Happy Monday, Readers! I hope the weekend treated you well and you had a relaxing time full of rejuvenation.
Speaking of relaxation and rejuvenation, I feel like every person I’ve encountered lately has either just gotten over, is just coming down with, or is right in the middle of a cold. This semester is taking its toll on people, and the question at the forefront of my mind right now is: how does a student, especially a busy senior with so much on their plate, stay healthy physically and mentally?
- The first step to staying healthy is knowing your body and the signs of illness or exhaustion. For me, I know my body well enough to know that whenever I get just a twinge of a sore throat, it’s time to put my preventative health skills into action and slow down.
- To prevent illness, you need take care of your body. This means giving yourself “me time” so that you have time to regroup from your busy day-to-day life. This also includes getting enough sleep at night (7–8 hours) and eating a healthy diet. Trust me, if I only get five hours of sleep each night and eat french fries every day for dinner, my body pays for it and I feel gross at the end of the week.
- The only way to combat that gross feeling is to exercise. Finding your balance of how many times per week and for how long is tricky, especially when you’re going from place to place so often; however, being active at least three days a week is usually what I try to aim for. Sometimes (ok, let’s be honest – most times) that doesn’t work out and I end up working out only one or two days, so I try to be active and walk to class from my off campus house instead of driving. I’ve discovered that any activity, no matter how small it is, helps my body feel good.
- Finally, if you do get sick, give yourself time to recover – don’t rush the recovery process! Contact the Health Center if needed, but resting is always a good idea. Besides, who doesn’t want an extra couple days to sleep?
Although I’ve only listed four ways to help keep you healthy, only you truly know your body and know what is good for it when you start to get sick. Keeping busy has its benefits, but make sure that if you do get sick, you take time for yourself to recover so that you can get back on your feet in a short amount of time.
Until next time!
