball. Many students have
also found it helpful to have an exercise buddy to help stay on
track. It is also important to work out early so that you are
more motivated throughout the day. Many students also find it
helpful to have an exercise buddy to help them keep on track.
Salisbury also offers a wide range of both club and intramural
sports that you can participate in. The following link will
tell you about our campus recreation programs as well as open
gym hours.
http://www.salisbury.edu/campusrec/
Sleep:
Make sure that sleep is not at the bottom of your priorities in
college. You should try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each
night. You are less likely to get colds, fall asleep in class,
or become stressed if you are well rested. Even though in
college it is hard to have a set schedule each day, you should
try to have a sleep schedule where you wake up and go to sleep
around the same time each day. This will help you feel better
and become more alert instead of feeling groggy throughout the
day. Go to sleep when you feel tired, if you are falling asleep
while reading an assignment, you are most likely not getting
much out of what you are reading. The most important this is
just to listen to what your body needs. If you are feeling
tired or a cold coming on, take a nap if you need to, just make
sure that you don’t push yourself too hard or pull too many
all-night study sessions.
Resources:
http://www.medaille.edu/academics/asc/stressmanagement.pdf
www.gocollege.com
http://ww5.hunter.cuny.edu/studentservices/current/healthy
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