Improving Overall Wellness

It’s important to partake in healthy lifestyle habits so that you can remain in a positive head space and stay physically healthy. Introducing self-care into your life does wonders for your wellbeing. Check out these tips below that can help improve your overall wellness.

Stretch your Legs

Since many activities have transitioned to a virtual format or have been canceled altogether, many of us have been spending a lot of time indoors. While it is probably very comfortable to take your classes and handle all of your responsibilities from your couch, your body will eventually start to feel some negative effects. To avoid developing major back pain from sitting in front of your laptop for extended periods of time, get up and walk around for a little bit. Either outside, or even just back and forth inside your home. Good posture is also important. Instead of hunching, relax your shoulders. Get a footrest to help you support your upper body. And if you think you might be homebound indefinitely, invest in some lumbar support cushions to make your home workstation a little more ergonomic. Your lower back, neck, and spine will appreciate it in the future!

Take a Break

Whether you’ve been studying for five hours straight or working a particularly long shift at work it can be easy to lose track of time and skip right past your break. When there’s a lot of work to do, it’s common for people to stave off hunger until after they’ve reached the halfway mark on their essay or go straight to work after classes without so much as a thirty minute nap. But having regular meals and rest time is just as important as meeting your deadlines. Make time for a nap when you need one. And eating only when you “have the time” or “feel you have accomplished something” will only weaken your ability to focus and even slow down your work progress. Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day but lunch and dinner are a close second and third. If you have a cupcake waiting for you in the refrigerator but you’re saving it for later when you're less busy, go ahead and eat it! You’re not you when you’re hungry.

Consistent Sleep Schedule

In order to do anything to the best of your ability, you need to maintain a consistent and healthy sleep schedule. Staying up all night, sleeping for three hours, then setting four separate alarms six minutes apart is not conducive to a productive day. And when you have a couple of days to relax, it also isn’t healthy to be curled up sleeping for sixteen hours at a time. An erratic sleep schedule can lead to a number of health issues and leave you feeling even more tired than you were before. It’s best to find a healthy balance between working and resting. If you throw your circadian rhythm into disarray, it’s always a challenge to return to your usual routine. If you have a test coming up, study for a fixed amount of hours and most certainly don’t cram the night before. If you’re on holiday, try to start and end your day close to the times of day you’re used to. And get a bunch of pillows! They’re comfortable and good for back support. At least five should be fine.

Eat Healthy

Putting aside any pressure to gain more muscle or flatten the stomach, it is important to have healthy meals so that your body gets the vitamins and nutrients it needs. Too much of some foods and too little of others can have negative effects on the body. You don’t have to eat only salads or cut out sugar completely but try adding your favorite fruit to your snack rotation. Healthy foods have a reputation of being flavorless and not very good but there are some delicious recipes with dinner favorites like pasta and beef that are good for your cholesterol and your taste buds! Check out this list of easy to make healthy recipes. And as a bonus you might become a talented home cook along the way!

Rehabilitation Services

For people who are dealing with drug or alcohol abuse, seeking help from a rehabilitative program can be the first step in improving overall wellbeing. Your substance related habits can be expensive to maintain, negatively affecting your state of mind, or lead to the development of a life threatening health condition. Work with a counselor to create a treatment plan that is right for you, diligently follow program steps, and reach out to someone if you find yourself struggling. Connect with other people that share your experience and be each other’s support system. Your school or a health center nearby would be a great place to inquire about in-person or virtual programs you can join and start your recovery journey.

Go to the Doctor!

If you start feeling physically unwell, be sure to visit the doctor. It may seem like an obvious wellness solution but it is fairly common for people to put off going to the doctor unless it is absolutely necessary. Many students forgo medical services because they do not have the time or the doctor’s visit could incur an additional expense to take care of. But for the sake of your long term health, it’s best not to treat health maintenance as an inconvenience. If you’re not feeling well or you’ve noticed a worrisome change in your body, try to seek medical attention as soon as you can. Research your medical options so you can calculate any fees beforehand. If there is a medical center on campus it might even be free! It can be difficult to add a trip to the doctor into your schedule but ultimately staying in good health should always be your number one priority.