Look. We’ve all been there. The semester is chugging along and we are all way too stressed with classes and having a social life to really worry about heading to the gym. There is just simply not enough time in the day to get everything we want done right?

You have plenty of time to get everything you need to get done. You just need to plan and use some of these tips.

1. Portion Control – You would be surprised how hard this one actually is. Before college most of us didn’t control how often we ate. Just because you are here now and we have an all you can eat dining hall does not mean you should literally have all you can eat. Pay attention to calories and make sure you manage the amount you intake!

2. Make Smart Eating Decisions – Get diversity in your diet. Make sure you are eating vegetable and fruits. You can do this by fitting in one salad a day! Find your favorite mix of greens and make sure you get a bowl of it daily. The makeup of the food you eat is huge in taking steps to being a healthier college student. Stay away from the fried and opt for the grilled. Keep tabs on your sweets, its okay to have some dessert every once in a while but if you find yourself eating a bowl of ice cream a day its time to make changes.

3. Make a Gym Schedule and Stick to it – The gym isn’t just for getting ripped! Getting thirty minutes to an hour of gym time a day is huge for your health. That gym time could be used playing your favorite sport like basketball or maybe you’d prefer to sign up for a Zumba or Spin class. Anything works as long as you are sweating and getting active. Also make sure you stick to your schedule. Until you establish a routine and know you aren’t gonna quit on it then take no off days. Don’t let yourself make excuses.

So we are over halfway through the semester now and fully into the swing of things. Midterm season is upon us and as I am sure most of you are realizing it is really tough to keep track of everything. I simply CAN’T stress how important it is to establish your routines. Getting into a routine really helps you deal with all the stress that comes from being a college student. Even the small things, like making sure you eat three times a day or going to the gym every other day, can really make a huge difference. Now how do you establish a routine?

1. Using some sort of planner. Whether it is with an app or with a physical planner is up to you. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different methods as you never know what works best for you until you try it.

   

2.  And WRITE EVERYTHING. Don’t let yourself slack off make sure every due date is there even if it is something you will remember anyway. This is about building habits for success and those take time to build up.
3. Block off time for necessary tasks. If you have an exam coming up block time in advance to study. If you want to start hitting the gym then block off time and STICK WITH IT. Time Management is a big skill you need to learn in college in order to succeed.
4. Avoid Burnout. College isn’t all about school. You need to schedule breaks and time off for yourself. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health so treat it that way! Also if you are mentally exhausted all the time then you are going to take longer and longer to accomplish things!

   

At the end of the day this all comes down to your preferences. If you already have a system in place, then make sure you keep on top of yourself and you should do great!