Meetings. Parties. Dinners. Study Groups. Brunch Dates. Classes. Homework. If you learn one thing while in college, it's that you're busy all the time. Seriously, if you have free time, it's because you're choosing not to join any kind of club, you have forgotten about your social life, or you are a super human who never has to write papers, do homework, or study! The first semester of my freshman year was like this. But, my first semester was also full of things such as: illnesses, forgetfulness, and breakdowns. Why? Because I didn't find any time for myself. When you ignore your body, it will catch up to you and remind you who's the boss in this relationship.

When your only time alone is while you're sleeping, well for some people, at least, you can forget about what is happening to your body. Maybe you don't notice the changes immediately, but after an entire semester of ignoring yourself, you'll see them. Of course, it's different for all kinds of people -- some gain weight, some develop more acne, some have a "never ending cold," and some only experience mental or emotional complications. I developed one of those "never ending colds" my last month of school. I was seriously miserable, and lived off of nighttime cold medicine. This eventually turned into a two-month-long ear and sinus infection. Maybe I'm unlucky, but since I hardly got sick in high school, I knew it was because I wasn't taking care of my body. I was living off of cafeteria food, I was sharing a sink with 25 other girls that was cleaned once a week, and I never stopped to let my body relax and heal itself.

Where am I supposed to find this time? I can't just stop hanging out with friends and never join another club! But here's the thing -- you can. Don't join 10 clubs, don't hang out with every one that asks you to. Just say no. When you spread yourself too thin, there are consequences. Simply taking out 30 minutes of your day to relax, read a book (for fun), or write in a journal can make a world of difference! Sure, that won't keep you from catching the flu, but it sure will help you recognize that you have more than an everyday cold. When your mind is always thinking about what you're next plans with whomever will be, it forgets to think: "how are my emotions handling this situation?" or "why did I really fail that math quiz?"

Remembering to feed your body the nutrients it needs to function in college is so easy. I hate to break it to you, but Taco Bell is not in the food pyramid. French fries with every meal is not healthy. Learn to nourish your body with the correct vitamins and minerals it needs, so you can be a better student, co-worker, and friend. When you're in the caf, make sure you have a colorful plate -- so if it's all yellow, you may want to rethink some of it. When you do little things like this, I promise your body will thank you.

Maybe you need to find time to meditate, or perhaps you just want to sit all alone, under a blanket with your thoughts. Whatever it is you choose, make sure you take care of yourself while in college. Some of your body is still developing, and your brain always is. So, this year, challenge yourself to step away from the stereotypical college life, and spend some time getting to know your body, fueling it for success, and clearing your thoughts from negativity.