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In our post about healthy habits, we highlighted the healthy habits that one should adopt during exams, such as better sleeping patterns, exercise, eating healthy, and drawing up mini schedules. 

It is important that we remember that building healthy habits extends far beyond university and exam season. In order to live long, happy, successful, and healthy lives it is paramount that we avoid taking shortcuts with our well-being. Due to the demands of everyday life, whether it be work, school, or personal problems – many of us lead very stressful and anxiety-inducing lives.

One thing is sure about life – the obstacles and impediments never end, unfortunately. However, the important factor is how we respond to these and the ways in which we build and maintain our psychological resilience.

Habits

According to a Harvard psychologist and philosopher, the word habits is used to describe what makes up our daily lives. The time between waking up in the morning and going to bed in the evening is filled with countless actions and choices which are considered habits. Habits are the automatic behavioural responses that we each have to environmental triggers.

Throughout our lives, we all build habits through consistent actions. Habits can be good or bad depending on the impact they have on your quality of life. Healthy habits are behaviours that are beneficial to one’s physical or mental health and are often linked to high discipline and self-control. Building healthy habits refers to doing something that is good for you consistently and subconsciously until you successfully include it in your everyday routine.

The importance of healthy habits

The habits we form throughout our lives have the power to make or break our chances at a more holistic well-being and also promote our endurance. Healthy habits are formed by acquiring experiences that lead to the creation and organization of neuron connections, which are what form connections in our brains. The habits are then repeated over time until they are fully acquired and can be performed subconsciously.

As humans, we rely heavily on healthy habits to not only perform but to manage the pressures of our daily lives.

Lifestyle changes

The best way to build and maintain healthy habits in your life is through lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes are behaviour modifications that encourage positive change in one’s life. They are linked to sleeping patterns, eating habits, and exercise.

There are primarily three categories of lifestyle changes: namely psychological, behavioural, and dietary changes.

Psychological changes refer to changes in our attitudes, mood, and the way we manage stress. Some of the ways one can make healthy psychological changes are to keep a journal, start seeing a therapist or join a support group.

Behavioural changes refer to sleeping habits and exercise. The importance of exercise, sleep, and eating healthy are all interlinked because the food we eat, the amount of sleep we get, and how often we exercise all influence our weight as well as hormone and gut health. 

Lastly, dietary changes include making healthier food choices such as replacing soda with water, eating fewer carbohydrates and sugar as well as piling up on vegetables and nuts.

Conclusion

Building healthy habits requires practice and consistency. The first step is to introspect and identify some of your behaviours that need improvement and work on replacing them with healthier habits.

Building healthy habits can be challenging but it is an undeniably rewarding way to invest in yourself!

In continuation with our series about the impact of stress on the mental health and habits of students during exams – we think it is important to talk about the healthy habits one needs to adopt during this high-pressure time. As we advanced in our last post i.e. dangers of academic doping, adopting unhealthy coping mechanisms such as not sleeping and relying on substances like energy drinks and “smart drugs” may seem like a temporal fix to help you get through the season but this reliance has detrimental effects on your health in the long-run.

Understanding that everyone gets stressed during this period and adopting healthy habits to help you manage this stress will not only help you yield better results for the exam season, but it will also contribute positively to your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. There is power in knowing how to deal with your stress in a healthy way.

SLEEPING PATTERNS

Yes, you need to prioritize sleep in order to manage stressful periods in your life!

Staying up all night to study and cram before an exam is very common, and often praised. What we do not realize is that sleep helps us feel more alert and well-rested.  According to a sleep study, students who are sleep deprived often do not perform as well as those who get a sufficient night’s rest. Sleep deprivation may cause one to be easily distracted and this makes it hard to concentrate and focus. Additionally, students who are sleep-deprived tend to be irritable, frustrated and are prone to making mistakes during exams.

Moreover, according to researchers, sufficient hours of sleep improve one’s memory because the brain is able to consolidate and retain new information. To feel well-rested, some people may need 9 hours of sleep while others need only 7. The important task is assessing how you feel when you get various amounts of sleep. If you are often drowsy during the day and need access amounts of caffeine to keep you up, you may need more hours of sleep

Remember, prioritizing sleep and rest is integral to your overall health. Studies show that the amount of sleep one gets affects their metabolism, weight, and overall mood.  

EXERCISE

The impact of exercise on one’s quality of life cannot be emphasized enough.

According to research, exercise provides stress relief for our bodies because it helps the brain release the feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins. When we exercise, we become pleased with ourselves. This improves our mood while lowering symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Exercise is particularly important during exam season because it helps oxygenate the brain and this may help you study more efficiently and keep calm.

Moreover, incorporating exercise into your study schedule is important because it helps you break the monotonous routine of sitting with your books and laptop the whole day. Not only will those minutes serve as a much-needed break, but they also help you perform better once you return to the books.

Taking up exercise after a long time of not doing so may seem like a daunting task, so start small by setting aside 15 minutes a day for a walk.

EATING HEALTHY

The food we eat has a direct impact on how we feel and perform.

A lot of students rely on sugary study snacks for comfort during exam season. Additionally, it is common to pick up unhealthy habits during this time because there is less time to cook or think about food. 

However, studies show that it is counterproductive to consume foods that are high in sugar as excess sugar consumption leads to a temporary sugar high that is subsequently followed by a crash in blood levels which causes fatigue and sadness. A recent study found that diets that are high in sugar may impair our cognitive function as well as neurocognitive functions such as decision making and memory.

We suggest you swap the snacks high in sugar for nuts, fruit, chia seeds, dates, sweet potatoes, yogurt, smoothies, and fizzy drinks for water!

MINI SCHEDULES

One of the leading causes of stress during exams is feeling overwhelmed.

Writing down what you need to get done for the week and dividing it into mini-tasks that you can handle daily could help alleviate some of this panic.

Break down your weekly tasks into hourly schedules and try and deal with something different each day. Breaking tasks down makes your to-do list seem more approachable and manageable. Furthermore, the feeling of regularly finishing tasks releases dopamine which usually inspires us to keep going forward.

CONCLUSION

Once you become aware of the unhealthy habits that you subject yourself to during exam season, it can become easier to deal with the root problem and rewire your thinking. Ultimately, exam season requires you to maintain a balance so that you can perform at your optimal best.

Aiming for high grades is important but we must do it in sustainable ways that will not be detrimental to our well-being.

With the 2021 exam season right around the corner, there’s an unhealthy reality that parallels that time of the academic year: many students turn to study aids that place their health and overall performance under threat.

These aids, intended to enhance the mind, are medicines often referred to as ‘smart drugs’ or even academic doping. They are prescription stimulants provided to people who suffer from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although, many young people in search of amplified mental focus and stamina rely on them when the pressure kicks in.

The dangers of substance abuse

People who are addicted to substances often acquire abilities to function at (perceived) higher mental levels. And with each successful day, it becomes increasingly difficult to clearly see the extent of health damage that substance reliance causes them in the long run.

Nonetheless, the longer an addiction is ignored or justified, the deeper the mental, emotional and physical consequences go.

Below are but three examples of illnesses that can result from substance misuse:

• Heart Sicknesses
• Brain Damage
• Liver Disease

The seemingly harmless dependence on energy drinks

An addiction to energy drinks can involve addictive symptoms that are related to brain and nervous system functions, such as the following:

• Strong cravings
• An inability to control energy drink intake
• Consistent psychological images of energy drink consumption

Additional signs of suffering withdrawal symptoms when you avoid energy drinks are: fatigue, irritability, headaches, and a consistent depressive mood.

Unhealthy sleep patterns

During times of increased stress, pressure, and anxiety, the first lifestyle element to go neglected is a good night’s rest. It’s easier to vehemently believe that there are better things to attend than be asleep for at least eight hours.

However, contrary to that popular opinion, those burn-the-midnight-oil study sessions come with the power to seriously undermine your grades. To score better exam results, the simplest solution is most often the one that bears more academic fruit: get sufficient sleep.

Another unhealthy academic and exam reality is the incessant exposure to the blue light emitted by smartphones, computers, and other necessary digital devices. The mind decodes this type of light as sunlight, which then keeps you awake by disrupting your circadian rhythms (one of the most important and well-known circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle).

Healthier ways of managing the pressure that comes with the academic grind

Whether the aim is to better handle the pressure of scoring top-notch year-end results or build a solid career, there’s always a healthier way to achieve those things.

Here’s a quick run-through of the strategies that will help keep you at the top of your game:

• Exercise

Setting aside time to get your body moving during your exam season can be a game-changer. Workout sessions that go for at least 30 minutes can give back an increased quality of sleep. The release of endorphins is a well-known stress breaker, which then helps to lift your mood and sedate your anxiety.

• Hug your anxieties

Worry and self-doubt are somewhat natural when you’re faced with exams (or career-defining moments), but it’s the way you react to them that determines what type of impact they have on you. Tip: start learning the habit of reflecting on them, and you’ll eventually be able to pinpoint meaningless worries when they creep up on you.

That will help you achieve a clearer and lighter perspective on your feelings and thoughts. You will also notice them as they enter your mind, and be able to let them go and focus on the results that you’ve focused your energy on.

• Use caffeine intelligently

Caffeine is a stimulant that keeps you awake by blocking the brain chemical adenosine, which is responsible for making you drowsy.

An intake of one or two caffeinated drinks like tea or coffee in the morning can be a helpful way to kick-start your day. However, caffeine stays active in your body for up to twelve hours and can thus reduce the quality of your sleep. (Perhaps, you might try drinking herbal alternatives from lunchtime.)

• Never overload your brain

Working all the way until the latest hours, cramming, may seem like an inspirational task, but it’s counterproductive!

You’re likely to perform poorly in your academic or professional duties when you’re sleep-deprived. It limits your access to REM sleep. Rapid Eye Movement is the stage of sleep that’s fundamental for storing memories – consequently, your coursework.

The punch line is this: if you’re serious about consistently performing at your best in class and in the boardroom, then stay away from performance-enhancing medications and other harmful habits designed to make you effective only for a short period of time.

Your life and career are long-term adventures!

We all know that too much stress can be bad for you, both physically and mentally. While stress may be inevitable, especially if you’re going through changes, high levels of stress put your entire well-being at risk. Different people find different situations stressful. The key question at hand is how well do you cope with stress and feeling like you’re out of control of your emotions? Contrary to popular belief, you may have more control than you think. It is therefore helpful to be aware of a wide range of tools and techniques for managing stress.

Stress Management

Being able to manage your stress helps you break the hold stress has on your life, so you can be happier, healthier, and more productive. The ultimate goal is a balanced life – balancing school, relationships, relaxation, and fun—and the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head-on.

However, stress management is not one-size-fits-all. Stress management is a personal experience and solutions will differ for each person. That’s why it’s important to experiment and find out what works best for you. However, it might be quite useful to interrogate your relationship with stress in general.

The following stress management tips can help you do that.

Identify the source of the stress

This might seem like an obvious start but you would be surprised how so many people fail to identify the cause of the stress. They know very well, that they’re feeling some overwhelming pressure but fail to identify the exact root. While it’s easy to identify major stressors such as upcoming exams, changing a course, moving, starting a new career, pinpointing the sources of chronic stress can be more complicated than that. It’s all too easy to overlook how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors contribute to your everyday stress levels.

Practice the 4A’s of Stress management – Avoid, Alter, Adapt, Accept

Avoid:

• As tough as this is, try and avoid all things that may cause or trigger your stress. For example, procrastination, If you leave assignments and tasks till the last minute, this may be overwhelming and can lead to stress.
• If there’s a particular person who causes you stress, please try and limit the time you spend with them, especially if you’ve confronted them and they’re unwilling to change.

Alter the situation

• If you can’t avoid the situation, then try and alter the matter. This involves the way you communicate and operate in your daily life. This means if something is bothering you, be more assertive and raise your concerns because your feelings are valid.
•  In terms of operating in your daily life, try to find a balance between school and family life, social life and passion projects and daily responsibilities. This is to avoid burnout.

Adapt

• If you can’t change the stressful situation, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.
• Secondly, perspective is important. Looking at something differently helps. Ask yourself how important will it be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Accept the things you can’t change

• Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are.
• Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than stressing against a situation you can’t change.
• Sometimes stresses may provide an opportunity for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

Instead of isolating, connect with others

There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. I know we live in such a virtual world but nothing can beat human interaction. Face-to-face interaction triggers a cascade of hormones that counteracts the body’s defensive “fight-or-flight” response. Connecting with others is nature’s natural stress reliever (it can also help with depression and anxiety). So, make it a point to connect regularly—and in-person—with family and friends.