College is a stressful and busy time of life for all, but prioritizing your health can help make this time less stressful. Below are some tips for staying healthy while attending a college away from home.
Prioritize sleep. Students who are working or studying long hours may experience periods of sleep deprivation. This can cause daytime sleepiness, sluggishness, and difficulty concentrating or making decisions. Chronic fatigue is often linked with overeating because many people eat more when they are tired. Plan to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night to reap the benefits of being alert and energized.
Eat well and stay hydrated. A healthy diet can help improve mental alertness, concentration, and memory. You are able to be more efficient with your time, and perform better on your school work if you eat healthy. To eat well you must have options that are healthy. Buy fruits and vegetables to take with you on campus. When you go too long without eating you are more likely to eat unhealthier foods, and spend more money buying food, than you would have if you had planned ahead and brought food with you. If you need assistance about how to make your food choices healthier you can visit the Wellness Center on campus and sign up for a nutrition analysis. For more information visit http://www2.byui.edu/CampusWellness/
Schedule time for exercise. Exercise is important to your body's overall health. A good suggestion is to schedule in exercise like you would study time or class time to lessen the temptation of skipping it. If you find being in a gym boring you can go out and walk around the campus or join intramural teams for free, and participate in a sport that you enjoy. We have a Fitness Center on campus that is free for student use that is able to help you meet your activity goals. For more information about the Fitness Center go to http://www.byui.edu/activities/wellness/fitness-center.
Minimize your stress level. While some stress in college is inevitable, other stress is often brought upon ourselves. We can minimize our stress levels by avoiding procrastinating, not over-scheduling ourselves, being organized, and scheduling some time for ourselves to just have fun.
Above all make you sure you enjoy your new surrounding. Change is a process not an experience. We wish you the best of luck.
BYU-Idaho Student Health Center
