The Iglu Guide | Blog
Stay cool, stay healthy
Between study, assessments, uni commitments and social life, making sure you keep a balanced lifestyle with positive nutrition habits can end up low down the consideration list. If on the list at all!
In times gone past we didn’t often associate student living with establishing healthy habits to see us well into adulthood.
But as education has transformed and changed over the years, so has our learning and insight into how the health of both body and mind can be crucial to performance and output – academically and beyond.
Here are five top tips to keep your lifestyle firmly on that healthy track.
1. Balance your diet
Once you’ve got over the excitement of managing your own food shopping, pile all those naughty snacks away into the top cupboard and have a good look in the fridge.
Ensure that you stock up with a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fruit and veg so that you can benefit from this combination with every meal serve. Save those treats for exactly that: the odd treat now and again. There will be times when it’s definitely all about the chocolate!
By maintaining a balanced diet with a variety of foods you will immediately feel the benefits from a boosted immune system, increased energy and improved concentration levels.
2. Keep it moving
When so much time is spent leaning over books and staring down screens it becomes even more important to balance that out with exercise and activity. Don’t panic! This doesn’t have to be about joining a gym, or lifting weights. It can be as simple as getting off the bus a stop or two early to take a short walk as part of your everyday travel routine.
It can be as simple as making some considered and effective lifestyle changes that keep the blood pumping around your body. Activities with friends like biking or dancing can be even more fun – and are proven to generate a higher level of endorphins.
Check out what your university has on offer and encourage others to join you. It’s all about establishing some healthy habits that will benefit you for the rest of your life – and that’s begins now.
3. Stay hydrated
This may well be the age of the coffee bean, just don’t forget to balance out those flat whites with plenty of water. By keeping hydrated we considerably improve our concentration levels, we stay more alert and focussed as well as replenishing our entire body.
It is common to mistake thirst for hunger and tuck into those sugary treats – when really it is our bodies crying out for good old water. By maintaining our bodily fluid levels, we can help improve important functions such as digestion and circulation.
Ditch those fizzy drinks, grab a reusable bottle and embrace the purity of eau naturelle.
4. Catch some zeds
The vast benefits of sleep are hugely underrated and with no one there to tell you to turn in, it’s all too easy to find ways of staying up. Whether it’s meeting deadlines, hanging out with friends, exploring the city or simply a midnight chatter, the reality is that you need between seven to nine hours sleep every night to maintain good health.
Try and stick to a general routine which enables this amount of sleep time and plan out your work schedule in advance so that you don’t have to pull those late nights cramming for deadlines. Avoiding caffeine and sugary treats in the evenings as well as maintaining a regular exercise routine will also help.
Your best work will not be generated by late nights studying, but more from a rested brain that has benefitted from several nights of good quality sleep.
5. Keep on top of stress
It’s easy to get overrun with commitments and learning to balance it all is a skill you will pick up pretty quickly. From academic and social to absorbing new cities and languages, there are times when it can feel impossible to keep all the plates spinning.
This is a classic time for stress levels to rise – particularly around exam season or assessment due dates. It’s important to learn to recognise these signs so that we can self-manage appropriately. Always ensure you have a well planned-out study schedule with all deadlines documented. Take regular study breaks to keep your mind and energies fresh, or plan in some study sessions with friends to switch it up. Keep a balanced diet and aim for regular exercise.
Although stress affects everybody differently and what works for one may not work for another, these checks and balances will all help. If you ever feel anxious or worried at any point, the team at Iglu will always be there to help.
Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash
