Study Healthy: Top 5 Tips

Crunch time is on for thousands of students nation-wide. Finals week is probably one of the most stressful times of the year. You'll likely be operating on adrenaline and very little sleep as you become consumed by non-stop study and panic. While this dreaded time is one of the challenges of college, there are some healthy things you can do to help soothe some of your stress and keep your body from breaking down due to abuse. So before your marathon sprint to the finish starts, take a few moments and make a plan to stay as healthy as possible during this last leg of the semester.

1. Water is your friend. I know most of you will be living on coffee and soda during finals in order to get a caffeine boost. However, dehydration is a beast! If you're not getting enough water, especially with all that caffeine, you'll likely develop an awful headache and may have trouble staying focused. So do yourself a favor and be sure alternate your caffeinated beverages with water.

2. Snack Healthy (or at least Healthier). During stressful times we tend to turn to high-calorie snacks like potato chips. The salt, fat, and crunch seem irresistible. Try stocking up on crunchy veggies instead, like baby carrots, cucumbers, and celery or a crunchy and sweet fruit like apple slices. If you just can't picture yourself being that healthy then grab some pretzels instead. Pretzels will give you a little salt and the crunch without all the saturated fat.

3. Get some sleep. Yeah, I know you're rolling your eyes thinking about how you have so much studying to do that you don't have time to sleep. But think about this, according to the National Institute of Neurological disorders and Stroke, people who are sleep deprived preform as badly or worse than people who are intoxicated (>0.08 blood alcohol) (1). You can quickly become sleep deprived if you are getting 5-6 hours of sleep or less a night. You wouldn't drink a six-pack and then go take your calculus final, so get enough sleep the night before your exam to ensure you are able to remember all that studying you did.

4. Go for a walk. Our brains are only able to stay focused on the same task for a limited amount of time. Sitting there re-reading your biology notes for 18th time isn't going to help if none of the words are sinking into your brain. You'll actually be able to focus better if you take breaks, and what better way to take a break than to go for a quick walk around your block. A brisk walk outside with getting your blood pumping, wake you up, and help you to focus better when you return to your studies as well as remember what you study (2). Besides, you'll need to get some physical activity to burn off all those calories from the unhealthy snacks you're eating because you didn't take my healthy snacking advice.

5. Disconnect. That's right, turn off your smart phone and log out of Facebook. If you actually focus on studying while you're studying instead of learning about what your best friend's room-mate's cousin's Ex did last weekend in Vegas, you might have time to do some other important things like go for a walk, or get a good night's sleep.

Finals are the last barrier between you and the school-free joy of Winter Break. Don't spend your precious freedom recuperating because you've trashed your brain and body during exams. Take the time to take care of yourself during finals and you'll avoid feeling and functioning like a brain-dead zombie.

Good Luck on Finals Everybody!


References:
1-  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. Retrieved from: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm
2- Salas, C., Minakata, K., and Kelemen, W. (2011). Walking before study enhances free recall but not judgement-of-learning magnitude. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 23 (4), 507-513

Photo Credit: Arjun Kartha via www.sxc.hu