It has taken me years to get to a point where I feel like I can give advice on wellness and health. I found that the key to managing my wellness journey was finding a balance between school, work and self-care. There are still times where one will overwhelm the others. For example, when I switch to working full-time in office during the holidays, it takes time for me to adjust to a different routine. Or when exam season is in full-swing, and I skip the gym to finish up an assignment.
five habits that helped me change my life for the better:
1. Practicing Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is a habit that takes time to develop. I have not completely mastered it yet either. I still find myself complaining over the smallest things. It is important to remember to be grateful for what you have; especially during a time like this. I started journaling five things I’m grateful for every morning recently. It has helped me take on the day with a more positive mindset. I’ve started to let the smaller things go and appreciate myself a little more. The habit of practicing gratitude has been one of the most important changes to my routine as it has made a huge difference in how I feel about myself, and how I handle any bumps in my life.
2. maintaining a social life
Like I mentioned earlier, maintaining a balance between different parts of my life has been a habit that has taken time for me to master. It’s hard to prioritize socializing when you have multiple assignments stacking up. On top of that, with the seasons changing, I think a lot of us may be experiencing seasonal depression. I feel more down as winter gears into full swing. Making plans and spending time with people I love helps me feel a lot better. If my morning started out bad, spending even one hour with someone I like talking to can change the whole mood for the rest of the day for me. Developing a habit of making at least one plan a week – even if it was just a coffee chat with a friend, has helped me have something to look forward to.
3. Movement
Finding time to incorporate some sort of movement into your life is essential. I have tried out many different things; soccer, kickboxing, going to the gym. I found something that I enjoyed. For those who can’t put aside time or don’t know where to begin, I would recommend walking. Getting outside would not only improve your physical health but would improve your mental health as well. For example, switching out that streetcar ride to a building on the far side of campus with walking instead. Finding a form of movement that made me want to move took me a long, long time, and I still have trouble dragging myself out of bed to go sometimes. However, the feeling of satisfaction afterwards is worth it for me.
4. hydration
Hydration is highly underrated. As university students, it is common for us to forget to hydrate and nourish ourselves when overwhelmed by deadlines among other commitments. For a long time, I wasn’t aware of how much of a difference hydrating myself made. I struggled with drinking more than a bottle a day, purely out of forgetfulness. However, when I started to set little reminders for myself and made it essential for me to carry my water bottle around with me everywhere is when I found myself going through three – four bottles of water every day. What really helped for me was getting a water bottle that has a straw in it. It sounds silly, I know. But for some reason, maybe easier access, I have been drinking so much more water since I invested in a good water bottle. That, and consistently reminding myself and asking others to remind me was how I began to prioritize hydration. When going to restaurants, if I had barely drunk water that day, I’d switch out a can of pop for a bottle of water. Little things like that can go a long way. Since I’ve started drinking water consistently, I’ve noticed my skin has cleared up, I don’t snack as much, and my overall health has just improved.
5. reading
I know that reading outside of school is difficult. Especially as an arts and science student who has 10+ hours of readings every week. When the semester started, I got burnt out so quickly that I stopped reading for pleasure for a couple of months. It took me a while to gradually get back into it, but I am glad I did. Reading is a habit that I think was essential in improving my overall wellness. Fiction or non-fiction; it felt productive to spend my spare time curled up with a book. Instead of watching a tv show or movie (which is completely okay to do sometimes!), I was putting my brain to use when reading. I’d recommend going a step further and read books that fill you with knowledge in an area that you enjoy. Read more about starting a new business, or a cooking book on easy recipes made with cheap ingredients that will come in useful as a university student. Putting my screens away and setting time aside for myself to read has helped me a lot more than I thought it would’ve.