It is finals time. How are you doing? Sleeping well? Eating nutritious meals? Keeping your life in balance? No? If you are like most students, you are too busy to take care of yourself. You have papers to write, assignments to finish, exams to cram for; your diet consists of junk food and soda, and you get up from your desk only to go to the bathroom or get another bag of chips.
You might get through it without getting sick. Or not. Our clinic is filled from opening until closing time these days, and it’s no wonder: All that stress wreaks havoc on your immune system.
Thankfully, there are a few simple things you can do to minimize the damage you are doubtless inflicting upon yourself.
Food — You don’t have time to fix three squares a day with fresh vegetables and whole grains? Fair enough. But you don’t have to resort to greasy fast food or sugary candy. Fatty fast food is likely to give you a stomachache and make you feel sluggish. Candy will give you a sugar rush followed by a sugar crash.
Aim to eat at least two real meals a day with protein in them and featuring a vegetable or fruit. Between meals, carry a baggie of nuts and dried fruits. You can get pre-made trail mix or make your own. Peanuts, raisins, almonds, dried cranberries — whatever sounds good to you. If you snack on this, you’ll find your energy level stays more even, with no bellyaches or crashes.
Drink — This time of year people tend to overdo the caffeine and skimp on the water. Caffeine is not inherently evil, but too much can upset your stomach and irritate your bladder. A pot of coffee cannot substitute for a night of sleep. Try to keep your intake under three caffeinated beverages a day. Carry a water bottle with you and drink often, refilling several times a day. All of our body tissues need water to function properly. Think of it as watering your brain like you’d water a plant. As for the other kind of drink, you might want to employ moderation. It is hard to think when your brain is pickled, even the morning after.
Sleep — This is a big one. I know you aren’t getting the recommended eight hours a night of uninterrupted sleep, but try to do most of your sleeping in a chunk of time between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Otherwise your body’s biorhythm gets out of whack and mixes up night for day, which is really exhausting. If you get tired during the day, take power naps. Just 10 or 20 minutes, even with your head down on your desk, can recharge your system remarkably well. When you’re done, have a good stretch.
Exercise — This is not the time to start a new exercise program, nor should you spend hours every day on the treadmill at the expense of your grades. But I do recommend that you get up and move every couple of hours. Your body will stay more comfortable if you move it every so often, and your brain functions better when it gets some of that blood that has been settling in your butt and feet.
If you are studying in the library, take a walk around the stacks, or up and down a couple flights of stairs. If you are at home, take a trip around the block. Be smart and safe about this; don’t do it alone at two in the morning. If it is two in the morning, take a stretch break, do some jumping jacks, walk around the house. Better yet, go to bed.
Eye muscles get stiff too, and eye strain is common this time of year. To minimize that, every 10 minutes or so look up from your work and focus on something far away, then something midrange, then roll your eyes around. This will relieve the muscles that hold your eyes in focus and help prevent strain.
Extras — Take a B-complex vitamin. It helps with stress. And take breaks from studying. Give your brain a rest with a movie, a chat with a friend, some fun reading. Even a short break can really refresh you.
Most of you are young and resilient, but even young and resilient can only take so much. Eventually the body signals revolt and your immune system goes on strike. The guards retire to the barracks to play cards, and soon you’re sick on top of exhausted. If you follow the hints above, you might be able to avoid the germ invasion, stay more alert and energized and finish the semester in style. Good luck, and have a great summer.
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Peggy Spencer is a student-health physician. She is also the co-author of the book “50 ways to leave your 40s.” Email your questions directly to her at pspencer@unm.edu. All questions will be considered anonymous, and all questioners will remain anonymous.
