Studying abroad has always been a dream for aspirants who want to secure a better future for themselves. Hundred and thousands of students every year leave their native country to achieve their dream education overseas. It is very important for these students and many others to maintain their overall physical health and wellness.
If you are fit, both mentally and physically, then it’s easy for you to fulfil your dream education. In this article, we are going to explain to you the top 7 ways in which you can maintain a healthy lifestyle while studying abroad.
This Blog Includes:
Balanced Diet For A Healthy Lifestyle
While you are studying abroad, one of your immediate concerns will be to heath healthy dishes. Although there are tons of restaurants and kitchen services available, which serve different types of cuisines, eating there will surely affect your health and budget. Students who are studying abroad or are planning to go abroad must eat nutritious food for a healthy lifestyle. An ideal diet is one which consists of proteins, carbs and healthy fats in a perfect ratio.
The functioning of your body will depend on the kind of fuel you’ll provide to your body. Your daily diet must comprise fresh and green vegetables, seasonable fruits, cereals and food grains and nuts. Try to avoid unhealthy foods like fried food, sugary snacks, refined carbs, oiled chicken, etc. these unhealthy foods have zero or low nutritional value and they will increase your cholesterol level.
Stay Hydrated (Drink Water)
Eating Healthy will just bring you one step closer to a healthy lifestyle while studying abroad. The other concern for students is not consuming an adequate amount of water. According to studies and research did by various institutions, an average adult must consume 2.5 – 3 litres of water daily. Drinking water in intervals provides many advantages for a healthy lifestyle. Some of these advantages are listed below:
- Water affects your brain functioning and energy level
- Helps in treating headaches.
- It helps in relieving constipation.
- Helps in treating kidney stones.
- Keeps you hydrated.
There are other sources also which will keep you hydrated. These include fresh fruit and vegetable juices, herbal tea, coconut water, etc.
Also Read – How to Become a Fitness Trainer?
Workout Daily (Go Run A Mile)
According to the reports released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), people who work out daily and keep themselves indulged in physical activities have fewer chances of any stroke, non-communicable diseases, and diabetes. For a healthy lifestyle while studying abroad, one should exercise for at least 30 to 45 minutes daily. People who work out regularly enjoy certain advantages, some of which are listed below:
- Improves overall physical fitness.
- Find a workout buddy with whom you can discuss your fitness goals and other plans.
- Better Mental health with improvement in mood and cognitive function.
- Working out regularly builds muscle mass, bone density, and physical functioning.
- Weight management and increases metabolism.
- Enhances energy levels and reduces muscle fatigue.
Manage Stress (Meditate)
Studying abroad brings stress to everyday life and it’s normal to some extent. Everyone copes with stress differently, and it often takes time to manage it. It causes you trouble with your day-to-day life when it becomes chronic and overwhelming, resulting in negative effects on your mental and physical health. Here are some stress management tips for a healthy lifestyle:
- Identify the sources which cause you to stress.
- Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and some yoga.
- Give your body enough sleep to recover from the stress you go through every day.
- Eat meals which are full of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats.
- Take breaks frequently to recover from stress.
- Go out and connect with new people.
Those who are struggling to manage stress for a healthy lifestyle must consult a mental health professional for additional support.
Avoid Any Unhealthy Addiction
Students and youngsters often get indulge in unhealthy addictions like smoking and drinking alcohol. Consumption of these substances causes a lot of damage to your physical health, which ultimately affects your academics and lifestyle. Here are some steps which you must follow to live a healthy lifestyle while studying abroad:
- Make a commitment to quit unhealthy habits.
- Keep strong desires and willpower to change your habits.
- Identify what triggers you to indulge in unhealthy habits. Triggers can be both physical and psychological.
- Prepare short-term goals for yourself, as these are more realistic.
- Find support from your colleagues or people around you.
- Find alternative activities which divert your mind away from unhealthy habits.
- Keep yourself motivated and remind yourself why you wanted to avoid these unhealthy habits in the first place.
While studying abroad, a lot of times students compromise their fitness and health. You must force yourself to quit any and every unhealthy habit. There will be times when you will experience setbacks, but you must not give up and try to keep your ambitions high to achieve that healthy lifestyle.
Also Read – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Track Your Sleeping Pattern
There is a term called sleep hygiene, meaning a healthy sleeping pattern. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, one should get enough sleep to recover from mental and physical stress. Students studying abroad sometimes get too attracted to the nightlife of foreign cities. Here are some tips to develop a good sleeping pattern:
- Plan a sleeping schedule.
- Early to bed early to rise.
- Limit screen time before going to bed as the blue light emitted from electronic devices interferes with your sleep.
- Avoid heavy meals and liquids before going to bed as it will be hard to digest this.
- Make your room dark, cool and quiet for a comfortable sleep environment.
All these tips mentioned above will help students to build healthy sleeping patterns while studying abroad.
Express Yourself For A Healthy Lifestyle
Students who are studying abroad or are planning to do so should have plans to express themselves better. This is a good way to clear your head from any and every mental and physical pain. To express yourself, try to write or talk to someone about how your inner thoughts. Studies have shown that students who express their feelings in writing have more chances of recovering from mental issues.
There are some other benefits of expressing yourself, some of which are listed below:
- Expressing yourself in writing will improve your writing skills.
- This way you can become a good communicator.
- Your creativity and imagination will improve.
- This will allow you to explore new ideas, possibilities and perspectives.
- Better memory retention as this will help you in remembering things easily.
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