Good diet and exercise reduce students’ stress
Stress balls, though great for procrastination, just don’t seem to cut it in this post-Spring Break season of all-nighters, flash cards and caffeine overloads.
Coping with the stress now can not only lead to a better break but improved well-being overall.
DE-STRESS FOR SUCCESS
Eating habits: “If you eat a healthy diet most of the time, you will be prepared to stay healthy during times of stress,” said the UHC Stress Management Guide. “If you live off of fast food or unhealthy snacks, you are more likely to perform poorly or get sick during stressful times.”
Physical activity: For this lifestyle category, the Health Center recommends changing the “‘E’ word from exercise to enjoyment” by not only hitting the gym but spending time outdoors, dancing, gardening or pursuing some other physical activity besides the treadmill.
Attitude: “To reduce stress, instead of being your own worst critic, treat yourself with a gentle touch,” said the Stress Management Guide.
Sleep: This one might be a repeat of Mom’s favorite advice, but the UHC Web site says that while it is possible to make up for the occasional all-nighter, repeat late-night offenders should be wary – sleep deprivation is one of the biggest stress inducers.
Time management: The easily acknowledged but often forgotten category of a wellness lifestyle, the UHC recommends following the ABCD’s of time management – “anticipate and plan, break tasks down, cross things off and don’t procrastinate.”
Alcohol: Although it might be tempting to celebrate, the UHC cautions that alcohol (and other drugs) “can create a more stressful reality” via health, impairment and legal problems.
- University Health Center
The University Health Center recommends tackling stress management as a “wellness lifestyle approach.”
According to the UHC Web site, recommended by the counseling service department, “Approaching stress management from a wellness lifestyle approach can give you ‘money in the bank’ when it comes to preventing stress and can give you the energy you need to handle stress when it happens.”
So what does “wellness lifestyle” really mean?
Apparently, it encompasses everything from attitude to healthy eating, physical activity to alcohol consumption and time management to sleep. Listed above are the stress reduction techniques recommended by the Health Center.
Handling these categories wisely now can not only help with midterm GPAs, but also prevent the need for high blood pressure medication by the end of the semester.
