Back to School Basics: How to Stay Healthy During the School Year

When you think of going back to school, it’s hard to imagine being able to keep yourself healthy through the school year. You make a resolution of sorts: to try harder, eat healthier, and get the proper amount of sleep. It’s just so hard. With the right amount of motivation and these tips and tricks, it can become easier to manage a healthy school year.

Eating Healthy

It’s hard to keep healthy when what you’re eating isn’t good for you. The school lunch food isn’t always nutritious, and the desire to chow down on anything you can get after school is sometimes too great.

Instead of eating lunch at school, try taking your lunch instead. Good Housekeeping has a list of thirty really good ideas for lunches you can take to school. If these don’t appeal to you, and you do have to eat school food, remember the food groups and how important they are for your body. The USDA has a website called ChooseMyPlate.gov which is a great source to check out. It explains in really good detail what you should put on your plate, and how much.

Snacking healthily is just as, if not more, important than eating healthy full meals. A lot of students like to snack while they work on homework or take on after school activities. Great snacks include walnuts, a few pieces of dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, or peppermint candies or tea. All have been scientifically proven to benefit brain function, blood flow, and provide calming qualities to help ease anxiety and irritability.

Drinking Healthy

Some schools allow students to carry water bottles to class. If you are allowed to do this, you should definitely take that opportunity. The human body is mostly composed of water, and you’re constantly expelling water through sweat and other outlets. So how much water do you need? The Institute of Medicine lists the adequate intake (AI) for women to be nine cups, or 2.2 litres a day. For men, it is thirteen cups, or three litres a day. Even if you aren’t getting this much at school, it is important to consume as close to this as you can.

Healthy Sleep

As a chronic insomniac, I can understand the struggle of not getting enough sleep. There are several tips and tricks you can use to improve your sleeping habits.

Set a regular bedtime and go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, help your body adjust by making the change in small daily increments, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.

Wake up at the same time every day. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake-time even on weekends.

Nap to make up for lost sleep. If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm, which often backfires in insomnia and throws you off for days.

Take care to increase the natural light you’re exposed to during the day. Increasing your natural light exposure can help set your body’s natural sleep cycle. Closer to bedtime, try to avoid using your phone or any other back-lit and electronic devices. Put your phone face down and away from you, to avoid any notifications or lights flashing and keeping you awake.

Try to make sure you keep your room cool as well. The optimal temperatures for your body to sleep (and sleep well) are between 64-68º Fahrenheit.

Exercise

If you take P.E. in school, then this shouldn’t be too hard for you because any physical activity is good for you. You don’t have to keep a hardcore, weight lifting routine. The best way to keep active and healthy during the school year is cardio. Alternate between walking and running, get your heart rate up for at least thirty minutes a day. Not only will this increase your blood flow, it’ll also help clear and relax your brain.

Going back to school can be stressful, and figuring out how to maintain your health during that time is just as stress-inducing. However, if you eat healthy, get enough rest, exercise, and drink enough water, you should be able to keep a healthy body and mind.

Special thanks to losing control. and silent hearts. for editing.