Phew! The middle of the semester has arrived, which means fall break is almost here, but midterms do come first along with the increased stress, late nights in the library, and a shift in your schedule. Therefore, we want to provide you with ways to stay on top of your recovery, health, and midterms!
1. Create a schedule.
Thankfully, we live in a technology-driven world, which means you can ditch the written to-do list or written schedule and use Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and/or one of the many different apps that you can find on your phone's app store.
A calendar can help with creating structure as oftentimes, stress can greatly impact hunger/fullness cues, whether it be stress eating or a lack of cues.
Calendar reminders can help provide a second nudge to take a step away to eat a meal, have a snack, step away from for a leg stretch break, etc.
Another way if you do not utilize a calendar is to use an alarm on your phone and set it for every 2-6 hours! On the flip side too, a schedule can be helpful with productivity so you can pencil out how much time you want/need to spend on each class, task, etc.
2. Preparation.
When life gets really busy, it can be easy to miss a meal/snack or simply not feel like making food or going to the grocery store. You can use the notes section or even grab a piece of paper and pen and think about what food may look like for you that week so then it is not an extra step that has to be taken when you may already be overwhelmed!
3. Self Care.
Stop and think about what one self-care you can do each day. This can be something big or small, but we often undermine the importance of self-care on how it can impact our overall health. Some ideas could be; journaling, going for a walk, taking a bath, and this list goes on and on!
4. Sleep! Do not forget the importance of sleep.
Poor sleep or lack of sleep can impact your memory and logical reasoning, which are both things you need to ace your exams.
Challenge yourself to use a calendar reminder or alarm for when it is time to hit the hay instead of cramming another hour or two so you can be fresh the next morning!
If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder and needs support please reach out to one of our staff members at info@enlightencounselingandcare.com.
