Is it possible to stay healthy in college? It seems hard to achieve considering the hectic academic schedule. When you are not studying, you just want to unwind and do fun things that have nothing to do with health such as hanging out with friends or going to parties. However, it is important to focus on maintaining good health if you are going to live long enough to enjoy the fruits of your hard work in school. Therefore it is vital that you make a conscious effort to adapt and maintain healthy habits throughout your days of schooling in college.

Things you can do to stay healthy at university

Many of the things that we do to promote good mental and physical health are simple, but they require discipline to make it work. Hence, you should decide from the get-go to be consistent with these habits to benefit from them. Some of them you can do with friends while others you can only do by yourself. Overall, if you commit yourself, you will notice a positive effect on your mental and physical well-being as well as your performance.

1. Eat three healthy meals a day

Students often overlook meals in favor of snacks and energy drinks. Such behavior is detrimental to health and also affects the way that we process information. It’s good to make a habit of eating three meals in a day without fail if you want to stay healthy in college.

Make sure the food you eat is balanced and healthy and also include lots of fruits, vegetables, and water in your diet. Stay away from fast foods because they are a quick route to unhealthy weight gain and they are not good brain food either. Instead, stick to wholesome foods that will give you lots of energy and brain power to tackle your workload in school.

2. Stay active

Although you are committed to your coursework, you cannot afford to lead a sedentary life. Most students are always seated somewhere studying, sleeping in their rooms or partying. Few give any attention to exercise, and yet it’s the best way to alleviate stress, promote mental acuity and maintain good health.

So, ensure that you exercise for at least thirty minutes each day if you want to stay healthy. Enroll in school clubs such as track and field, rowing, swimming, dancing, polo and others that encourage you to stay active. Walk often around campus and always take the stairs. These habits will help you remain physically fit and also boost your brain thinking capacity as well as help you deal with stress.

3. Moderate fun times

Most students like to de-stress after a hard week of studies or exams with partying and other fun activities. However, others make a habit of partying non-stop and giving no attention to their studies. If you spend too much time partying, you may expose yourself to excessive amounts of alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs that will do you no good.

Apart from the substance abuse that goes on in parties, many students don’t get enough sleep. Such a life is a recipe for disaster and can only lead to bad decisions, terrible grades, and ill health. So if you must party, do it in moderation and minimize your intake of alcohol and smoking.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

It is essential that you seek and have a good relationship with adults and other students in your school that you can turn to for help when affected by any problem. Having stress and not seeking support is one of the primary reasons for ill health in university students and when unchecked, it can lead to depression.

Many students have problems but choose to keep quiet and end up falling into unhealthy habits that compromise their health as they try to cope. Instead of becoming such a statistic, create healthy relationships with your professors that you can trust and talk to when you feel overwhelmed by coursework.

If you have a school doctor or nurse, make sure you approach them with any health issues you are facing. Also, talk to your fellow students as they are often facing the same pressure you are experiencing. Sharing any problem, whether health-related, emotional or psychological, will help you avoid serious ailments and help you stay focused on school work.

5. Get enough sleep

Although it may seem like a good idea to study all night, it compromises your immunity, depletes your focus and causes your body to feel fatigued. It’s crucial that you create a schedule that allows you to sleep for a minimum of six hours every day to stay healthy at school.

Sleep gives your body and mind enough time to rest and recharge so that you are sharp enough to tackle your studies the next day. It also doesn’t hurt to take a short nap during the day whenever you feel overwhelmed, especially during breaks, such as lunchtime.

6. Shower often

Unfortunately, many students on campuses do not have regular showers. Well, the result of seldom taking a shower is that you stink! It can also cause skin ailments due to the accumulation of dirt. However, one adverse effect of not showering is fatigue.

Bathing or showering often is a great way to rejuvenate and release stress. If you don’t shower regularly, you will find that you feel sluggish, and find it hard to engage in your daily activities fully. Therefore, make a habit of showering each day to alleviate fatigue and keep your body fresh and clean.

7. Get tested and use protection

Your sexual health is just as important as your physical and mental health. You should always get tested before you engage in any sexual activity. Also, use a condom every time to prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancy. Promiscuity is rife in universities because there is a lot of freedom. Do not engage in reckless sexual activities as it can ruin your future either by causing you to get an unwanted pregnancy, or causing you to contract a deadly sexually transmitted disease that will cast a dark shadow on your life.

8. Have a schedule

You need to have a program to be able to navigate through your school work and handle other activities, such as sports successfully. Make sure your plan also gives you ample time to rest and have fun. If you follow your schedule, you are unlikely to get overwhelmed by the challenges that school presents to you. You will also be able to achieve more academically as you will be organized and prepared at all times.

9. Get mentors!

One of the reasons we get overwhelmed in school is because we lack advisors. If you want to stay healthy at college, especially where your mental health is concerned,  you need mentors! Your mentors should be people who have done the same course as you are doing, are pursuing the kind of job you would like to have, or those that you can look up to for general life guidance. By having such a group of mentors and advisors, you will be able to handle the stress and challenges of university life without getting stressed or overwhelmed.

If you want to stay healthy at college, these are a few things you can do. Always remember that you have such a short time to master your course and prepare yourself for a life in the job market. Invest in habits that will provide you with a bright future, even as you enjoy campus life. Maintaining good health is very important if you want to become a success in school. So make sure you adopt healthy habits and stick to them.

Lori Longoria is a writer, blogger and much more. An interior designer. An artist. An entertainer. AND a person who genuinely loves interior design and the people living in it 😉 You can visit me at walkinshowers.org.