Stress comes in many forms in college, and for
the most part it comes in waves. If you have a test
one day, you’re bound to have a paper due the next,
and the cycle never ends. Interestingly enough, what
small decisions students choose to make now can
help improve their health later in life.
Dr. Mao Shing Ni is an authority on Taoist antiaging
medicine and is the author of the best-selling
books focusing on revitalization and natural ways
to improve longevity. He is also the founder of The
Natural Health Search Engine. His recent studies
have shown that little activities can help improve
health tremendously over time. Of course, eating
right and exercising are important, but there are
small changes to your daily routine that can help
improve your overall health.
The first suggestion Dr. Shing Ni makes is to stand
as much as possible. While this seems a bit ridiculous
to college students who are walking from place
to place and constantly on the move, choosing to
break up long periods of sitting with a few minutes
of standing or stretching can help tremendously.
People who stand more have more energy throughout
the day, and actually allow their bodies to burn
more calories than they would if spending the majority
of their time sitting down. Recent studies have
shown that sitting for a prolonged period of time
increases risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer,
even if you exercise daily. If you find yourself study ing
for hours on end in Shain library, take breaks
every two hours to stretch or take a walk around
campus. This can help your metabolism and therefore
give your body more chances to burn calories.
Although it seems that throughout long days of
studying and attending classes, students wouldn’t
have anything else on their mind besides fun and
sleep, studies have shown that those who help others
will not only be happier but are less likely to have
depression later on. When people stop focusing on
their own worries and pains, they experience less
anxiety and feel better about themselves. Even giving
a smile to strangers walking by can help make
people happier, and in return, healthier. On campus,
joining OVCS is an accessible way to find places to
volunteer. Helping others a few times a week can
not only help you take your focus off of work, but
it can also help you understand what is truly worth
worrying about in your life. According to Dr. Shing
Ni, compassion can help eliminate stress and the
diseases that come with it.
Look beside you right now: what do you see?
Guesses are your student ID, CamelCard, and phone.
Everywhere students go, these items are a survival
necessity, minus the basic food and water of course.
This won’t surprise college students, but a new study
has found an association between chronic use of
Web-enabled cellphones and a rise of stress levels.
As many students know, having smartphones cause
students to feel a need to review and respond to
every incoming message. This need causes stress and
can build substantially over time and cause anxiety
and later health problems. In college, students are
constantly connected to technology because it’s
impossible to stay up to date without it. However, to
improve our health in the long run, students should
try to “bulk-check” emails and texts every hour
rather than responding instantly, and consider doing
one task at a time when it comes to texting and chatting
online.
These habits are simple, reasonable and helpful
in the long run. Many sources also support meditation
throughout the day as a way to focus better and
relieve stress. As midterm exams approach, take time
in your day to consciously better your health by doing
these small tasks. Your body will thank you.
