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The Essential Student-Parent Conversations
Scott Sager
Exhaustion and stress don’t have to be a given in college. What would it look like to regain balance in your life? It helps to understand how healthy behaviors intertwine and reinforce one another. At the foundation of it all? Getting enough sleep.
College students are notorious for being sleep deprived. Communal living arrangements, the heavy academic workload, and FOMO (fear of missing out) are the main contributors. But eventually, without sufficient sleep, students find it harder to learn and to remember what they learned, and may lack the energy to make the most of their college experience.
Our bodies are busy while we sleep. During sleep, we fix damaged tissue, toxins are eliminated, hormones essential for growth and appetite control are released and restocked, and energy is restored. When sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete this work.
→ Impaired cognitive function: Even one night of sleeping less than six hours can impact your ability to think clearly the next day.
→ Increased risk of accidents: Sleep deprivation slows reaction time; you’re three times more likely to be in a car crash if you’re tired.
→ Increased emotional intensity: The part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation can be up to 60% more reactive when you’ve slept poorly.
→ Sleep in a dark room (or use a sleep mask).
→ Save your bed for rest; find other places to study.
→ Turn off screens at least an hour before bedtime.
→ Stop eating at least two hours before bedtime, and avoid processed/junk food that makes your body work extra hard during the night to remove the toxins, leaving less time for healing and repair.
→ Exercise helps people fall asleep faster and sleep longer, so try to exercise each day but not too close to bedtime.
The human stress response is an amazing mechanism for safety and survival. The confusing part is that our brains can’t differentiate among levels of threats; feeling overwhelmed with college can register the same as jumping out of the way of an oncoming car.
Some amounts of stress may help you study productively, maintain motivation, and accomplish tasks, but the negative effects of stress (anxiety, exhaustion, hopelessness) can disrupt daily living and thriving. Students can learn to manage the pressures of college so the demands don’t seem as unbearable and the stress response is deactivated.
Calendars and planners are a foundation for success and counteract a lot of mental health symptoms. Missing an advisor meeting or completely blanking on a big assignment are good ways to have a bad semester.
By planning, you avoid the panic that comes with last-minute cramming. Every hour of the day can be scheduled. Write it out, draw and color it, mind map it, keep it visible. Include:
→ Study breaks, sleep, recreation.
→ When studying, plan on 1.5–2 hours of study per class, then schedule a break.
→ Switch classes for the next study session.
→ Consider “backwards planning”: plan backwards from big exam and project due dates and schedule in all the work/prep time that will be needed (there are YouTube tutorials on this strategy).
→ Pick the place you feel the most productive, calm, and focused. Keep going there for a few weeks to train your body and brain for study mode.
→ Notice what time of day/night you study best. Use this time slot to prepare for your most challenging (or tedious!) classes.
→ Be aware of what distracts you: cell phone, friends, Netflix. These things belong in your life, but not when you’re studying.
→ When your thoughts get stuck, or drift away from the material at hand, get back in the “zone” by standing up to move and stretch.
Many college students eat a diet high in fat and sodium and lacking in essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They also lean heavily on sugar-sweetened and energy drinks.
Practice being mindful when you head into the campus dining hall. You don’t have to be perfect, but a good goal is to limit fast food to an occasional choice and integrate more healthy items into your diet: fruits and veggies, legumes, whole grains, lean meats, and fish. Foods rich in vitamins B and C, iron, and magnesium can help reduce the effects of stress; nuts and seeds are a good snacking option. In addition, it’s a good idea to have your water bottle always handy and reduce or eliminate sugary drinks, caffeine, and alcohol.
It shouldn’t be a footnote, in college or at any stage of life.
→ Notice how often and how much you move your body. A short walk, jumping jacks, or push-ups will suffice if you can’t fit in a work-out.
→ Engage in a fun activity: frisbee, basketball, a dance or fitness class.
→ Take advantage of campus social and counseling resources.
→ Practice calming breathing exercises. It only takes a few minutes to engage your diaphragm and activate the calm part of your nervous system.
→ Take an extra shower a day during exam weeks. Get a haircut or manicure. Pamper yourself!
Instead, fill your brain with positive mantras: “I’m thankful everyday for the opportunity to go to college. I’m right where I need to be! With this comes tough times. I am tough enough — I will be just fine.”
