Having a Healthy Lifestyle

It can be hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle in college, especially when moving away from home and experiencing a lot of changes in your lifestyle as a whole. For a lot of people, good, healthy habits can slip away with all the changes and we stop looking after ourselves as well as we focus on getting through exams and assignments. A new semester and new year is the perfect time to get back on track and get into healthier routines and habits!

Healthy Eating

As we’ve mentioned in a couple of previous blog posts, eating healthily in college is really important if you want to feel well and study well! Make sure you are eating three good sized meals per day to fill you up and give you lots of energy. Healthy snack like fruit or nuts are also great, just make sure they don’t replace a proper meal! To achieve a balanced diet, it’s a good idea to go back to basics and take a look at the food pyramid, making sure you’re getting food from every tier each day in the right proportions. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just try not to leave any food group out so you get all the nutrients you need!

Drinking Water

It’s important to stay hydrated as you go about your day, especially if you’re doing a lot of walking around campus or back and forth to your accommodation. It can be very easy to forget to drink, so it can be a good idea to get a reusable bottle, fill it up at the start of the day, and aim to drink at least the full bottle. Tea and coffee are great but it’s important to drink some plain water during the day as well to stay healthy and hydrated.

Exercise

Exercise is something a lot of people let slip when they go to college as they get caught up in college work and are out of their routine! Most colleges have a gym on campus that students can use and some even having swimming pools, running tracks or even pitches you can book for an hour or two with your friends. Joining a sport that you play at home or one you’re interested in starting can be a great way to stay in a routine of exercising, as they’ll have a set time for training. If not, try to pick a free slot in your timetable even once a week to go to the gym, go for a run or walk, or any other activity you’d enjoy! Getting a few friends involved can also help motivate all of you to stick to your plan.

Sleep

Sleep is vital for a healthy lifestyle and something a lot of students definitely don’t get enough of! How much sleep you need depends on the person, but in general you should aim for about eight hours, and should try to have a reasonably regular sleep schedule. A lot of people also struggle with sleeping in a different environment than they’re used to, and if you’re finding their hard try using a lavender oil spray on your pillow or around your bedroom or downloading a sleep app on your phone. It’s also a good idea to try stay out of your bed or even your entire bedroom until you’re actually going to sleep, so your body knows that this place is for sleeping only.

Mental Health

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health! All of the tips above will go a long way to keep your mind healthy as well as your body, but it’s also important to maintain a good support system of friends and family and to make sure to talk someone if you’re feeling under pressure or isolated. College is a time in your life when you’re going through a lot of changes and can feel disconnected from the people you’re close to, so small problems can feel so much bigger and it can feel difficult to cope. If you find yourself in this position, make sure to talk to someone you trust and consider seeking help from your college counselors who will always be there to support you.

Party Culture

Another big aspect of college life is, of course, the party culture, and it isn’t always the best thing for your mental and physical health. While it can be good to get out and see your friends, it’s important to make sure you’re still getting enough rest during the week. It’s easy to get burnt out trying to be both the life of the party and the top of the class student! On top of this, it’s important to know your limits around alcohol and what you are and are not comfortable with. Your Student Union Welfare team will have plenty of information around alcohol, substance issues, peer pressure and sexual health, all topics that begin to come to the fore with the college party scene. It’s a good idea to take advantage of all the information they are providing you with and make informed, healthy choices when you do choose to go out!


Remember, if you have any issues with your physical or mental health, there is plenty of support within your college to help you! Your mental health society, the welfare branch of your Student’s Union or your college counselors and doctors are all there to help you and give you advice. Your health and well-being is more important than any assignment and you can’t do well or enjoy any of the non-academic aspects of college if you’re not feeling well. But this is also a time in your life where you have more freedom to make your own choices and live a lifestyle that makes you happy, so college is also the perfect time to get into healthy habits that will last a lifetime!