Healthy Habits for College Students

Here are five healthy habits your student can consider incorporating into their daily routine after returning from spring break to successfully finish the school year and improve their mental, physical and emotional health!

1. Set a consistent sleep schedule. Sleep is an essential function that impacts our lives. Encourage your student to form a sleep habit even on the weekends to acquire 7-8 hours of sleep. Getting the proper amount of sleep each night will help improve concentration and lower stress levels.
2. Find a favorite exercise activity. We all know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. However, when students become busier exercising may be the first thing eliminated from a to-do list. Now that Spring is upon us, if your student does not have time to hit the gym, there are many outdoor activities (i.e. a game of volleyball, biking, walking, etc.) that are great cardio workouts that can be easily incorporated into a daily routine. 
3. Have a healthy balance with technology. Technology is a big part of today’s educational process. College students spend a considerable amount of time online attending Zoom lectures, researching and writing papers, etc. Many students also have an active presence on social media. Students should consider unplugging and setting boundaries with technology to help focus on themselves and living a healthy lifestyle. 
4. Stay ahead of deadlines. College life can become busy and sometimes overwhelming for many students. One thing I personally did this year to ensure my class assignments remained my number one priority was create a document with due dates and times. I organize the document by color coding each class. This allows me to easily keep track of when work is due and plan accordingly. 
5. Review goals. Setting goals has been proven to set a direction for your future. If your student sets goals at the beginning of the school year or even this semester, now is the time for them to revisit and evaluate their goals. This will confirm that they are focusing and giving attention to things that align with their ambitions. Your student can speak with their academic advisor to help plan our their goals while in college and they can speak with career counselors to help plan their goals after graduation.

I hope your student finds these tips useful as they finish out the school year and strive for a healthy balanced life!

• Amber Silver