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The beginning of the school year brings many exciting things- football games, pep rallies, new friends- but it also brings some yucky things like sickness and stress. It may seem like these ailments are unavoidable, but with a few changes to your routine, you can stay healthy physically and mentally. Healthy students = happy ones, so you can enjoy the fun parts of high school and be an overall happier, more pleasant individual. Below, some of the best tips:
Stay hydrated. Water is like the oil in a car engine: it keeps your body working smoothly and flushes out the millions of germs you pick up throughout a school day.
Hit the snooze button. No, not really, but keeping a regular sleep schedule and aiming for 8-10 hours per night helps your body fight off illness and process stress. If those hours sound unattainable, focus on going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. A regular schedule might be more beneficial than the amount of hours you sleep. Either way, those all-nighters you’ve been pulling are not doing you any favors.
Add more veggies. You don’t have to become a rabbit or only eat kale, but incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet gives your body key nutrients and also helps your microbiome, AKA your gut bacteria. Yes, that’s a good thing. The microbiome has only recently been studied, but there’s already a clear link between its health and ours. In fact, 90% of the feel-good hormone serotonin is produced in the gut. Try adding one new vegetable or fruit to each meal you eat, like putting berries in your oatmeal or blending beets into your spaghetti sauce.
Wash your hands religiously. I hope I don’t have to tell you to wash your hands before eating or after using the bathroom, but also get sudsy when you get home from school and other activities. Take advantage of hand sanitizer dispensers located all around our school for a quick wash.
Hug a tree. Being outside, even just sitting under a tree does amazing things for us. One study found that patients who had a window with a view of nature recovered significantly faster than patients with a view of a building. Playing with your dog outside, taking a walk at one of Birmingham’s many beautiful trails, or even tanning are great ways to be one with nature.
Get your sweat on. Daily exercise keeps us happier and healthier. If you’ve sworn off exercise or failed PE, try adding an evening walk to your schedule. Swimming, running, and lifting weights are all beneficial, but also playing pickleball or rec basketball is a great way to move your body and also strengthen social ties- another way to stay happy mentally.
Stay on top of schoolwork. It can be very tempting to procrastinate that one project or wait until the last minute to cram for that test, but that’s also a miserable way to live. Starting homework the day you get it and studying for a short amount of time the week leading up to a test is difficult, but finding the discipline is worth it. Not stressing about school also allows you time to do other things on this list- and just about anything else.
Taking care of yourself, on top of all the other things you take care of, can seem daunting. But it’s a worthy investment. Take a couple of tips from this list to slowly incorporate into your routine, but don’t let your health become another thing to stress over. You’ve got this!
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