Is a healthy lifestyle manageable at uni?

The transition to university presents a lot of opportunities to explore a new city or a new country, especially if you're an international student. With that, however, comes the settling in jitters and the balancing act such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

This includes nutrition, exercise, rest, and a positive state of mind. But having some advice from someone who has experienced the journey may make it much easier and maybe even more fun.

Finding the gap in your schedule – catering to your wellbeing

Look at your schedule and try to find gaps you can use as your exercise/active time. It is important to keep active to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It will boost your self-esteem, positively change your mood, and it’s also fun and a great way to make friends. It does not have to be very time consuming as three times per week is sufficient to maintain good health.

For me, it was joining the gym here on campus which made it easier for me to fit my workouts into a busy schedule. Find a time that works for you and fits your schedule which will allow you to engage in physical activities. Here at Brunel, there is the Active@Brunel initiative which has several social sports programmes aimed at getting people on campus engaged in over 50 sports at different levels, even recreationally. It also involves other physical activities such as fitness and dance classes. The activities are scheduled at different times throughout the day so you will have the flexibility of adding them to your busy schedule.

Taking care of your mental health

You mustn't overlook your mental health as it impacts your thoughts, behaviour and emotions. Taking care of your mental health will improve productivity and effectiveness in your day to day life.

For me, being able to interact and connect with others helped with building my sense of belonging. The friendships forged also provided me with the emotional support I needed when things got challenging. It is always good to have someone you can lean on and being able to provide similar support to others will create positive feelings. If it is a situation where you have concerns or challenges with your mental health take time to get the help and support you need. At Brunel, this help is easy and accessible as there are mental health advisors or counsellors ready to assist you in any way they can.

Eating well

Always remember to eat, and not just eat anything, but to eat well. This might seem like a crazy thing to forget, but when things get hectic and you’re strapped for time, it is easy to skip meals or overconsume fast food. Eating healthy will help you to look and feel good, maintain good health, increased energy, stamina, and concentration. I know that this not exactly an easy task, but with some planning, it can be achieved. Take some time every week, just about 30 mins over the weekend, to plan the main meals for the week. Make a list and get the items you need so you can prepare the things you need to have balanced meals.

Remember always, take care of your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. You can choose to tailor the tips to fit your daily lifestyle.