With classes starting up again soon, the familiar pyramid of sleep, school, and social life will make its usual appearance.
As students, we often feel constrained by such tertiary boundaries, that we forget a fourth critical aspect of healthy—and happy—living. To conform to the alliteration of the previous three aspects, let’s call this fourth element, “the self.” That is, taking care of yourself is vital to ensuring success in the other nooks and crannies of daily life.
Regardless of where you fall on the introversion-extroversion scale, setting aside some time for yourself—and leading a balanced lifestyle—will help to increase your productivity and make it easier for you to achieve your academic goals.
Here are some tips to help you achieve this:
Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly will offer you a boost of energy and productivity. It will clear your mind and help you to better focus on assignments and other tasks.
Come up with an exercise schedule. Your workouts don’t have to be long or intense, just consistent. Exercising in the morning before your day begins is a good way to ensure that the hustle and bustle of daily life doesn’t interfere. Think of pairing up with a friend and tackling it together. That way, you satisfy both your social obligation and your physical well-being.
Meal prep
With assignments due every other day and lengthy readings that occupy a lot of our time, we often seek convenience—especially when it comes to mealtime. This often leads to poor eating habits that instantly satisfy hunger, but have very few nutritional benefits.
Meal prepping is a great way to avoid eating poorly. Choose one day each week and take a couple of hours to prepare your main meals for the coming days. Not only will this save you time and money, it will also leave you feeling energized and accomplished. Again, this can be enjoyable to do with a friend or family member.
Discover or rediscover a hobby
Not only are hobbies a pleasant way to spend time, they can also be a way to build skills that can be used in other areas of your life. This can range from painting or sewing to learning a new language or writing stories.
Learning a foreign language is said to improve memory. Writing can help enhance communication skills and cultivate imagination. Since these skills are essential in many settings, they can support you in advancing your personal, academic, and professional objectives.
Check in on yourself
We’re often so preoccupied with checking in on our family and friends, that we forget to consider our own well-being.
It’s important to regularly evaluate yourself and realize any potential drawbacks to prevent unhealthy habits from forming. If you identify areas you wish to improve in, set goals that are modest and realistic. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek out resources for support. Remember to also acknowledge your accomplishments and continue encouraging yourself.
Instead of the outdated pyramid, this expanded structure encourages flexibility and creativity. Taking care of yourself can be integrated into the other niches of daily life. Also, the process doesn’t require grand gestures, just manageable and consistent efforts.
Alongside the good grades and social life we desire, let’s start this fall term with a burst of motivation, and the meaningful goal of preserving our well-being.
