About halfway through the semester, college students start feeling the stress of having too much to do, and not enough time to do it. Drowning in midterms and papers, while also staying involved and being social, students sometimes put their health on the back burner. But, in order to succeed mentally, we must also be conscious of taking care of our bodies physically. Here are five easy tips to keep in mind when your busy schedule makes it hard to stay healthy:
1. Drink Water. LOTS of it.
Staying hydrated is rule number one in living a healthy lifestyle. Not only does water provide our body with necessary nutrients, it also can prevent headaches, make your skin clearer and help with weight loss. Think about cutting out soda and energy drinks - this will decrease your sugar intake and help shed some extra pounds.
2. Plan out your meals ahead of time
Don't wait until it's 10 p.m. to realize you haven't eaten all day. Despite what your stomach is telling you, McDonald's drive-thru is not the way to go. Planning your meals ahead of time will help you avoid these situations and stay on track. Try to plan your meals the night before, to minimize the amount of time that is needed to prepare them - have the chicken already thawed or cut the vegetables ahead of time. Having an idea of your meals for the day will also help you decide when to snack (if necessary). Another option can be to meal prep for the entire week on the weekends and heat up your meals as you go through the week.
3. Substitute when you can
When there are healthier options available – substitute them in! Have carrot chips with hummus instead of pita chips, low-fat yogurt instead of cereal, lettuce wraps instead of tortilla shells or fruit instead of candy. These little substitutions can consciousmake a difference in keeping your eating as clean as possible. There will be times when you have no other options, so save the extra calories for when your only option is the chips from the vending machine in the library.
4. Snack Mindfully!
When preparing your meals for the next day, also portion out your snacks. It can be easy to devour an extra-large bag of trail mix while studying (trust me). conscious manage the number of calories you are snacking on, put proper portions into containers that you can take with you to avoid mindlessly overeating. If you plan accordingly, you should consider having two to three meals a day, with very minimal snacking in between.
5. Walk!
When the gym just isn't fitting into your schedule, chose to walk to class instead of driving or taking the bus. Exercise is not only good for the body, but also for the mind. Physical activity is proven to relieve stress and stimulate brain connectivity that can improve your mood. Staying active is a conscious factor in living a healthy lifestyle.
