Living a healthy life is all about the choices we make, the routines we set and the mindset we embody.

Healthy living is about your experiences and growth. It’s a conscious decision, but we can make it an automatic habit with some practice.

Here are the things we recommend focusing on to build a healthy lifestyle for yourself at uni.

Eating healthy

If university is the first time you’ve had to routinely cook for yourself, it can be easy to gravitate towards pre-prepared, processed foods like ready meals, pizzas, and super noodles.

Though these are a great occasional treat, basing our diet on them isn’t healthy. Instead, it’s better to create meals from fresh produce. You may think this is time-consuming or hard, but it doesn’t have to be.

If you need some cooking inspo, look online. A quick search for “easy healthy student recipes” brings up various links like BBC Good Food, Student Eats, which will give you a menu of ideas for dialling up your cooking skills.

You can make your cooking habit more exciting and easier to stick to by regularly changing up your recipes, arranging cooking nights with your friends or housemates, and thinking of it as developing a new skill rather than a chore.

 

Staying active

You don’t have to join a gym or go on weekly 5km runs to stay fit (though you can if you want to). Instead, you can develop an active routine in your everyday life by doing things like walking instead of taking the tram, using stairs instead of the lift, and having a hobby that keeps you fit as a side benefit.

Doing something you enjoy once or twice a week means you are more likely to stick with it in the long run. You could play casual sport for fun or take up rock climbing, yoga, cycling, or dancing.

NTU offers lots of affordable student-friendly activities on campus. But if you want to stay active for free, going for long walks around different areas in Nottingham is a way to keep fit and explore your new surroundings.

Finding a friend to do these activities with will make them more social and fun. And we haven’t even mentioned all the benefits exercise has on your mental health.

 

Quality sleep

Developing good sleeping habits is one of the best ways to look after yourself. Rest has many benefits, including physical recovery, combating fatigue, improving mental and physical performance, and reducing stress.

Your student life will likely involve some late nights here and there, but good sleeping habits can ensure your rest is minimally impacted.

The best ways to improve your sleep are:

• relaxing before bed (no working or looking at screens for the last hour of the day)
• setting up night shift on your phone to avoid being disturbed
• avoiding caffeine late in the day
• stopping eating at least four hours before bedtime
• making sure your room is appropriately dark (or using a sleep mask)
• making sure you get between six and eight hours sleep each night

 

Spending time outside

It’s easy to spend much of our lives indoors, but getting outdoors (and away from technology) is key to a healthy life. Taking a leisurely walk, riding a bike, or simply sitting in a park or garden are all incredibly good for our wellbeing.

Studies show that spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, restore our capacity for concentration, and even promote happiness. All great reasons to get out there.

Trying new things

Sticking to the same routine gets mundane and can make you feel low after a while. Whereas new experiences create feelings of growth, excitement, and accomplishment. With hundreds of societies, sports clubs, and other activities available to you, university is an amazing place to try new things, so get out of your comfort zone and give things a go. In fact, we even have a Give It A Go program of one-off events to make this easy for you.

Finding a new hobby will help you make new friends, learn new skills, and enrich your university experience.

 

Socialising

Humans are social creatures, and we all need social connection. Engaging with others is important, whether by going out for a coffee with a friend, having a study session with your coursemates, or cooking a meal with your housemates.

But more socialising isn’t always better. Balancing socialising and alone time is crucial for living a healthy life. You will need different amounts of each depending on whether you are an introvert, ambivert, or extrovert.

In brief, extroverts are energised by spending time with others, whereas introverts recharge by spending time alone. But it’s not quite that simple. We recommend figuring out which one you are so you can organise your lifestyle to best suit your natural traits.

 

Downtime by yourself

Early morning lectures, afternoon activities, and late evenings out mean university life can feel hectic. Taking a couple hours a day to relax in the quiet of your own company can give your mind and body much-needed rest.

This downtime allows you to enjoy things you wouldn’t otherwise get to do, like reading a book, playing a game, sketching, or writing a journal. It’s also a great time to check in with yourself, think about what you’re enjoying, what you’d like to change, and set some goals for the near future.

However you decide to live a healthy life, remember to not be too hard on yourself. Healthy living is all about balance, and occasionally indulging yourself in “unhealthy” things is also beneficial for you. Follow your gut and do what makes you feel good—not just in the moment, but for the long-term.