Midterms are upon us, and some of our healthy habits have either disappeared or were never existent... And it's time to do something about it.
There are habits that are necessary for our physical health, and we often don't realize how imperative these habits are to having our best semester yet. So here's a list of 6 habits we all need to adopt to take care of our bodies.
1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night
We've all heard this a thousand times, but making it a reality is a whole other story. Hopefully some of the following tips will help us finally clock those 7 hours on a regular basis.
Why do we need that much sleep? Besides some of the obvious reasons, getting enough sleep is essential for our skin. Do you go through ruts where your skin is exceptionally dry, or oily, or you get your worst breakouts? Me too. One reason could be lack of sleep.
According to the Help Guide, if you have a hard time staying awake in classes or tend to feel drowsy in the afternoon, or if you fall asleep after just five minutes of laying in bed, you are not getting enough sleep.
While we are sleeping, our body is busy at work making repairs and doing preventative maintenance. Don't deny your body that time!
2. Speaking of skin, wash and moisturize it.
The American Academy of Dermatology suggests that you wash your face twice a day, and to never sleep in makeup! We can't let laziness be the reason that our skin is suffering. It is crucial to wash your face and moisturize it. Men need to give their skin some attention, too.
When washing your face, don't exfoliate harder, exfoliate longer. Additionally, don't just be careful what you put on your skin, but also to what you put in your body. It is highly recommended to have a healthy diet and minimal alcohol, hot temperatures and spicy food for the best skin. One last tip is to avoid "Unscented" skincare, which may contain aromatic essential oils which could still irritate sensitive skin, and go for "Fragrance free", instead.
3. Don't forget about your hair
"A daily intake of iron, vitamin D, zinc, and B-complex vitamins will improve the health of your hair", suggests Dr. Melissa Piliang. Additionally, most women only need to wash their hair three times a week. Washing your hair any more than that can dry it out and cause it to break.
4. Exercise
Could I talk about physical health and not mention exercise? It is not easy to fit in exercise when you are a full-time student who works a million hours a week and has this and that other responsibilities.
But at some point, we have to stop making excuses. Here are 11 exercises to do in a 30 minute workout-- no gym necessary! One of my favorite methods of exercising is to watch workout videos on YouTube. They're free, short, and you have millions of videos to choose from, so you can work specific muscle groups every day! Don't be deceived-- ten minute videos do not equal easy workouts.
5. Eat well
Check out this article for the ideal diet. Carbohydrates are on the list, but so are protein and vegetables-- it's all about balance. Eating Made Easy also gives a measurement breakdown of exactly the recommended amounts for each food group. They suggest planning ahead: only have one "splurge" per day, and plan so that one splurge doesn't turn into two or three or ten.
6. Give your brain a break!
Ways to do this include spending time doing something you love, going outside, napping, and doing absolutely nothing. A UC Study in 2011 revealed that we take in 174 newspapers' worth of information every day. We need to give our brain a break for that reason alone.
Another suggestion is to let your mind wander. We tend to be most aware of ourselves and the most creative and productive when we give ourselves time to just wander in our minds. Instead of hopping on your phone to take a break from homework, which we're all prone to do, try just sitting still, in silence, and see if that helps to rejuvenate you.
We are busy, overworked, and constantly thinking about the next thing. Taking time to reevaluate and restart healthy habits to help us both physically and mentally could be the key to making this semester truly successful.