Stay Happy and Healthy!
You may be realizing or have already realized that college is very demanding in all facets. It is important to establish solid self-care and wellness practices that you can continue throughout your life. Use the beginning of this semester to develop a health and wellness routine that works for you and stick to it! Here is a small guide to lead you in the right direction for physical and mental health:
Nutrition
Nutrition is one of the more difficult health items to conquer while in college. With fast food and sugary caffeinated drinks, most students struggle to eat healthy.
- Avoid liquid calories – These calories are the easiest to forget about. Substitute your sugary soda for a sugar-free option. When it comes to coffee, ask for non-fat milk instead of whole milk and make it sugar-free too!
- Eat healthier on a meal plan – It can be very tempting to chose pizza and burgers for every meal but those aren’t always the healthiest options. Take the time to look at the nutrition facts at each station or visit Dine on Campus (www.dineoncampus.com/ttu) for full menu items. You can also live chat or stop by their office and discuss meal options or your diet with a registered dietician.
Exercise
Exercise routines can be difficult to start. Consider scheduling time for a moderate workout two or three times a week! If you aren’t sure what to do for a workout, you can contact or visit the Fitness Center staff for assistance in creating a workout and learn how to properly use the equipment!
- Walking and biking to class – You may think that this is a no brainer, but it’s a great way to get multiple small workouts throughout the day. Try getting to campus early, parking in the outer lots and walk or bike around campus before your class begins!
- Find a fun workout – Intramurals are a wonderful way to get involved while working out! There are also many clubs that focus on different physical activities, so visit the Student Engagement and Intramurals websites to see what’s available!
- Hike and explore – Cookeville is centrally located from multiple state parks and hiking trails! If you enjoy being outside and exploring new places, grab a few friends and visit multiple trails throughout the semester.
Stress management
Stress management is more prominent issues for college students throughout their entire career. It’s easy for everyone to suppress that stress and let it build up inside but it’s not good for your overall health.
- Know the warning signs – Once you learn to recognize how your body reacts to stress, you can better cope with it and control it. You could experience headaches, upset stomach, rapid heartbeat, loss of appetite, craving of certain food, or irritability.
- Relieve your stress – Each person is unique and requires different stress relieving techniques. Try different activities that will help you cope with stress like exercising, meditating, listening to music, or participating in an activity that you enjoy!
- Prioritize happiness – Surprisingly, happiness has a direct effect on your overall health and can even decrease your stress! Throughout this semester, remember to do things that make you genuinely happy and benefit you.
Sleep and rest
Sleep and rest are very important to your daily success! Each person needs a unique amount of sleep to feel rested and recharged, so make sure to figure out what works best for you.
- Importance – With your busy schedule, you may not prioritize your sleep. The complete purpose for sleep isn’t known, but scientists have concluded that your brain utilizes the time that your asleep. Throughout the day your brain is taking in an incredible amount of information and it needs that time that you’re asleep to process and store that information.
- Sleep-only zone – Living in a small space like your residence hall or apartment makes it almost impossible to not study in the same space you sleep, but try making your bed a sleep-only zone to re-associate your bed as a place of sleep instead of work.
