Feel like you've fallen victim to the freshman 15? It happens to the best of us and is normal. Your metabolism is changing, your hormones are changing, heck, your whole life has just changed as you've embarked on college living on your own. No more home cooked meals from mom and dad or high school sports to keep you disciplined and in the gym. Now, your days are filled with class, homework, studying, and work. You're lucky if you have the time to hit the gym... let alone get 3 good, nutritious meal in each day. Being in college isn't easy. But we've got some tips for you on how to make it a little bit easier on yourself. We'll help you build habits that will support that healthy lifestyle you've been aiming for but haven't quite mastered yet.
Your health is your most valuable asset. You need to both understand it and prioritize it, giving your body what it needs to help you be successful throughout your college career and beyond. Let's start with movement, sleep, and nutrition.
Prioritize movement
Daily movement is crucial for both your mental and physical health. Start easy; don't try to do too much all at once. Small habits make a big difference, especially when you stick with them over time. Don't burn yourself by starting too hot. Start off small -- take a walk, try out a yoga class, or pick up a game of volleyball or basketball!
Prioritize sleep
Sleep is critical. Good, restful sleep affects academic performance and improves memory, learning, and focus, mental and emotional well-being with reduced stress and anxiety, and your physical health with an improved immune system and recovery. Start out by limiting caffeine in the afternoons and your screen time before bed.
Prioritize nutrition
Navigating healthy eating can get overwhelming, especially if you're living on campus without a full kitchen. The good news is... eating healthy is possible, even on a budget, even with limited cooking space. Our favorite tips? Opt for more whole food options in the grocery store (AKA try to get a majority of your food from the outside perimeter of the store). Think produce, protein, dairy. And experiment with meal prepping! This is the best way to stay as cost-effective as possible with your groceries, reduces the stress of having to cook 3 meals every single day, and allows you to always have "food at home", so you don't make that McDonald's pit stop after work.
But how do we make this a lifestyle? How do we make sure you don't get bored or fall off track? We build habits. We want to rewire our brains to implement long-term success. Let's break it down.
"Habits are routines or rituals that are unconscious or that have become almost automatic or second nature," (Healthline, 2021). We all have our habits. Whether it's popping your knuckles when you get nervous, biting your nails, or jiggling your leg, we all have them and act on them both consciously and unconsciously. We build these habits by a system in our brain that looks for patterns and connections between action and satisfaction. Your brain files away this pattern and bam... your habit has been born.
Know that we know the science, how can we use it to our advantage? That's where the habit loop comes into play. Coined by Charles Duhigg in his book "The Power of Habit", the habit loop takes you through a 4-step process -- cue, craving, response, reward.
Image from (Healthline, 2021).
The image above reflects the habit loop engaging in an unwanted habit - habits that steal our attention and can lead to behaviors that lead you away from your goals. These habits are working against us, not for us.
The image below reflects the habit loop engaging in a desired habit - habits that have been designed to lead our attention and behaviors in the right direction. These habits are working for us, not against us.
Image from (Healthline, 2021).
Ultimately, we want to connect good habits with great rewards. When our brains recognize that pattern, we build habits and become who we want to be! So how does this apply to movement, sleep, and nutrition?
Movement: Say you want to start going for walks, but you've been getting bored everytime you try to do it. So you go on your walk and you play your audiobook or favorite podcast or maybe you decide to use this time to catch up with family back home. Now, you'll look forward to those walks because your brain now connects them with this immediate reward.
Sleep: You want to start going to bed earlier but everytime you try, you enter a TikTok doomscroll (it happens to the best of us). We're going to plug our phones in, go do your nighttime routine, and get in bed and read a book or maybe this is a great time to journal and reflect on your day. Now, you'll look forward to going to bed early because your brain now connects it with the immediate reward.
Nutrition: You want to stop eating out so much and start cooking at home, but you find yourself with too few hours in a day and want a quick, easy fix. You decide to start meal prepping. Now you have meals cooked for the rest of the week. No more waking up way early to try to cook breakfast or struggling to decide what to eat on your way home from work. Your favorite meals are cooked and waiting for you in the fridge. Now, you'll look forward to meal prepping and eating at home because your brain now connects it with this immediate reward.
Start small, and build your habits over time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your dream life. Keep putting in work and building your new habits little by little, and one day, you'll look back and wonder why you didn't do this sooner.
----------
If you want help getting back on track or if you run into any issues/illness in the meantime, come see us at Lubbock Primary Care! We have several providers and locations around town ready and committed to you and your health. We help you deal with your everyday illnesses and urgent care needs, manage your chronic conditions, and reach your health and wellness goals.
Lubbock Primary Care Locations
South Quaker Location: 11007 Quaker Ave., Lubbock, TX | 806-701-4040
Southwest Milwaukee Location: 10709 Milwaukee Ave., Lubbock, TX | 806-207-3703
Central University Location: 5015 University Ave. Unit B1, Lubbock, TX | 806-797-4357
Midland Location: 1300 W Wall St., Midland, TX | 432-684-4488
Sources:
McLachlan, S. (2021). The science of habit: What does it take to stick with something long term? You just have to rewire your brain. https://www.healthline.com/health/the-science-of-habit#12
