With everything going on for a college student, it can be easy to forget about taking care of yourself and maintaining your own health and hygiene. At times, studying for your tests or spending time with your friends might seem like the most important thing. But when you have to sacrifice your health for these things, you might soon realize just how important it is to be healthy and hygienic. So to help those in college who are struggling with finding the right balance in their life, here are three tips for maintaining health and hygiene while in college.
Know The Biggest Risks
While forgetting or not doing small things every once in awhile likely won’t have a detrimental effect on you, there are certain areas of health and hygiene that can be very risky to overlook. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the biggest physical risks to college students include sexual pressures, substance abuse, lack of sleep, and managing stress. Knowing that these four areas are the biggest risks for a college student sacrificing their health or hygiene, it’s important that you do what you can to make these four areas a priority in your life.
Make Time For Hygiene
Although many people recognize that their health is important, sometimes we forget that our personal hygiene is part of our overall physical health. Especially for busy college students, it can be easy to let certain aspects of your physical hygiene slide either due to a lack of time or resources. But according to Trent Hamm, a contributor to the Simple Dollar, investing in yourself is one of the most important things a college student can do. This means that you take pride in the way you care for yourself and don’t neglect the more tedious parts of personal hygiene, like cleaning your earrings or flossing.
Prioritize Sleep Whenever Possible
College students are notorious for staying up late, stretching themselves too thin, and not getting enough sleep. But to be the healthiest version of yourself, Christina Stiehl, a contributor to Thrillist.com, it’s important not to view sleep as something that’s optional. Getting too little sleep can severely affect your bodily functions, make it harder for you to think clearly, increase feelings of anxiety and depression, and slow your reflexes and coordination. So with all that’s riding on you having a successful experience at college, you really can’t afford to be missing too much sleep on a regular basis.
If you’re a college student who feels that the balance of your life has gotten a little out of whack, consider how you could change your health and hygiene habits to make a more positive impact on your life.
