Being Healthy Research Paper

Being Successful by Being Healthy
By:
English 101.

For most young adults, college is the four-year period that they have been looking forward to since junior high. It’s the time to get out there and meet lifelong friends, experience new things, get involved with different activities, and develop the skills and knowledge that will be necessary for future career paths. Though, with all the fun of college comes the hard part of it: going to extracurricular meetings, nights filled with papers, studying for exams and heavy loads of reading. And that means a stressed out student. However there are ways to manage this stress. Through maintaining a healthy well being and practicing stress management
techniques, every college student can survive their four years of undergraduate work without spontaneously combusting. Maintaining a healthy well being includes eating healthy and exercising enough, getting enough sleep, taking a break to give the mind and body time to relax, and practicing stress management techniques such as simple breathing exercise and yoga, and making task lists. Sleep is essential to survive and is a key component in being healthy. Along with being the most effective way to recharge the human body, sleep has many benefits, all of which can help college students. One benefit sleep has is that it improves memory. According to an article in the Huffington Post written by A. Sparacino, a process called consolidation occurs. Consolidation is when memories or learned skills are strengthened during sleep and are ready to use when awake. (Sparacino, 2011) This process is extremely important to college students because of the new things learned every day. Sitting through that two hour lecture is a complete waste of time if everything that was said is forgotten because the student didn’t get enough sleep. I have actually had an experience with this. I went through an entire day of classes running on about 2 hours of sleep from the night before and was unable to remember anything I had learned that day. Dr. Rapoport, an associate professor at New York University Langone Medical Center says “If you are trying to learn something, whether it’s physical or mental, you learn it to a certain point with practice, but something happens while you sleep that makes you learn it better.” The National Sleep Foundation states that those above the age of 17 needs anywhere from 7 to 10 hours of sleep a night. ("National sleep foundation," 2011) The reality of getting ten hours of sleep a night in college isn’t very likely, however seven hours is very do-able if the student’s time is managed efficiently. Napping is also a good way to catch up on sleep, but make sure to limit them to no more than 30 minutes. Sleeping longer than this may result in sleep inertia, which is something I have suffered from too many times. Sleep inertia is the feeling an individual gets after sleeping an amount of time that is too long for a nap and ends up feeling even worse than before the nap. Adequate sleep can also spur creativity. (Sparacino, 2011) Consolidation not only strengthens memories, but it can also restructure and reorganize them, allowing for more creativity. A study done by researchers from Harvard and Boston College found that emotional components of memory are strengthened during sleep and this helps spur the creative process. It may not seem like the most important thing, but having the ability to be creative is a huge advantage in college. Not only can it aid in schoolwork, but it also allows for leadership in extracurricular activities because of the new ideas that can be developed. Another advantage of sleep is that it helps to avoid depression. (Sparacino, 2011) Depression is very common among college students. Being away from home for an extended period of time, adjusting to an entirely new set of people and a new atmosphere is a lot to handle at one time and all of this can result in feeling symptoms of depression. However, getting a good night’s rest can do more than just avoiding being irritable. Dr. Jean, M.D., director of sleep medicine and associate director of critical care at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in NYC says “A good night’s sleep can really help a moody person decrease their anxiety. You get more emotional stability with good sleep.” (Sparacino, 2011) Getting enough sleep can sharpen attention skills. (Sparacino, 2011) Dr. Rapoport states that a lack of sleep can produce ADHD-like symptoms in kids causing them to be hyperactive. On the contrary, adults tend to get sleepy. Attention skills are of huge importance while in college. What’s the point of going to class if the student can’t pay attention? Being able to pay attention in class is a huge contributor to the grades that are earned. Believe it or not, sleep can also improve a student’s grades! Dr. Rapoport states, “If you’re trying to meet a deadline, you’re willing to sacrifice sleep, but it’s severe and reoccurring sleep deprivation that clearly impairs learning.” One study mentioned states that students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than the students who did. (Sparacino, 2011) Improving grades is easily connected with consolidation because if memories and skills learned in class aren’t formed, assignments and tasks can’t be adequately completed. Getting enough exercise is also a key factor in maintaining a healthy wellbeing. According to an article by U.S News Health written by D. Kotz, proper exercise can keep the brain fit. (Kotz, 2012) Mild activity such as walking or choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator can help keep the brain active and fit. This can fend off memory loss and keep skills such as vocabulary retrieval sharp (Kotz, 2012). The same article says that exercise can improve learning due to increasing levels of growth factors in the brain while exercising. These growth factors can help make new brain cell that establish new connections between cells in the brain. (Kotz, 2012) Harvard Medical School psychiatrist John Ratey says that brain cells are just like muscles: in order for them to grow, they need to be stressed. Complicated work out routines also improves learning ability by enhancing attention and concentration skills. (Kotz, 2012) A study done by a German researcher found that high school students scored better on tasks that required a high-attention level after doing 10 minutes of a complicated fitness routine compared to 10 minutes of regular activity. (Kotz, 2012) Regular exercise can also help students to avoid depression. The article states that burning off 350 calories at least three times a week through sweat-inducing activity can reduce depression symptoms just as effectively as antidepressants. (Kotz, 2012) A big trigger of depression is stress, and exercise can reverse the effects of stress. According to a study done by the University of California in San Francisco in 2010, exercise works on a cellular level to reverse stress’s toll on our aging process, allowing students to feel more energized on a daily basis. The researchers found that women who were stressed and worked out for an average of 45 minutes over a three day period had cells that showed fewer signs of aging than women who were stressed and didn’t work out. (Kotz, 2012) Simple activities such as running on the treadmill for 30 minutes can increase levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, the brain’s “feel good” chemicals. These “feel good” chemicals are also linked to alleviating symptoms of depression. Personally, I always feel a lot happier after a trip to the gym! Exercise and a healthy diet go hand in hand. One isn’t very effective if the other isn’t done. According to WebMD, eating healthy and avoiding junk food can help to decrease stress. (“WebMD”, 2009) This includes “comfort foods”. Eating while upset can lead to overeating and feelings of guilt. (“WebMD”, 2009) The Daily Titan from California State University, Fullerton says that a healthy diet includes three servings of dairy, whole grains like oatmeal or brown rice, lean protein and at least five combined servings of fruits and vegetables daily. (Valle, 2002) Skipping meals is also a big no-no. Skipping meals can in fact intensify stress related feelings. (“WebMD”, 2009) As college students, it’s somewhat of a norm to skip meals and stay up all night hopped up on coffee or Redbull to finish that one paper or project, or study for the huge biology exam the next morning. However, caffeine should actually be avoided whenever possible. Caffeine causes a feeling of being “wound up” which can make stressful situations seem even worse. Those who are big caffeine users, like myself, should work on slowly declining their use instead of all at one. Quitting cold turkey can cause headaches and make concentrating difficult. (“WebMD”, 2009) An individual would be lying if they said they have never suffered from stress before. Stress is the body’s way of preparing itself for what’s about to come next. College students are some of the most stressed out individuals today. But there are ways to combat this stress. Along with sleeping and diet and exercise, relaxation is a huge stress reliever. Heart of Healing, a website dedicated to teaching the ways of healing, states that relaxation has many benefits. Relaxation can bring on more energy, better quality of sleep, an enhanced immune system, increased concentration skills, better problem solving abilities, greater efficiency, a decrease in negative feelings such as anger, anxiety and frustration, and less headaches and feelings of pain. (“Heart of Healing”, 2011) When practicing relaxation techniques, a number of changes occur internally to make the body feel better. The staff at the Mayo Clinic gives three examples of techniques. The first is Autogenic relaxation. This includes using visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. The second technique is progressive muscle relaxation. The point of this technique is to focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group, starting from the toes and going up or vice versa, to help become more aware of physical sensations. The third technique is visualization, forming mental images to take a visual journey to calming place or situation. Here it is important to use as many of the senses as possible. These techniques lower stress by slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, slowing the breathing rate and increasing blood flow and reducing tension in major muscles. (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011)ere h If relaxation techniques don’t work, utilizing the university’s counseling center is an option. Sometimes just talking about the issues one is facing can bring solutions to mind. There are a few different options when it comes to counseling. First, there’s the traditional one-on-one counseling. Some people feel less intimidated and more likely to open up in an intimate setting. There is less fear of being judged, and some just don’t like to speak about their issues in front of others. On the other hand, group counseling is more beneficial for some. The option of having others there to listen and offer different sets of opinions can open up new perspectives, which then offers different solutions. Group counseling can range from a large sized group to just a few people. It is important for not only college students to set priorities, but for all adults. There is simply no way to manage personal and professional relationships, home life, work, and any other things without prioritizing. David Mount, author of the online article “The Benefits of Prioritizing” offers a simple method get things in order. The method is called the “ABC method”. “A” priorities are tasks that need to be done without question. “B” priorities are tasks that should be done and come second to those on the “A” list. Finally, “C” priorities are tasks that could be done but aren’t very important compared to those on the first two lists. The tasks in each list should be divided by importance. For example: A1, A2, etc. This should be done for the “B” and “C” list as well. Prioritizing is important because it helps individuals to be more proactive and protect their time. (Mount, 2010) This is especially important to college students because time is considered to be a treasured item. Not only does prioritizing protect time and help to become more proactive, it keeps daily life in order, which can really lower the level of stress experienced on a daily basis. I’ve used the “ABC method” on a few occasions and find that it works very well and keeps me very organized. College really is the time to get many new experiences and meet new people. But more importantly, it’s the time to develop one’s future. This seems very scary, and this time does come with a lot of stress. There are plenty of books and articles out there that describe strategies on how to be successful in college. But the real key to being successful is just to feel healthier and better about everyday life. All of this is easily done just by sleeping enough, eating healthy and exercising, using relaxation techniques, and prioritizing. And these having these feelings on a daily basis are going to make stress be more easily managed. College really can be “the best four years of your life”.

Works Cited

Sparacino, A.
(2011, February 3). The huffington post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/02/sleep-health-benefits-_n_817803.html

National sleep foundation. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

Kotz, D. (2012, 01 21). Usnews. Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/slideshows/7-mind-blowing-benefits-of-exercise

Healthy eating to decrease stress. (2009, April 22). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/healthy-eating-to-decrease-stress-topic-overview

Valle, M. (2002, February). The daily titan. Retrieved from http://www.dailytitan.com/2012/02/how-a-healthy-diet-can-seriously-benefit-college-students/

Heart of healing. (2011). Retrieved from http://heartofhealing.net/relaxation-wellness/benefits-of-relaxation/

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, May 19). Mayo foundation for medical education and research. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/relaxation-technique/SR00007

Mount, D. (2010, October 2). The benefits of prioritizing. Retrieved from
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Prioritizing&id=5137921