Self-care is essential at every stage of life, especially as a student. There are lots of situations that have to be coped with such as stress and anxiety due to the accumulation of activities, the pressure to get the first job in the field, and many new things arising throughout the degree.
For this reason, it is wise to adopt practical measures to become a healthier person, have more control over activities and routines, and also to ensure that all obligations can be fulfilled more easily. We have some tips to help you better deal with the changes of this period and take better care of your body and mind. Keep reading to find out more!
1. Prioritize a good sleep routine
Self-care also pertains to ensuring that you get proper sleep. Of course, 7 to 9 hours every night is recommended. To make this happen, you can adjust some habits within your daily lifestyle to ensure quality sleep.
One of the most important things is to avoid screens and lights at night, especially a few hours before bed. This is your time to show your body that it’s time to rest, and lights send out warning signals to our bodies. For instance, try reading a book at least an hour before your usual bedtime.
Another thing is to have a place that is only for your rest. Ideally, your study desk should be in another space, and your bedroom is only for resting. Before bedtime, always opt for lighter meals and avoid too much liquid because the latter makes you go to the bathroom too many times at night, which could be adverse to the quality of your sleep.
2. Have a balanced diet
Another tip that can be taken into consideration for your self-care is related to diet. There are also changes in habits that can contribute to this. For example, avoid the intake of saturated fats, which are present in fatty meats, yellow cheeses and sausages.
It is also recommended that you reduce your sugar intake, as it is a substance that increases weight and causes some reactions to get out of control, even being a cause of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes.
It is always a useful recommendation to include ingredients from the plant kingdom in your diet, as these foods are considered potentially safe and contain nutrients that will be very good for your well-being, quality of life and mental health . In addition, it is an opportunity to ingest vitamins, fiber, proteins, good fats, among other varieties that will contribute to your disposition and make your studies more efficient.
3. Always hydrate yourself
Staying hydrated is not only good for self-care but also for your overall health. If you drink enough fluids for your body to function properly, then you can fight fluid retention, which can help you lose weight. It prevents kidney stones and other kidney diseases and helps improve blood circulation.
Hydrate by ensuring you drink adequate water throughout your day. Practically, you will have a regimen for this as well as reminding alarm clocks showing you the correct times to be drinking. Help hydrate you from eating fruits and vegetables, examples of which can include watermelons, cucumber, pineapple, tomatoes, other alternatives that basically have a great deal of water in their body composition.
We also recommend reducing your salt intake, especially on hot days. Since your kidneys control the balance between water and salt, they will retain more water if your intake is high. This will result in more swelling and discomfort, which can affect your studies and your life in general.
4. Practice physical activities
Choose the physical activity you enjoy the most and start practicing it in your daily routine. There are many alternatives besides the gym that can help you enjoy all the benefits of these activities, such as running on the court or in the park, going for walks, riding a bike, doing individual physical activities (dancing, for example) or even opting for team sports, such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, among others.
Regardless of your choice, the best way to be more successful with your activities is to plan your routine well. Define the most appropriate times to do your activities and make this a priority in your daily life. Have everything organized in advance so that nothing can get in the way of this set time for exercise. If you are just starting out, be sure to have a medical evaluation and always choose to start slowly.
5. Relax
Some practices are great for you to have a few minutes of relaxation. They are:
- select a moment of your day to meditate;
- stretch your body at certain times, especially between the times you are dedicating to studying;
- practice reading for your entertainment, with titles that go beyond those you necessarily need to read for tests;
- do breathing exercises when you feel more anxious;
- do self-massage during more stressful periods , such as those during assessments, among others.
6. Set limits and priorities
Finally, we recommend that you always set limits and priorities. Understand when you are most productive , assess when you are most tired and need to opt for lighter activities and those you enjoy, analyze the points that most contribute to triggering feelings of anxiety and start working on them. This way, your study routine will certainly become more enjoyable and with more effective results.
What did you think of checking out some practical self-care tips? As we have seen, these are practices that can be adopted in your routine and will directly contribute to having a more balanced and healthy life during university. This will help you have good times studying and also with friends and family, promoting greater satisfaction during this period.