In my personal life, I try to maintain the best wellness I can, but I know I can always do better. Although it is important to keep in mind all the domains of healthy living, I choose to focus on sleep, physical activity, and mindfulness for my personal needs.
Getting enough sleep is a common problem among college students. I often find myself staying up all hours of the night completing homework assignments or studying for upcoming exams. This way of life is not sustainable because the body has a hard time functioning when it cannot have the essential amount of rest every night.
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In addition to the physical benefits that sleep has, such as energy conservation and cell repair, there are also prominent functions for the brain. For example, adequate amounts of sleep have been shown to improve memory. A study on rats that pharmacologically increased or decreased sleep after learning how to complete a maze showed that an increase in sleep showed greater memory retention. (Rasch & Born) Keeping memory sharp has benefits in both academic and everyday life. As a student who hopes to become a registered nurse, memory is something that I would like to improve as much as possible to excel in my field. It is easy to make mistakes when tired and whether I am a student in college or a nurse in a hospital with sick patients, I cannot afford to make mistakes. Improving this pillar of healthy living is necessary for me to succeed wherever I am in my walk of life.
Endless strategies are claimed to help individuals sleep better. The most obvious is getting to bed earlier, but this is easier said than done. Going to bed earlier requires less procrastination with homework and greater self-control. Creating to-do lists helps me to visualize all that I need to accomplish and ensures that everything is done on time. It always feels good to cross everything off a to-do list and it gives me peace of mind when I am trying to fall asleep. Another trick that I use is setting a reminder on my phone to tell me to get into bed. Sometimes I get so caught up in the tasks of everyday life that I lose track of time. But even if I get into bed earlier there is no guarantee that I will be able to fall asleep right away. To solve this problem, I plan on putting away all electronic devices before getting into bed so as to not distract myself. When I use my phone in bed, I always stay up later than intended and it is a problem. Studies show that those who bring their phone into bed with them report a much lower quality of sleep. (Exelmans & Bulck) It is not necessary to be staring at a phone or computer twenty-four hours a day, but sometimes it is hard to put the screen down. I would like to be able to read more books, so I also plan on reading before bed instead of using my phone or computer. Hopefully, this will allow me to fall asleep more easily and achieve a better night’s rest. Another high priority that I hold for myself is to exercise more often.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should exercise at least thirty minutes a day, every day of the week. This prevents many health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis. (Peluso & Guerra de Andrade) In addition to the physical benefits that exercise will provide the body, it also positively affects the brain. More specifically, “epidemiological research shows a consistent relationship between higher physical activity levels and a reduced risk of developing dementia.” (Erickson, Weinstein, & Lopez, 2012, p. 616) If I am able in any way to prevent memory loss in the future, I want to take advantage of it. I have seen what dementia has done to family members and friends and it is a heartbreaking condition. If simply engaging in physical activity consistently is an easy way to prevent this disease, I will do everything I can.
In order to achieve an adequate amount of exercise, there are many opportunities that are so graciously offered by the WE community. For example, I signed up for the free incentivized gym pass in which I have to go to the gym a certain amount of times to keep this pass free of charge. This forces me to be active consistently as I do not want to pay the full price for this pass. In addition to the gym membership, the WE community offers the use of their peloton bikes and TRX machines twenty-four hours a day. I plan on using these machines more often because they are so accessible. Unlike the gym, there are no restricted hours for these workout machines, so there is no excuse not to utilize them in my free time. Although I do want to prioritize exercise, I also recognize that it is possible to overdo it, causing adverse effects. It has been shown that extreme periods of vigorous exercise can lead to a worsening in mood. It is recommended to engage in moderate exercise for a longer period of time instead, to avoid mood disturbances. (Peluso & Guerra de Andrade) This is a good reminder to avoid pushing myself too far. Living a healthy lifestyle should not be stressful, but if it does become overwhelming, meditation is an excellent option to wind down.
According to Hofmann and Gómez (2017), “Mindfulness refers to a process that leads to a mental state characterized by nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment experience, including one’s sensations, thoughts, bodily states, consciousness, and the environment, while encouraging openness, curiosity, and acceptance” (p. 741) This unique form of meditation proves to be extremely beneficial as it helps to regulate emotions. It does this by changing the way the brain works. It activates the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for logical thinking and it deactivates the amygdala which is responsible for aggression. This results in a more relaxed state of mind and less of a tendency to act out. It also has been shown to improve attention span with long-term use. (Tang, Hözel, & Posner) Presently, I participate in mindfulness through my Healthy Brains, Healthy Bodies class, but would like to engage in this activity more often.
The WE community offers many opportunities to use mindfulness that I plan on taking advantage of. I started attending free yoga classes weekly in which mindfulness is used regularly and I have found it to be very beneficial. In addition to these classes, my Apple Watch has a “Breathe” app on it that reminds me throughout the day to participate in mindfulness. The app vibrates to help regulate my inhalation and exhalation. This allows me to focus on my breathing and to center myself. I find that when I take time to think about the present, I am calmer and more focused. My goal is to set aside at least ten minutes a day to participate in deep breathing and stillness.
In my daily life, I try to participate in the pillars of wellness as much as possible. Though I feel that I am doing a pretty good job at engaging in healthy habits, I know there is always room for improvement. Making time in my busy schedule to get enough sleep, physical activity, and to participate in mindfulness is essential. I plan to stay organized so that I can get to bed earlier and utilize my resources to engage in physical activity and mindfulness more often. Living a healthier lifestyle is easier than it seems, especially with how accessible all the tools are.
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