College is a big step. Moving into a new place makes the most confident among us just a little nervous. Add to that an extremely busy schedule, where students are expected to manage and balance stuff they have never managed and balanced before, you can begin to understand why students begin to neglect their health …there is just so much to do! Without some deliberate attention, new students can start to skip breakfast, live on junk food and shift sleeping hours to times when they should be in class. The results are often unhealthy pounds, less energy and focus, and disappointing performance.
So why not plan for a healthy life style while coordinating residence hall rooms with soon-to-be roommates. Without making health a priority, it is unlikely to get proper attention.
Plan to attend to the basics - eat breakfast (as well as regular meals), include fruits and vegetables, take a vitamin, get regular exercise and get some sleep. Your students need to plan to eat well. Stock up with healthy snacking options and limit those items high in fat and sugar. Make it harder to get the junk food most of us crave. Those foods pack on the pounds and provide limited nutrition to sustain a busy student schedule. But leave a little space for an occasional treat, with emphasis on the “occasional”!
With busy student schedules, eating has to be easy. Eating in the cafeteria ensures healthy options are available …no preparation involved. Your student can even check on-line and plan the menu before walking in the door. But when students miss the cafeteria line, make sure there are some healthy alternatives back in the room.
And then there is stress - recognize and deal with it appropriately. Some students crumble and others fight stubbornly against it. Accept that stress will surely play some role in college life. It is important to find good balance – time for studies, time for relaxing, time for exercise and time for social activities. Attending to each area provides the opportunity to more effectively reduce stress. And it all goes a lot better with sleep. Most of us need 7 to 9 hours, preferably at night, when there is less conflict with class.
Finally, put time for exercise on the calendar and make exercise a priority. Students, who set aside an hour for exercise each day, use remaining study time more effectively than those who don’t.
It all sounds pretty simple – eat right, get a little exercise, adequate sleep, and manage stress. It’s just hard to do.
I thought the following links about staying healthy were pretty good. You or your student might find these helpful.
http://coldflu.about.com/od/prevention/tp/Health-in-College.htm
http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/college101.html
http://www.rncentral.com/nursing-library/careplans/101_health_and_wellness_tips_for_college_students
