Student Health & Wellness Tips
At Tia Health we are built up of a diverse group of former students and existing students working as interns. With our experience in campus life, we have put together a master list of everything you can do to help yourself and your classmates stay healthy this school year.
1. Eat Right
We get it, students are busy. Being busy all the time with midterms, projects, and exams usually means eating copious amounts of noodles and a lifetime supply of cereal. Well, at least I know that was my experience in my freshman year.
Following simple guidelines like when to eat and what to eat can help you be more productive and feel less stressed about your upcoming due dates. Make sure you always eat breakfast, especially before a test or exam – this can make a huge difference in how you perform in those critical moments. You should also be sure never to skip meals, snacking can help you avoid hunger throughout those long days in the library but make sure you get something good to eat in the later afternoon. You can also focus on balancing your meals by ensuring that you have the right amounts of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and proteins.
2. Get The Right Sleep
Getting the right sleep is very different from getting enough sleep. If you don’t enter REM stages of your sleep cycles on a nightly basis you simply won’t be as well rested as you could be. This is very noticeable when you’re up all night cramming and too wired on coffee and energy drinks – you’ll often wake up feeling even more tired than when you went to bed. More sleep means more health, less sickness, and better concentration and memory retention.
3. Exercise
You don’t need to be a bodybuilder to feel healthy after going to the gym. Simply increasing your heart rate has been shown to improve your quality of sleep and improve brain cell growth through a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic-Factor). So get out there and explore your campus on a short jog or check out your on-campus gym!/
4. Wash Your Hands
I know, I know, “Mom, stop, I’m not a child”. But washing your hands can be the difference between you having to either show up to an exam sick and sniffling (which, I can guarantee, nobody wants to hear) or having to apply for a deferred exam time (which, I can also guarantee, is not a fun process). Washing your hands before eating can stop you from getting sick and washing after being around people who are sick and whenever you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth will help keep your classmates healthy as well.
5. Drink Lots of Water
Make water your new coffee. Not only will you have better breath, but you will also feel more awake, hydrated, and more concentrated. This is a great supplement to coffee and sugary energy drinks and also works as a way to constantly clear out your system to avoid UTIs and colon problems.
6. Avoid Caffeine and Energy Drinks
Drinking water and sticking to a hearty meal plan can help you feel more awake every day. Coffee and energy drinks dehydrate you and often result in sleepless nights, restlessness, and hard crashes a couple hours later.
7. Get a Flu Shot
Needles suck. But come on, you’re a big kid now! The flu shot not only makes your immune system stronger against the seasonal flu, but it also helps your classmates stay healthy. If you get the flu it’s very easy to spread, especially to those that are living with you or in your classes. This is one of the easiest ways to avoid illness.
8. Relax
Life gets stressful, the Tia Health team knows that all too well (even the Tia Virtual Clinic app wasn’t born in a day). It’s important to relax and destress every once in a while. Exercising reduces stress significantly along with its other health benefits I mentioned earlier. Maybe even exercise on your study breaks. You can also hang out with friends and even play some video games or watch some Netflix to destress.
It’s important to stay healthy during the school year for yourself and your classmates. But for the times when you’re not feeling so hot be sure to seek the right help. At Tia Health we specialize in connecting students to the care they need. Whether you are trying to recover from frosh week, dealing with the flu, or need someone to talk to about mental health, Tia is there for you. Speak to a doctor from the comfort of your room, couch, or even your campus by visiting tiahealth.com or download the mobile app today!