With the first day of class encroaching, it's only typical for your defenses to be down. For that reason it's important to take some preemptive action against the things that can weaken you. With that being said, here are some health hacks for you to stay in tip top shape for the school year:

1. Fight sleeplessness.

Stop relying on coffee to keep you awake in the morning. If you’re having a hard time sleeping take 1mg of Melatonin to help you get a good night’s sleep. Melatonin is a non-habit forming vitamin that aids your natural sleep cycle. Chamomile tea is also great for calming nerves. Don’t let stress or nerves keep you up!

2. Don’t get sick.

Sick students are the worst. They sneeze behind you in class and get you sick in less than an hour. Don’t be a sick student. Take a multivitamin daily; these will help keep you strong and healthy. If you do feel like you’re starting to get sick, take some extra vitamin c, like Airborne or Emergen-C, for an extra immunity boost.

3. Stop those weird noises.

Does your stomach make whale mating calls in the middle of class even when you’re not hungry? This is totally normal, it’s just a sign that you’re digesting healthily but if you’re embarrassed, take probiotics or eat yogurt daily. The probiotics will help the digestion process and stop the gurgling sounds.

4. Exercise often.

Avoid the freshman 15! It’s not a myth and they’re harder to lose than you might think. There’s no way around it, just eat healthy proportions and exercise regularly. This will help keep you strong to tackle those 8am classes.

5. Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate.

Water is so important. It’s fine to drink soda and coffee once in a while, but they can dehydrate you easily. (PS: Alcohol dehydrates much more than any other drink.) Students often forget to drink water while walking from class to class and they can become light headed, or nauseated, if they go too long without drinking a glass of water. If you drink a can of soda, drink the same amount of water in order to keep yourself from getting dehydrated. There are tons of benefits to drinking water. Some include better skin, weightloss, and flushing out toxins.

6. Clean your room.

OK, so you finally have your own living space away from your parents, but that doesn’t mean that you can neglect it. Tidy up and disinfect often. Not only will your roommate appreciate your cleanliness, but this will also keep your air clean and protect you from unwanted germs.

7. Mental health is just as important.

Take time out of your day to meditate for a bit. Whether you like to pray in the morning or read before going to bed. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes to yourself doing something relaxing. Give yourself a well needed mental break; this is best done unplugged and far away from bright LEDs.