Staying healthy over exams
Published on 11 May 17
Struggling to get enough sleep? Finding it difficult to get your five-a-day portion of fruit and vegetables into your diet? If so, check out these four simple steps to staying healthy over your exams.
Sleep
Scrolling through Instagram and Facebook may form part of your pre-bedtime ritual but it may also be having a negative impact on the quality of your sleep. Bright lights such as phones, laptops and TVs stimulate your brain and make it harder for you to relax. Instead create a calm, dark space for the perfect night’s sleep.
The Counselling Service has a series of online resources to help you relax and sleep. Click here to access the resources. Before using the podcasts, find a comfortable setting where you can be still and undisturbed.
Exercise
As well as making you feel great, exercise can have a positive effect on sleep quality and a recent study even suggests a run can help with your revision for exams! Sporticipate offers over 60 hours of free sport each week, check out their de-stress timetable on the Sport website.
Stay hydrated
Caffeine may be your best friend during those long days in the library but it can also make you feel anxious and disturb your sleeping pattern. According to the Eatwell Guide, drinking between 6-8 glasses of water a day can help to increase concentration and avoids the short term energy spike associated with energy drinks. You could even add some lemon or cucumber to make your own fruit infused water. Have a look at the UoM Eat Green blog for some ideas.
The Student Support and Advice team will be outside University Place on the 15, 17 and 18 May giving away free fruit infuser water bottles between 12 - 13.00. Come along to fill your bottle with tasty fruit and water!
Food
Stay away from the microwave! Ready meals may seem convenient and cheap but they are also full of salt, preservatives and fat. The NHS recommends we get at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day which are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. A great way to ensure you are getting your 5 a day is to batch cook meals packed with vegetables and freeze them for the following week. Not only does this save you time but it helps to avoid costly ready meals. Here are some healthy recipe ideas for you to try.