During the second half of the semester, I tried to prioritize getting enough sleep at night by altering my behavior in a number of ways. Previously, I proposed that I would improve my time management in order to reduce my stress levels and have more time to sleep. At the beginning of every week, I looked at my schedule and set aside time during each day to work on my assignments and study for any quizzes or exams. With this method, I was able to use my spare time more wisely and I noticed a decrease in my stress levels. Whenever I was able to get more work done during the day, such as in between classes or as soon as my classes ended, I was more relaxed at night and went to sleep earlier than I would have if I had waited until later in the day to do my work. I also tried to improve my study habits to increase my efficiency and energy levels. Rather than studying for long periods of time, I tried to get into the habit of studying for 30-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks in between. During these breaks, I made sure that I drank water and got up to stretch to avoid fatigue. I noticed an overall improvement in my ability to focus and study effectively, which helped reduce my stress. I felt more comfortable going to sleep earlier knowing that I had accomplished enough during the day. In addition to improving my time management, I tried to be more honest with my family and friends whenever I felt overwhelmed with work or stressed about not getting enough sleep. I find that it is extremely helpful to talk to people that care about you and your well-being because they will always tell you what you need to hear. If I felt particularly stressed, I called my mom or dad because they always remind me that my well-being is more important than my work. I also made more of an effort to let my roommates know when I was not sleeping enough because of school. They act as a great support system, especially because they are dealing with the same kind of stress that I am. One barrier that persisted through the second half of the semester was my off-campus job. This barrier functions in the living and working conditions of the socio-ecological model. The company that I work for requires a minimum of 15 hours each week, which can take up a significant amount of time that could be spent doing schoolwork. This barrier has persisted because the minimum hour requirement is not something that I can change unless I decide to quit my job. However, I think that I was still able to increase the success of my behavior change despite the persistence of this barrier. There is still room for improvement, but, overall, I was able to strengthen my time management skills.
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This activity has shown me just how essential behavior change is to the promotion of public health. Over the course of the semester, I was able to observe and record how sleep impacts my physical, mental, and emotional health. If I slept for 4-5 hours one night, I felt exhausted and unable to focus during my classes the next day. If I received 4-5 hours of sleep for multiple nights, my immune system weakened and I became sick. For example, there was one week during which I had multiple midterm exams and I did not sleep enough due to stress and staying up late to study. A few days after these exams were over, I became sick with an upper respiratory infection that eventually developed into bronchitis. This is a prime example of the power that we can have over our health if we practice healthy behaviors. Health-related behavior is a vital element of public health, which means that the improvement of health-related behaviors is crucial to public health ventures and policy. The leading causes of death in the United States are unquestionably shaped by certain health-related behaviors. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, exercising, and not smoking, are all health-related behaviors that can reduce the risk of/prevent leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory disease. Today, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that suggests a link between individual health-related behaviors and an increased risk of morbidity/mortality. This, in addition to the fact that the pattern of disease in the United States has shifted from infectious to noncommunicable, stresses the importance of promoting and enabling healthy behaviors via public health measures. This activity has demonstrated how difficult changing individual behavior can be. Public health officials/programs need to focus on how to put individuals on the path to improved health behavior as well as provide the resources and support that people need to maintain positive changes in their behaviors. I strongly believe that the future of public health is dependent on these changes at the individual and, ultimately, the population level.
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What Does Public Health Mean to You: Narrative Essay.
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