Health and Wellness Guide for Busy College Students | Educational Lodge

College years are some of the most beautiful years in a person’s life. However, juggling between classes, parties, and possibly some additional work can be quite hard to balance. This kind of lifestyle is especially not compatible with healthy ways of living. We understand the struggle, so we created this health and wellness guide for busy college students.

The first rule – get some sleep

No, we didn’t want to make you laugh. We know what student life feels like. Pulling often all-nighters to keep up with classes and exams on one side and partying hard on the other – it seems like sleep is just not destined to be a part of a busy student’s schedule. That’s precisely why we didn’t start this health and wellness guide for busy college students with stuff like diet or exercise. Lack of sleep is the central issue.

Why is it so important to have a good night’s sleep?

While you sleep, your body takes the opportunity to regenerate. Your pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin – the crucial component of your night sleep and the most potent regenerative molecule. It’s also important to note that, since your pineal gland’s work is based on a circadian rhythm, there are daily peaks of melatonin secretions. For most people, it’s between midnight and 2 am. When you miss the opportunity to sleep during this time (due to various reasons), you’re missing the most regenerative power served to your body.

There’s no good memory without a good night’s sleep

This is why you wake up cranky the next day, or you can’t fall asleep at the proper time – you’ve ruined your circadian rhythm. Melatonin is especially important for your neurons. All those synapses that you make by memorizing stuff during the day need to be strengthened during the regenerative period at night. So, keep in mind that failing to have a good night’s rest can affect your memory potential. As a result, it can affect your grades and education in a way you don’t want it to.

Ditch the energy drinks

At the risk of losing your attention at this spot, we need to say it – give that Red Bull up if you want to improve your health and overall performance. We’re not even going to start mixing energy drinks with alcohol at parties (we know that it would be in vain), but we have to cover the everyday addiction to energy drinks that most students have.

Caffeine addiction is a real struggle

Energy drinks are filled with the most different types of harmful sugar (even the zero-sugar ones). Also, they have concentrated caffeine in them. Yes, that can be quite helpful when you have to pull an all-nighter. But, when you start using it regularly, you can easily get addicted to it.

You’ll feel it by not being able to wake up and function without a strong coffee or an energy drink. If you try to ditch it at once, you’ll feel the side effects in their full force. So, make sure to first decrease the amount of caffeine you drink and then stop taking it daily after a while.

Hit the gym regularly

One of the things that can help you fight caffeine addiction is regular cardio and exercise. We know that it can be almost impossible to put some gym time into your already hectic schedule. But, if you manage to do so, you’ll feel grateful that you did. Regular exercise will improve your:

• cardiovascular system
• body image
• mental health

There are so many benefits

Having regular physical activity is not only a great hobby but will define your cardiovascular and skeletomuscular system. In other words, you’ll improve your body both on the inside and out. This is especially important for people your age. Also, half an hour of quality exercise will increase your dopamine and endorphin levels. That means that you’ll feel more satisfied and energized after it. So, your urge to drink coffee and energy drinks will deplete.

Take care of your mental health

In a busy schedule, mental hygiene is one of the most undermined things. Make sure to always have some time to yourself, to breathe. Also, surround yourself with people who make you a better version of yourself. This is one of the ”passive” but most effective ways to keep your mental health at a good level.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that proper organization of your time can have a significant impact. Try not to do too much stuff on short notice. However, sometimes you must do it – like packing for storage on short notice. In that case, make sure to put away some items in an organized matter and do it with help from a friend or even moving professionals. Put your mental well-being first.

Stay away from fast food

Okay, now you definitely want to personally leave us to burn in hell, but again, we need to say it. No, we don’t want to take away your God-given right to a delicious slice of pizza on a movie night. But we want to encourage you to avoid making it the focal point of your diet. Make sure to eat your vegetables in order to help your brain work properly and to feel more energized during your busy days.

Final thoughts

Keeping your body and mind ”in shape” is the key to success in both your professional and personal schedule. Following this health and wellness guide for busy college students can help you do that. Even though some of the things may seem impossible to do, with a little effort, you can get the hang of it. Think about all the benefits you can gain from doing each of the things, no matter how hard they might be at first. You can perfectly balance all the essential things in your life with a bit of consistency and effort. So, start today and make these years of your life years to remember.