Healthy Student Wellbeing

Unless you’re a gym enthusiast or fortunate enough to come from a family that runs regularly for fun (i.e. park run), unfortunately for the rest of us, taking care of our bodies is often an afterthought. However, taking good care of your body is essential to your wellbeing. It also makes adulthood easier when we form healthy habits at a younger age because the choices that we make can catch up with us as we get older.

It is quite easy and comfortable to fall into the habit of waking up, going to school, studying, sleeping and more sleep. After a while, your body starts giving you signs and demanding some exercise and rest. When you’re a student that is dependent on a student budget, eating healthy and exercising might seem like quite an expensive activity reserved for those who can afford it. However, there are cost-effective ways to stay healthy and active.

Staying active

There are many ways to staying active that don’t necessarily require a gym. You can start off by simply doing more walking. Walk around your neighbourhood in the morning before you begin your day or do it in the evening when you end your day. Always find ways to move your body every single day. When it comes to healthy eating which is the most challenging part for most of us, our relationship with food is key. In other words, it is not the existence of chocolate that is the problem, it is the over-indulging and inability to have self-restraint. There is so much free content on YouTube channels on easy home exercises that have been proven to be effective. All you need to do is to put on your comfortable clothes, grab some water and train at the comfort of your own home.

Relationship with food

Everything should always be eaten in moderation otherwise going on extreme diets and depriving yourself of food will only make you unhappy. A good start is experimenting with healthy alternatives that taste just as good if not more. For instance, trying healthy alternative snacks such as nuts, apple slices with peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, avocado slices with crackers, etc. You can also replace sugary drinks with water and tea. Most people battle with not liking the taste of healthier options, but we can guarantee you that it’s all about the mind. Train yourself and form the habit until the habits become a part of our lifestyle.

Meal prepping is another enabling tool for healthier eating. But what does meal prep even mean? The idea of meal prepping is that meals are prepared in advance. This could mean cooking your lunch the night before or in batches, proportioning it out for the rest of the week in grab – and – go lunch boxes. Not only does this save time but it is also cost-effective because you don’t have to order food or buy out. It also acts as a means to minimize temptations of going to buy fast food because you have cooked your own food. Secondly, meal prepping allows you to be in total control of the food that you allow in your system, thus making it easier to stick to healthier food options. You also gain the option of choosing fresher quality because you are selecting it. Which is more ideal for weight loss or maintenance.

Skincare

Synonymous with eating healthy, taking care of your skin is also critical. Put on sunscreen religiously. Apply it every day even during the winter season. Prolonged exposure to sun rays can have negative effects on your skin in the long run so protect it all times. Besides, who wants to have sunburn patches on their skin, premature aging or increase the chances of skin cancer.

Take away thought

You must always remember that your body is one of the most valuable assets you can have. In order to get through our daily tasks, we need our bodies to be at their healthiest but this does not mean that you have to be too hard on yourself. You can start with baby steps by doing physical activities every other day and finding healthier food alternatives. Once your body gets used to it, the next step is to find more intensive ways. All in all, take care of your body now and you can rest assured that your body will take care of you later. Make sure you think about your body in conjunction with your mental health, which is also a balancing act.