Staying Healthy

Staying healthy becomes one of the key determinants of your great success in personal and academic life. Why? It’s simply because when your health is good, you'll not only do better in school, but you'll also be happier. That sounds right, doesn’t it? Many people, including myself, might think that “staying healthy” is all about exercising to burn calories. If you think so, well, we may miss a lot of the pictures. In this section, let’s figure out all the things that we, as students, can do to keep our bodies healthy.

First: Eating Well

The best way to diet is to eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and as little fat, sugar, and salt as possible. How much you need depends on how active you are and how many calories you need, but you don't have to count calories or measure and weigh your food to eat well.

Wondering about some TIPS for success here?

Every day, eat a variety of foods.
Every day, take a multivitamin.
Bring an apple or banana with you as a snack in case you get hungry between meals.
Don't eat fried foods.
Sugary foods should be avoided. The high is followed by a crash that can make you sleepy and hard to pay attention in class. Avoid cereals that are high in sugar. Instead, try cereals that have less sugar and more fiber.
If you drink a lot of soft drinks, try flavored seltzer and other drinks that have no calories or few calories.
Eat when you're hungry, not just because other people are eating or because you're bored.
Try a salad the next time you're at a fast-food place.

Second: Exercise

When it comes to working out, it's important to keep at it. It doesn't matter how often you do it as much as how often you do it and how much you improve. Work out to reach an exercise goal, like lifting more weight, running faster, or perfecting a yoga pose. This is more mentally and physically rewarding than putting on sneakers to lose weight.

Third: Sleep Deep

Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, with eight being the average. Some people say they only need a few hours of sleep, but their actions during the day often show that they are actually sleep-deprived. Some people really only need about six hours of sleep a night. According to new research, there may be a "sleep gene" that tells a person how much sleep they need. So exactly how much sleep do you need?

There is no easy answer, in part because how well a person sleeps is just as important as how long they sleep. You can't just count the hours because sleeping badly for nine hours and waking up during the night is usually worse than sleeping well for seven or eight hours. Do you feel rested and alert most of the day? Do you find it easy to get out of bed in the morning without having to fight with your alarm clock? You don't have any trouble listening to your professors, and you don't get sleepy when they talk? Do you always feel like you need to drink more coffee or "power drinks" with a lot of caffeine to stay awake? Are you able to work all day without getting tired? If you said yes to all of these, you are probably one of the 10% to 15% of college students who always get enough sleep.

Fourth: Check in with Yourself Regularly

Keep an eye on your mood and energy by keeping a journal or practicing meditation. Listening to your body's physical, emotional, and mental cues and noticing any red flags in your mood and energy will tell you when you might be pushing yourself too hard and need a break. A regular meditation practice can help clear the mind and sharpen focus.

Fifth: Celebrate Yourself

It's important to give yourself praise and rewards as you work to finish your work. Give yourself permission to feel relief, pride, and growth after you finish a hard task, especially if it is part of a bigger milestone or body of work. These quiet times can make your body release endorphins and help you regain your focus, so you can get back to studying. It's also important to take credit for your successes and listen to compliments from others. Also, look for the parts of larger group projects that you are good at and enjoy doing. Using your skills to help others is a very reassuring thing to do.

Sixth: Stay Mindful of Your Long-Term Goals

When you lose sight of why you started doing your study (bachelor's, master's, or even Ph.D.) that doesn't have immediate short-term results, think back to why you started doing it in the first place (s). This will help you find your "why" again, lower your stress, and see your study as a chance to learn and grow. This new way of looking at things also works for hard tasks. Instead of seeing them as a chance to prove yourself, approach them with curiosity and self-compassion.