5 Minute Stress Relievers

In a moment of stress when it appears that each minute passing feels like a life or death, pass or fail situation, taking 5 minutes to regroup may be the one thing you need to put yourself back together. Here are 3 simple stress relievers to help you on bring it all back together.

 

1. Take a deep breath. Start with your diaphragm expanding the belly and moving up the rib cage opening the chest to its fullest capability then exhaling through the chest down the ribcage and then the belly. Repeat 3-5 times.

 

2. Identify your stressors of the moment. Ask yourself, "What is most important at this moment?,' and take a few minutes to find a solution.

 

3. Put your solution into action. Once you have identified a way to fix or reduce the stressor test it out to see if it works and what you can do in the future to decrease the chance of repeating the stressor.

 

To read more about ways to reduce stress view our previous post Three Steps to Managing Stress

The Importance of Daily Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, this truth is often forgotten or neglected by students in the usual rush each morning. Research has shown that many benefits come from eating breakfast regularly. Do we recognize their significance?

Breakfast provides needed energy. After a night of sleep, our bodies are low on sugar and breakfast replenishes the energy needed to start the new day. A good breakfast will not only provide energy for our body and mind to function, but will also increase our overall performance both physically and mentally.

Breakfast leads to better nutrition.When we eat a good breakfast each morning, we are more likely to make better choices nutritionally throughout the day. We aren’t as likely to grab a high-fat, high-sugar snack before lunch and we don’t miss out on important vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients we could have had in the morning.

Breakfast improves school performance. Studies suggest that eating a good breakfast can lead to better school performance. In a study conducted at a community college in Texas, researchers compared the exam scores of biology students who had eaten breakfast that morning to students who had not eaten breakfast. Out of the 65.5% of students who had eaten breakfast, over 70% of them received a “C” or higher on their exam. In comparison, only 50% of the students who did not eat breakfast received a “C” or higher. In addition, other research has found that breakfast helps students concentrate better in the classroom.

Finally, breakfast helps maintain a healthy body weight. Many studies have suggested that those who eat breakfast are generally thinner than those who skip breakfast regularly.

Here are a few tips to help you implement a better breakfast each morning.
1. Plan what you are going to eat the night before. This will help you save time in the morning and stick to your schedule.
2. Get up fifteen minutes earlier. Fifteen minutes is enough time to make and eat a good breakfast.
3. Pick 2-3 foods for your morning meal. They should include bread or grains, fruit or vegetables, and milk or milk products. Some recommended breakfast items include oatmeal, an egg, toast, yogurt, fruit, whole grain cereal, or a blended fruit drink.
4. Have some grab-n-go breakfast foods available for rushed mornings. Items like low-fat yogurt, fruit, or whole grain cereal or granola bars are easy to eat on the go and will sustain you for the morning.

For a simple breakfast recipe visit our previous post 3 Quick-n-Healthy Meals for Singles.

References
"The Importance of Breakfast!" Thrive - Campus Health Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

Phillips, Gregory W. "Does Eating Breakfast Affect the Performance of College Students on Biology Exams?" Bioscene: Journal of College Biology Teaching 30.4 (2005): 15-19. ERIC. Association of

 College and Biology Educators. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.
"Why You Should Eat a Healthy Breakfast." Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

Time Management

Stephen R. Covey said, The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. School, extra-curricular activities, social life, finances, and church callings; keeping life balanced with only 24 hours to manage it all in a single day may seem difficult. Developing good time management skills to schedule your semester, month, week, day, and even hour can be the winning card that pulls you through the competitive game of today. So what are the ways to get the most out of your day?

Identify how you spend your time. Record and assess how you spend your time for a week, 7 days. This will give you a general idea of the “cop outs” in your schedule that can be eliminated.

Begin with the semester. Consider all priorities for the semester (i.e. grades, work, social, extra-curricular activities, and other responsibilities) and where they rank from most to least important. Plan your semester according to those priorities. Once you have registered for classes create a calendar of when assignments are due and any other responsibilities you may have.

Plan out the week and schedule each day. Start with the essentials (i.e. sleep, classes, nutrition, exercise, etc.) then fill in the gaps. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to organizing your week, everyone does it a little differently. Some like organizing responsibilities with 3x5 ca

rds, planners, notebooks, or daily dockets. It’s about finding what works for you.

Finally, it’s okay to say no. Remember what is most important to you. If asked to go out with a friend when your quiz is due or complete an extra assignment that conflicts with another priority it’s okay to say no. You can always propose another option such as: could we get together another day or I have another priority to complete but I know someone who would be equally as great for the assignment if they are available.

For more help on Time Management visit the BYU-Idaho Counseling Center Website.

References:

UI. (n.d.). Time Management. Brigham Young University - Idaho. Retrieved March 26, 2013, from http://www.byui.edu/counseling-center/self-help/time-management

Time Management Strategies for Improving Academic Performance. (n.d.). Virginia Tech . Retrieved March 26, 2013, from www.ucc.vt.edu/lynch/timemanagement.htm

Simple Truths of Weight Loss

According to webmd.com, “Your weight is determined by the number of calories you eat each day minus what your body uses.” If you are consuming more food than you burn then the result will most likely be weight gain. The process of weight loss then becomes a balancing act between nutrition and exercise.

Nutrition. Understanding caloric consumption and the amount of calories within food and beverages are necessary for creating a nutrition plan. Every person is different and so the amount of calories one consumes will be different from another.

The USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states in the following in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010,  “The total number of calories a person needs each day varies depending on a number of factors, includ¬ing the person’s age, gender, height, weight, and level of physical activity. In addition, a desire to lose, maintain, or gain weight affects how many calories should be consumed.” The good news is, there are free resources are becoming more available to help calculate an average caloric intake, depending on the factors above to meet your individual needs. The following app and website are accessible to you get started on your way to a healthier lifestyle:

My Fitness Pal App  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
Super Tracker from USDA https://www.supertracker.usda.gov

Exercise. Participating in regular physical activity helps maintain weight and increases the ability to carry out daily activities. For recommended exercise guidelines view our post by following the link, Recommended Exercises. Remember when creating an exercise plan to start small, simple, and within current fitness level.  Utilize the resources available to you on campus as a BYU-Idaho student; such as the Fitness Center (Hart Gym) or the Wellness Center to give you a baseline of your current fitness level, create goals, and build a personal program.

References:

(2012, June 23). Exercise and weight loss. Retrieved from WebMD website: http://www.webmd.com/diet/exercise-weight-control

The U.S. Departments Of Agriculture (USDA) And Health And Human Services (HHS). (2010, December). Exercise and weight loss. Retrieved from Health.gov website: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2010.asp