Home Uncategorized College lifestyle: Advice to first-time college students for keeping a healthy body… – Worcester Mag

College: partying, hangovers, stress, takeout food, school cafeterias, naps, the freshman 15, endless hours sitting in class and late nights in the library.

These are just a few of the stereotypes that surround college students, and while they may not all be true, with the high-level of stress and on-the-go life that college creates, eating well, staying fit and taking proper care of your body and mind can become a challenge. However, it is a challenge most incoming students face at one point or another.

Megan Kersting, director of Clark University’s Center for Counseling and Personal Growth, weighed in on some of these issues in a recent interview with Worcester Magazine.

“During high-stress times, it seems like students tend to put basic self-care on the back burner, and this can hurt them in the end,” she said. “By basic self-care, I mean things like sleeping, eating, caffeine use, alcohol use, exercise and interacting with others. Highly-stressed students often want to squeeze out extra minutes of productivity by forgoing important self-care activities, and in the long run this ends up actually hurting their productivity, resilience, and physical and emotional health.”

Possibly one of the worst habits college students inherently create is their lack of sleep in high-stress times of finals or cramming for midterms. The National Institute of Health (NIH) said college students are one of the most sleep-deprived populations.

“Regardless of how often I give advice, [students] still tend to ignore it when they are faced with deadlines and academic demands,” said Kersting, “When someone is sleep deprived, they have a significantly more difficult time maintaining focus and gathering information, remembering things and managing stress. If a student doesn’t sleep during finals, they are actually negating most of their studying efforts.”

Caffeine-fueled, late-night cramming sessions, combined with lack of sleep, can have more than just a negative effect on your performance and mental state – it can pave the way for unhealthy eating too. When one is pulling an all-nighter in a college dorm room, chances are they are not going to be fueling their bodies with energy rich, balanced food items. Instead, they are likely going to lean toward and depend on processed, easy snack foods to keep them awake and “energized,” which are high in fat and usually only provide empty calories. In fact, many teens are faced with making their own food decisions for the first time in college.

A student arriving to college for the first time is often associated with the phrase “a kid in a candy shop.” This concept can turn the myth of the “Freshman 15” into a reality when students who have never experienced the freedom of making their own decisions around food are given free range in a buffetstyle cafeteria.

“For instance,” said Kersting, “if their parents frequently monitored and made choices about the food that a student ate, the student might overindulge in fried food or sweets in their newfound freedom when they arrive to college. Essentially, with this practice, students are never given the opportunity to learn how to manage their own diet.”

Ultimately, the overindulgence can lead to negative consequences that will cause the student to gain weight or feel physically and emotionally unwell.

Kersting advises students to talk with their parents or guardians before they get to campus, specifically about food choices and which foods to eat and which to avoid in order to avoid.

While it can be scary, exciting and challenging, the first time at college is full of new opportunities and experiences, but as Kersting agrees, it is all about moderation.

“So, get a good night’s sleep,” she said. “Don’t eat nachos for dinner every night. Don’t overindulge. Be responsible … If you feel stressed, talk to your friends or seek help. Engaging in healthy behaviors does not make you a boring person, it actually makes you a stronger, more resilient one