Drinking More Water

Sometimes it’s not our fault. Most of the time we do it unconsciously, and we simply forget basic things we need to do in order to keep our body in a healthy state while being busy taking care of our brains and working it constantly for our assignments, exams, and so on. Still, remembering to do a few things every now and then every day, or pushing yourself to create new and uncomplicated habits can help you immensely on the long run - by making sure we’re healthy, we’re making it easier for our brain to retain information and focus for a longer period of time.

This post contains a few tips followed by a series of resources that will helpfully aid you get your healthy habits on track! 

Drinking more water

This might not be a priority while you’re revising for your subjects, but while it won’t take you more than a few seconds every now and then to take a sip or two from your water bottle, it can also bring you a bunch of benefits. You’re losing great amounts of water every day, so you need to   replace it by drinking it back - it will help you think more clearly, relieve fatigue and keep concentrated.

It can be hard if you’re not used to it, so you can start small, with 1 liter a day (33 oz).

Try to slowly increase you intake to 2 liters (which is about eight 8-ounce glasses of water, and hence why people say you should drink about 8 glasses of water per day)

Keeping a water bottle with you to track your intake is the best way to go about it!

Using apps such as the Drink Water app is really useful so you remember throughout the day how much you’ve drank and how much you still have left. This app is my favorite but is only available for iOS, but there are tons of similar apps for any kinds of devices out there!

Eating healthier

You don’t need to change your entire diet overnight and suddenly start incorporating veggies to every meal (but, if you already do, great!), but you can always do a few things that will slowly improve your diet without having to spend a lot of money or having to learn how to cook complex recipes. 

Try switching soft drinks during meals with water more often - this way you’ll also help achieving your daily water intake goal faster

You don’t have to stop eating junk food - just leave it for the weekend

If you don’t have a lot of time to prepare meals, instead of eating instant food like ramen all the time, try healthier alternatives such as sandwiches which are really easy to prepare and that can contain a bunch of nutritional ingredients

Another idea for students who don’t have a lot of time to prepare meals, you could try meal prepping (further reading + resources on this bellow)

Use your favorite fruits as your quick, to-go snack instead of processed snacks

Meal Prep 101

38+ Meal Prep Easy Ideas

19 Healthy Sandwiches with 5 Ingredients or Less

Exercising

By exercising I don’t mean that you have to start going to the gym a few times a week or going for a run every day. However, moving your body a little more every week can help you tremendously. Exercising can help reduce anxiety and stress and increases your energy levels. By increasing you heart rate, you’re aiding the flow of oxygen and blood to your brain, and it later can help you relax and improve your sleep, too. There’s a few easy ways that you can start moving around more without having to go hardcore or even leaving your home: 

Try pilates! There are so many quality youtube channels online that have great videos on apartment-friendly pilates workouts, and most of them are pretty quick too

Yoga is also a good alternative - it works your muscles and flexibility and there are a bunch of yoga routines that have the aim of specifically helping with anxiety, stress, insomnia, and other things you might be going through because of school

If you’re not a fan of running, you can always try power-walking (or just regularly walking, if you prefer) around your neighborhood or at the gym for an hour or so, every day or a few days a week

If you wish to join and gym and complete full, heavy workouts but don’t find the time to do so, remember that exercising two days a week for an hour - or even less than that - can also bring you benefits and you don’t have to sacrifice a lot of time. By keeping a healthy diet throughout the week and working out two days a week, you can also achieve your fitness goals without compromising your school time!

Youtube Channel: blogilates (pilates)

Youtube Channel: POPSUGAR Fitness (pilates)

Youtube Channel: Yoga with Adriene (for yoga, obviously - one of my fave channels!)

Improving your sleep

Sleep has a major influence in our day since it affects our mood and our energy levels. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, here are some tips: 

Bit obvious, but don’t consume caffeine drinks later in the day, even if you have to stay up a little bit later to complete an assignment - once you’re done and ready to sleep, you’ll find that you can’t! 

You can power-naps, but remember to keep them short (not longer than 30min) and not frequent

Try to keep a consistent sleeping pattern - your body will get used to it if you start going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day

Don’t use your phone/computer before going to sleep. Try to stop using your devices an hour before going to bed, because the bright lights might affect your sleep. If absolutely necessary, turn on the night shift on your phone, and you can also download F.lux for your device, which automatically “warms up” your computer display as it gets nearer to your bedtime, so the blue lights exposure is not present and therefore doesn’t hurt your eyes.

If you think you’re suffering from insomnia or any other kind of sleep disorders, please seek professional help - this way you can treat it clinically if necessary

Having fun and relaxing

Getting away from our work every now and then is an important step to keep motivated and focused. If you only study and revise every day, even if breaks, but don’t have any distractions, hobbies or other “light" ways to spend your time, please consider taking some time off for yourself. This will help you avoid burnout, and you’ll be able to keep on track for longer! 

Going out every weekend with your friends is not a bad thing. Outings one day per week won’t harm you, as long as you don’t have anything crazily important for the start of the following week.

On the same note, socializing is very important for our mental health, so make sure you’re in contact with your family and friends and meeting them every now and then, in case it’s something you forget to do

Choose a specific part of your day to have a longer break so you have the time to work on a hobby, watch your favorite TV show, or even take the time to prepare a full meal! Anything you consider pleasurable and relaxing other than academic-related things

Taking part in clubs with other students might also be a great way of working on your academic life while having fun with other people - it can be something related to sports, arts, and so on!

Relaxing is also important - choosing one day of the week to wake up a little bit later or do something else that will help you relieve stress is essential to avoid burnout

Hope this has been helpful! :-)

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