Taking Care of Yourself

Taking Care of Yourself

 Sleeping

Sleep might be considered a luxury when you start studying for college or university, but sleep is essential to maintain the function of a healthy mind and maintain physical well-being. According to an article posted at Sleep Foundation, young adults (18-25 years old) and adults (26 – 64 years old) are recommended to sleep between 7 to 9 hours (Pacheco, 2022).
Curious about the benefits to sleeping and how to achieve better sleep? Check the following resource: Why do we need sleep? 

The University of Saskachewan made this excellent resource for sleep - check it out here they say that:

Like good nutrition and exercise, adequate sleep is crucial for wellness and success. Sleep is particularly important for students because there seem to be so many time pressures—to attend class, study, maintain a social life, and perhaps work—that most university students have difficulty getting enough. Yet sleep is critical in order to focus effectively at school. In a multi-year survey of students at 21 Canadian universities, 28.4% reported that sleep difficulties affected their academic performance (ACHA National College Health Assessment II, Canadian Reference Group, 2016). 

You may not realize the benefits of sleep, or the problems associated with being sleep deprived, because most likely you’ve had the same sleep habits for a long time. Or maybe you know you’re getting less sleep now, but with all the changes in your life, how can you tell if some of your stress or problems studying are related to not enough sleep?

On the positive side, a healthy amount of sleep has the following benefits^[1]:

• Improves your mood during the day
• Improves your memory and learning abilities
• Gives you more energy
• Strengthens your immune system

In contrast, not getting enough sleep over time can lead to a wide range of health issues and student problems. Sleep deprivation can have the following consequences:

• Affects mental health and contributes to stress and feelings of anxiety, depression, and general unhappiness (see
• Causes sleepiness, difficulty paying attention in class, and ineffective studying
• Weakens the immune system, making it more likely to catch colds and other infections
• Increases the risk of accidents (such as while driving)
• Contributes to weight gain 

Tips for Success: Sleep

• Avoid nicotine, which can keep you awake—yet another reason to stop smoking.
• Avoid caffeine for six to eight hours before bed. Caffeine remains in the body for three to five hours on the average, much longer for some people. Remember that many soft drinks contain caffeine.
• Don’t eat in the two to three hours before bed. Avoid alcohol before bedtime. While it can initally make you sleepy, you are more likely to wake up during the night.
• Take shorter naps during the day. Limit your naps to 20 minutes or less to avoid a negative effect on your nighttime sleep.
• Exercise earlier in the day (at least several hours before bedtime).
• Try to get to bed and wake about the same time every day—your body likes a routine.
• Make sure the environment is conducive to sleep: dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool.
• Use your bed only for sleeping, not for studying, watching television, or other activities. Going to bed will become associated with going to sleep.
• Establish a pre-sleep, winding-down routine, such as taking a hot bath, listening to soothing music, or reading (not a textbook). 

If you can’t fall asleep after ten to fifteen minutes in bed, it’s better to get up and do something else rather than lie there fitfully for hours. Do something you find restful (or boring). Read, or listen to a recorded book. Go back to bed when you’re sleepy.

If you frequently cannot get to sleep or are often awake for a long time during the night, you may be suffering from insomnia, a medical condition. Resist the temptation to try over-the-counter sleep aids. If you have tried the tips listed here and still cannot sleep, talk with your health-care provider or visit the student health clinic. Many remedies are available for those with true, persistent sleep problems. 

Eating

You know what they say: “trust your gut”. While this phrase has saved us when dealing with tough situations, it is important to really take care of your gut! Our gut has trillions of microbes that help digest fiber, control immune systems and control brain health (Robertson, 2017).  

As a post-secondary student, I am guilty of resorting to instant and fast foods, and snacks whenever I am stressed out or in a rush to finish schoolwork. Although I was able to satisfy my cravings, I did not feel as good afterwards. So, I decided to look for ways to keep my gut health in check! 

I found this article at Good Housekeeping on the 12 best foods for a better gut. Since then, I try to eat the following foods daily. Check this link out for the article:  12 Best Goods to Eat for Better Gut Health, According to Nutritionist 

Here are other resources on why keeping a healthy gut is important: Why the Gut Microbiome Is Crucial for Your Health
Your Gut Microbiome: The Most Important Organ You’ve Never Heard Of | Erika Ebbel Angle| TEDxFargo 

10 Healthy Eating Tips for Busy Students from Clarke University states:

The average college student is often pressed for time, under a lot of stress and eating on the go. You may find it difficult to avoid bad habits like skipping meals or frequently visiting fast food restaurants. But eating a healthy diet can help you feel better, cope with stress and perform better in the classroom and on the athletic field. It really isn’t that hard to get started.

1. Eat a good breakfast. Studies show that skipping breakfast detracts from scholastic achievement. When there isn’t time to sit down and enjoy your morning meal, grab a bagel, piece of fruit and some juice. Most of these items can be easily stored in your residence hall room.
2. If you must eat fast foods, choose wisely. Choose pizza with half the cheese, a regular size roast beef sandwich, baked potato or green salad with reduced calorie dressing. Limit high fat offerings like French fries, fried chicken or fish sandwiches.
3. Keep healthy snacks on hand. This way, if hunger strikes during a late night study session, you won’t be tempted by vending machine candy, chips or ice cream. Possibilities include fresh or dried fruit, pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, rice cakes or whole wheat crackers. If you have a refrigerator, consider raw vegetables with low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese dip.
4. Eat plenty of foods rich in calcium. People in their early twenties need to be building up stores of calcium in their bodies to prevent osteoporosis later in life. If you don’t like milk, try to include ample amounts of low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese and green leafy vegetables in your diet.
5. If you need to lose weight, do it sensibly. Starvation and/or diets that offer a quick fix usually backfire and are harmful. There is no truth to the theories that suggest eating foods in any particular combination will promote weight loss. The only safe way to lose weight, feel good while doing it, and keep it off, is to eat a balanced diet and exercise.
6. Limit your sugar intake – Sugar provides calories in your diet but few other nutrients, and it contributes significantly to tooth decay. Use it sparingly and consider sweetening coffee, tea, cereal, and fruit with diet sweeteners instead.
7. Visit the dining hall salad bar. The dining hall salad bar can be either an asset or a detriment to your diet depending on how you choose from it. Of course, leafy greens, raw vegetables, and fresh fruits are beneficial. But, if you choose a lot of creamy dressings, bacon bits and mayonnaise-based salads, the calories and fat may equal or even exceed those of a burger and fries—so choose wisely!
8. Limit your alcohol intake. If you drink alcohol, keep in mind that it supplies calories but no nutritional value. A light beer, a glass of wine or an ounce of liquor each has about 100 calories. There may also be health problems associated with drinking alcohol.
9. Drink lots of water. Your body needs at least eight glasses a day, and, if you exercise vigorously, you may need more. To remind yourself, carry a water bottle along to class and keep it handy during late night study sessions.
10. Enjoy your food. Food is a lot more than nourishment for our bodies, so take the time to enjoy and savor it

Exercise

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, every morning before class started, our teacher would ask everyone to do a mini exercise. I remember trying to reach my toes with my short, tiny arms as we did some stretching.  

Some of the benefits of exercising include better focus in school, better school performance, and decreased risk of anxiety and depression (Vista Charter Academy, 2021). No wonder there are a lot of advertisements and campaigns about the benefits of exercising!  

With all the schoolwork and personal stuff going on, exercising might be the least of our concerns. But a few minutes of exercise every day is still way better than none.  

Which fitness activity suits you?  

Taking Care of Finances  

Finances: A topic that most people avoid talking about but is very necessary to discuss. I know you have heard the saying “money cannot buy happiness.” Although in some instances it is true, money is essential to live, and financial wellness is important to maintain.  

Living in debt and experiencing financial stress has a tremendous effect on personal wellbeing, particularly mental health. People with financial burdens are at 3 times the risk of developing mental illness. They are also more likely to develop poor physical health, increase usage of drugs and alcohol, and other adverse behavioral habits (Marter, 2022). With increasing prices and interest, all of us can benefit from being financially literate.  

Activity: How can you begin your financial literacy journey? Start by developing a personal expense analysis and creating a budget! Expense analysis involves tracking your expenses to develop an accurate picture on where your money is going. 

Here is a resource that can help you develop a personal expense analysis:  

Tracking Monthly Expenses: The First Step to Money Sucess 

Here’s a sample budget format found in the Bow Valley College resources:  

BVC Budget 

Here are other resources on managing finances: 

How Debt and Financial Stress Affect Your Mental Health and Ways to Cope 

5 experts tips for managing money as a first-year student