Students, take care of your health and wellness. Really. You cannot pour from an empty cup. If you are confined to a hospital bed because of injury or illness, you cannot study, work, go party, or do much of anything. Taking care of your health enables you to give the world the best of yourself, putting your full capacity and best effort into whatever you do, whether that be sports, school, work – anything and everything.
Nutrition
Strive to nourish your body with healthy, wholesome foods. Avoid refined carbohydrates, sugars, trans fats and those sort of anti-health foods. Limit sodium and fat intake. Look into lean protein, whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables. A top speed race car requires high quality gasoline and oil. Why not fuel your body with top quality food and drinks?
Sleep
Sleep deprivation in the modern era is almost a badge of honor among some circles. Don’t fall into this trap. Strive to get a solid 8 hours of sleep every night. Plan your schedule as needed to make this happen. If it means cutting certain activities from your busy schedule, then cut some activities that are unnecessary or low-priority. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
Set a steady routine for sleep and waking up. Avoid caffeine or B vitamins after mid-afternoon. Beginning one to two hours before bedtime, avoid screens (PC, TV, cell phone, tablet, and the like). The blue light from the screens activates your body’s natural wakefulness, tricking it into staying awake – the exact opposite of what you need to fall asleep and get a good night’s rest.
During the last hour before bed, try some meditation, prayer, or read a relaxing book (for all you STEM nerds out there, this means something other than a math, science, or engineering textbook).
Exercise
Your body was designed to move and be active. So put it through the paces that nature designed it for. Strength, endurance, flexibility, agility – strive to develop all of these attributes through a regular exercise routine that you are willing able to commit to following on a consistent basis. It is much easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. So once you are in good shape, stay consistent and maintain your fitness. Exercise and good physical health also helps prevent mental decline and dementia as you age.
Don’t have a gym membership? Your own body weight when used creatively can provide all the resistance you need for good strength training. Use a tree branch or one of the bars in the bleachers or the cross bar of the basketball hoop at your local high school to do pull-ups.
So out of shape that you can’t even run one mile? Then start by walking one mile.
Want a cardio work out with a kick? Try martial arts and self-defense classes. See my website Kontak Self Defense to learn more about how I can help you with this. Or find a dojo or MMA gym in your local area. There are lots of different options available, choose something that suits your physical ability and that you enjoy enough to train consistently.
Mind and Spirit
Make the effort to nurture your spirit. Depending on your particular religious beliefs, this might mean meditation; prayer; studying the Bible, Koran, or texts appropriate for your beliefs; a walk in the woods, or other methods. Gratitude and mindfulness will reduce your stress levels, as well as enable you to handle difficulties in life with more grace. People who accomplish great things are often inspired by service to a higher calling. What’s yours?
By staying strong in mind, body, and spirit, you can set yourself up to consistently deliver your best performance at whatever you do. The people who rely on you will thank you for this. Stay strong!
If you’d like to learn more about how I can help you with staying mentally (and academically) strong, book a NO COST one-hour trial lesson or contact me today!