With settling in to a new environment, starting your studies and making new friends, it can be easy to forget about the importance of looking after your physical needs such eating, exercising and sleeping.

Food

Frequently ordering take-out can seem like the easiest option when you are busy and tired during freshers. Eating homemade, fresh and healthy food can be just as quick, make you feel much better and can help boost your immune system. A quick google search can help you find easy student-friendly recipes.

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Exercise

Exercise can help you be prepared for when classes start! Even if you just include a short workout 3 times a week, this can keep your body fit and your mind active. There are plenty of great free apps available with things like high intensity interval training that you can do for just 15 minutes and there are an abundance of fun workout videos online for you to explore.

Limiting alcohol

Try to reduce your alcohol intake and make sure you have eaten enough before you start to drink. Pace yourself  with the alcohol and make sure that you are drinking water in between the alcoholic drinks.

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Sleep

It is very important that you don’t neglect your sleep during your first few weeks at university. You need roughly 8-9 hours of sleep each night and sleeping too little can do more than just leave you feeling exhausted. Not sleeping enough can lead to weight gain, increased stress and anxiety and lower immune function. Sleep also impacts on our performance levels, so skipping on sleep could impact your ability to learn in classes. Make sure your room is supportive of a good nights sleep, so try to block out light if this is an issue. If your university hall bed is uncomfortable, try a mattress topper. Try shorter power naps throughout the day if needed, especially if you know you’ll be up late at night.