Here at University of Louisville, we have officially made it half-way through the spring semester. I don’t know about you, but I found this semester to be insane. We are still dealing with COVID-19, and my class work has been more than what I am used to even though I almost always take 15 hours’ worth of classes. As a result, we may be feeling extremely drained and potentially ill from the high level of exhaustion that this semester has brought on. I know we have been seeing so many health guidelines about how to help minimize your chances at catching COVID-19, but we have not really seen anything about staying healthy in general.
For all of these reasons, it is more important than ever to take some time and focus on your health.
My number one tip is to get some rest. You cannot possibly do your best on your schoolwork, internship, job, clubs and anything else you may be a part of. This semester has been so exhausting, and you probably are not receiving the rest you need. You are probably doing schoolwork late into the night, and you probably have morning classes. As a result, your sleep schedule has become severely compromised. Find some time to get some sleep. If you are falling asleep reading one of your textbooks or working on an assignment, that is okay. Succumb to your need for sleep. Your body is telling you what it needs. Do not fight it. Even if you doze off for only a few minutes, those few minutes could greatly replenish your energy so you can hop back on your studies. You can even set a specific time to fall asleep at night so you can rest up, but you will need some discipline to make yourself stop working on your assignments.
Also, find some time to exercise. This could literally be as simple as taking a break from your assignments and walking around your building. You are not required to do a full workout. A light walk will be plenty. You can even do some light stretching or yoga. If you are not feeling like heading to the gym but want a full workout, you can very easily find videos on YouTube or graphics on Pinterest. The internet is perfect in aiding you in a workout straight from your dorm room, and there are some very great videos.
Finally, do not forget to eat. In semesters like these, we may forget that eating is important and just continue going about our days like normal. Please, do not forget to eat even if you are just grabbing something quick on your way to class. If possible, leave for class a little earlier so you can grab some food and eat on your way to class or in the room before class starts. If I have not eaten yet or it has been a while since I got any food in my system, I try to leave early and grab something from Starbucks that does not need to be heated up. On Monday and Wednesday mornings, I have a 9:00 class, so I make sure I am out of my building no later than 8:15 that way I can grab breakfast because I do not know when I will get the chance to eat again.
These three tips may seem simple but trust me. They will work. You will feel healthier and stronger than you have all semester. Do not feel bad for stopping to take a brief nap or walking to go get food and reset your brain. Just by executing these three tasks, you will be improving your mental and physical health. You can make it through the rest of the semester. Just keep pushing! You got this!