There are some bad habits that you might think are no big deal, but the truth is that many of them can make your school life much more difficult than it has to be.
Avoid these five bad student lifestyles to be on the right path to a productive and enjoyable academic experience.
1) Poor sleeping habits
Make sure you get enough sleep! Not only will this help keep you in the best shape possible, it will also allow your brain to work at peak performance.
Aim for eight hours of sleep per night, and try to go to bed at the same time every night.
Another important factor is to maintain a consistent wake-up time; waking up too early or too late can throw off your body’s internal clock.
Lastly, if you have trouble sleeping or staying asleep, make sure to consult a doctor because there could be an underlying issue that needs attention.
And once again, don’t forget to drink plenty of water before bedtime so that you’re hydrated during the night.
The University Health Service has lots of great information on how to improve your sleep habits.
2) Unhealthy eating habits
Eating junk food is a bad habit to get into as a student. The best thing to do is to pack your own lunch and snacks, instead of buying them at school.
This way you know exactly what’s in your food and how much sugar or fat it has. It can be difficult at first, but after a while you’ll get used to it and find that making your own lunches will save you money too.
For example, many people who pack their own lunch spend around $50 a month whereas those who buy their lunches spend $200+.
That’s a huge difference! If you have the willpower, give it a try.
3) Lack of exercise
Exercise is one thing we all know we should be doing more often, especially if we’re in college! Why not make an effort to incorporate exercise into your day?
Take the stairs when possible and take five minutes out of every hour for some quick exercises like jumping jacks, pushups, planks or sit ups.
Lack of exercise is one of the easiest bad habits to get into. Whether you’re too busy with schoolwork or just have a naturally sedentary lifestyle, it’s hard to find time for regular exercise.
However, missing out on physical activity can lead to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
Studies show that those who are active during their childhood and adolescence will be more likely to stay active throughout their lives, so make sure you get plenty of exercise while you can.
Exercise doesn’t need to mean running a marathon.
Even light activities like taking the stairs instead of an elevator, parking your car farther from work than necessary, or even walking across campus every day can add up over time and improve your health.
It’s not always easy to keep up with a consistent routine, but remember – start small and build gradually.
If you’re new to working out, don’t do anything strenuous until your body gets used to being active again.
Just because something might seem simple at first doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable: getting off the bus two stops early or choosing water instead of soda are some examples of things that might help get your fitness back on track.
4) Too much stress
Too much stress can lead to things like anxiety and depression, which have been shown to have a strong effect on the student’s performance in school.
The more pressure they feel, the less likely they are to succeed academically.
It’s important that students find ways to manage their stress while in school so that it doesn’t overwhelm them.
They should try talking with someone about what is making them stressed out, do breathing exercises to get themselves calm again, or even read self-help books for tips on how to improve their mood.
They should also consider whether or not something could be causing too much stress for them; if this is the case then they may want to consider finding another way of handling the situation that is causing so much worry.
For example, maybe there’s a project or class where they’re getting lots of high grades but feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work required for each one Forcing themselves to socialize:
Although socializing is very important as well, forcing oneself into situations where one feels uncomfortable won’t help anyone.
5) Not enough social interaction
If you’re spending most of your time in the library and not interacting with other students, you may be limiting your opportunities for socialization.
This is important because one of the best ways to develop as a person is through interactions with others and developing relationships.
It’s also been shown that people who are social are more likely to live longer than those who don’t have an active lifestyle.
So make sure you’re at least meeting new people by getting involved in clubs or sports teams! You’ll get exercise too.
Conclusion:
Sleep is just as important to mental function as it is physical function.
There has been evidence linking poor sleep patterns with increased risk of depression, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.
Research shows that sleeping less than 7 hours per night is bad for brain health so try to maintain a regular sleeping schedule.
