Wellness & Self-Care Resource Guide for Students: Home

Source: Headspace on iOS and Android. 

Slow, deep breathing is a powerful tool for relaxation and stress management. By practicing belly breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, you can elicit a relaxation response that calms the mind and grounds the body. 

Below, you will find some recommended meditation apps, accompanied by a sample meditation or breathing exercise. All of these apps are available for free at some level, with a premium subscription option. 

• Headspace (iOS & Android)
• Calm (iOS & Android)
• InsightTimer (iOS & Android)

Poor sleep quality is prevalent among college students, affecting their academic performance and daytime functioning. It's important to get 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night, and practice good sleep hygiene. 

Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for getting better sleep:

• Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature
• Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom
• Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime
• Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.

Source: Calm App on iOS and Android.

Source: International Food Information Council

Here are some helpful tips for mindful eating from Harvard University Health:

1. Come to the table with an appetite— but not when ravenously hungry. If you skip meals, you may be so eager to get anything in your stomach that your first priority is filling the void instead of enjoying your food.

2. Start with a small portion. It may be helpful to limit the size of your plate to nine inches or less.

3. Appreciate your food. Pause for a minute or two before you begin eating to contemplate everything and everyone it took to bring the meal to your table. Silently express your gratitude for the opportunity to enjoy delicious food and the companions you're enjoying it with.

4. Bring all your senses to the meal. When you're cooking, serving, and eating your food, be attentive to color, texture, aroma, and even the sounds different foods make as you prepare them. As you chew your food, try identifying all the ingredients, especially seasonings.

5. Take small bites. It's easier to taste food completely when your mouth isn't full. Put down your utensil between bites.

6. Chew thoroughly. Chew well until you can taste the essence of the food. (You may have to chew each mouthful 20 to 40 times, depending on the food.) You may be surprised at all the flavors that are released.

7. Eat slowly. If you follow the advice above, you won't bolt your food down. Devote at least five minutes to mindful eating before you chat with your tablemates.

Movement is not only crucial for your cardiovascular health, but it can also be a powerful, natural sleep aid, and produce the same relaxation response as breathing. Here are some of the American Heart Association's recommendations for physical activity for adults:

• Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least 2 days per week.
• Spend less time sitting. Even light-intensity activity can offset some of the risks of being sedentary.

Working out from home? Here are some free online workouts you can use to get yourself started:

• The Body Coach TV (General Fitness)
• POPSUGAR Fitness (General Fitness)
• NYT 6-Minute Workouts (Specialty Workouts) -- Free with FDU NYT Subscription
• J&J 7-Minute Workouts (Specialty Workouts)
• Yoga With Adriene (Yoga)
• CorePower Yoga on Demand (Yoga) -- Free Trial

Time management is a critical tool for success and self-care in college. When you manage your time effectively, you gain a sense of control, and you're better able to manage your stress levels. 

The Harvard Business Review identifies three critical skills at the core of effective time management:

• Awareness: thinking realistically about your time by understanding it is a limited resource.
• Arrangement: designing and organizing your goals, plans, schedules, and tasks to effectively use time.
• Adaptation: monitoring your use of time while performing activities, including adjusting to interruptions or changing priorities.

Time management looks different for everyone, but here are some common hacks to help you organize your time more effectively: 

1) Plan Ahead: Review your syllabi and course schedule at the beginning of the semester, and record due dates for tasks and appointments in a planner or calendar app. Label or color-code entries (e.g., work, school, life, etc.).

2) Don't multitask: Scientifically, humans can't actually multitask as well as they think they can. Do one thing at a time to avoid dividing your attention and decreasing your productivity. It can help to create to-do lists on a sheet of paper or on an app like Todoist. 

3) Get a good night's sleep: See the section on sleep! 

4) Reward yourself: It's important to reward yourself after completing your to-do list to avoid burnout, and achieve a good work-life balance. Whether it's visiting a friend, watching your favorite TV show, or enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, make sure you're celebrating a job well-done!