Navigating College Life: Wellness
Establishing practices and routines that support balance, bring joy, and facilitate physical and emotional health
The college years are some of the most challenging and rewarding times of your life. You’re learning who you are, what you’re passionate about, and how to be independent. It’s a lot to take on, and it’s easy to let your health and wellbeing fall by the wayside. That’s why it’s so important to establish practices and routines that support balance, bring joy, and facilitate physical and emotional health.
Self-care looks different for everyone, so there’s no single right way to do it. However, there are some general principles that can help you get started.
Here are a few tips for incorporating self-care into your life as a college student:
1. Make time for yourself every day
This might seem like an impossible task when you have classes, homework, extracurriculars, and a social life. But it’s important to carve out at least a few minutes each day to do something that’s just for you.
This could be reading your favorite book, taking a walk outside, journaling, or anything else that brings you joy. Dedicating even a small amount of time to yourself each day can make a big difference in your overall wellbeing.
2. Eat healthy and exercise regularly
It’s easy to indulge in late-night pizza or skip the gym when you’re busy with schoolwork. But making healthy choices is crucial for maintaining your energy levels and reducing stress. Eating nutritious meals and getting regular exercise will help you feel your best both physically and mentally.
3. Get enough sleep
Sleep is often one of the first things to go when you’re overwhelmed with schoolwork or extracurriculars. But skimping on sleep can have serious consequences for your health, mood, and productivity levels. Make sure you’re getting enough rest by establishing a regular sleep schedule and sticking to it as much as possible.
4. Connect with loved ones
Staying connected with family and friends is an important part of self-care. Whether you’re home for the holidays or just talking on the phone, make time to catch up with the people who matter most to you. These relationships will provide support and love when you need it most.
Self-care is essential for managing stress, staying healthy, and maintaining your energy levels throughout college and beyond. By making time for yourself every day, eating well, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and staying connected with loved ones, you can set yourself up for success both during your college years and beyond.
Co-authored with AI
Making Waves Education Foundation generated this text in part with artificial intelligence. Content has been reviewed, edited, and revised to our organization’s liking and we take ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.
About Making Waves Education Foundation
At Making Waves, we are committed to educational equity. Making Waves Education Foundation is a Bay Area nonprofit that supports Making Waves Academy – a public charter school with more than 1,100 5th through 12th grade students – and leads college and career programming with more than 430 college students.
Knowing the opportunities that come with a college degree, we partner with historically underrepresented and underserved students to help make college affordable and graduation attainable. Centering the journeys of our students, our personalized approach includes college and career coaching, scholarships, and financial planning.
Our alumni network includes more than 730 college graduates, who earn their degrees and land jobs at more than twice the rate of their first-generation, low-income peers, with 85% graduating debt-free.
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