MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH (Avoid study stress):-

                        DEFINITION:-                                                                     Mental health is a level of psychological well-being or an absence of mental illness.                                              OR                                                          We can simply say that that the state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioural adjustment.

Mental health is getting more and more recognition and the stigma around it is slowly disappearing.But what about mental well being of students?                            For years the topic of mental health has been a huge taboo.It has been shameful to admit you need the help of a psychologist  or even a psychiatrist it has been the subject of jokes more than of serious debate.

HOW DOES MENTAL ILLNESS AFFECT STUDENTS:-                                                                    Mental illness can seriously affect a student's ability to reach his or her potential.Teachers can be the first to notice sign and symptoms of mental illness in their students.They can also help prevent mental illness from developing in the first place,through preventive measures in the classroom.

                              MENTAL ILLNESS:-                                                      It refers to a wide range of mental health conditions,disorders that affect your mood,thinking and behavior.

                                                                                            
    Stress of studies is rare.The study shows that,along with academic factors,health problems and the environment of colleges and hostels can play an important role in the development of stress.                                                                      AFFECT OF STRESS ON STUDENTS:-            A number of researchers have discovered that psychological stress affects the thinking skills and brain development of even the youngest student.Stress can also affect our emotional intelligence.It negatively impacts our ability to intuit other people's feelings,convey our own feelings and communicate.

                               CAUSES OF STRESS IN STUDENTS:-        Normal stress occurs when a student's ability to cope with life's demands crumbles.If we don't break down the stress chemicals(e.g.through physical activity)they stay in the blood,preventing us from relaxing.Some of the things students commonly cite as cause of stress include:examination.                                                              Too much stress affects a student PHYSICALLY,MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.

1.                                                                    some of the common mental illness include                                              1.DEPRESSION                                                          

                                        2.BIPOLAR DISORDERS                                                                                                   3.POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS                                 4.SCHIZOPHRENIA                                                                          The most harmful affect of mental illness is that 1 in 5 college stressed students commit suicide.

    IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY MIND:-            Keeping your brain in shape .Physical fitness gets plenty of attention,and for good reason.A healthy body can prevent conditions such as heart disease and diabetes,and help you maintain independence as you age.Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness,and shouldn't be neglected.

                        WHAT'S GOOD FOR A HEALTHY MIND?      

      Eating foods that are antioxidants can help improve focus,problem solving,and memory.Supplements can help,but food with antioxidant properties work best.Fish,the ultimate brain food,eat fish a few times a week for a healthy mind.

    HOW YOU CAN GET A HEALTHY MIND:- 

       12 TIPS FOR A HEALTHY BRAIN:-                             1.Add coconut oil to your diet.

     2. Limit sugar in your diet,especially fructose.

                                          3.Optimize your vitamin D.

                         4.Keep your fasting insulin level below 3.

                        5.Avoid mercury and aluminium.

                         6.Challenge your mind daily.

                        All these things above can help students to keep their minds healthy as a healthy mind means a healthy body.So,if a student has a healthy mind so he  can concentrate more on his studies,but if the mind is not healthy so he has to face a-lot of difficulties in his student life whether during study or during any other activity.      

   

    

     

     

           

                

EXERCISE(PHYSICAL FITNESS)

PHYSICAL FITNESS:-                                                            Physical fitness is your ability to carry out tasks without undue fatigue.Physical fitness is a state of health and well being and more superficially,the ability to perform aspects of sports,occupation and daily activities.Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition,moderate vigorous physical exercise,and sufficient.

Q:Why is physical education important for students?And what does physical education do for students?

 

A:Physical education in high school is essential to the development of motor skills and the enhancement of reflexes.Hand-eye coordination is improved as well as good body movements,which helps in the development of a healthy body posture.

Physical activity helps improve academic achievement.Others argue that exercise helps students burn off excess energy so they can focus better in class.Exercise boots academic achievements.

Engaging in sports activities improve student's focus on college work as well as help them lead happier,healthier lives.Here are 4 reasons why students should be involved in structured,after college physical activities.                  1)ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE                                               2)FITNESS HABITS                                                              3)MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS       4)DEVELOPMENTS OF SPECIFIC SKILLS                                  _ACADEMIC SKILLS:-                                           Studies show that students involved in athletic programs maintain a higher GPA and achieve higher test scores.

    _FITNESS HABITS:-                                            Sports help students develop coordination and teaches them how to care for their bodies through proper stretching and the development of fundamental mechanics. Participating in athletics at an early age instills physical fitness habits that carry over into adulthood, helping to avoid health problems

-MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS:-           Athletics have great physical benefits, but also help children to improve mentally and emotionally. While the body exercises, the brain releases endorphines. From a biological standpoint alone, students who are physically active are happier and have a constructive outlet through which to relieve stress.

-DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC SKILLS:-       Through athletics, students are able to accumulate a whole host of skills and abilities. Leadership, teamwork, confidence, and self-reliance are the big character focuses. Critical thinking is developed on the playing field as athletes need to quickly solve problems created by their opponents. Time management, a skill necessary in adulthood, is also brought into play as children learn to balance their time between schoolwork, sports, and family life.

 TYPES OF PHYSICAL FITNESS:-                                                   There are 4 types of fitness that are important to incorporate into your physical activity routine.

      1)ANAEROBIC EXERCISE

       2)JOINT FLEXIBILITY

        3)MUSCULAR ENDURANCE 

         4)STRENGTH

-ANAEROBIC EXERCISE:-  Anaerobic exercise is a physical exercise intense enough to cause lactate to form.It is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength,speed and power and by body builders to build muscle mass.                                                                        EXAMPLE:-                                                                                       HEAVY WEIGHT TRAINING

                  SPRINTING

                  JUMPING:-

-JOINT FLEXIBILITY:-                                                    Flexibility or limberness refers to the range of movement in a joint or series of joints,and length in muscles that cross the joints to induce a bending movement or motion.Flexibility varies between individuals,particularly in terms of differences in muscle length of multi-joint muscles.

                                    -MUSCULAR ENDURANCE:-                             Endurance is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. It is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise.

  -STRENGTH:-                                                         Muscular strength refers to the amount of force a muscle can produce with a single maximal effort.The size of your muscle fibers and the ability of nerves to activate muscle fibers are related to muscle strength.

HEALTHY SLEEP

HEALTHY SLEEP FOR STUDENTS:-                        Sleep is food for the brain.During sleep,important body functions and brain activity occur.Skipping sleep can be harmful even deadly,particularly if you are behind the wheel.You can look bad,you may feel moody,and you perform poorly.Sleepiness can make it hard to get along with your family and friends and hurt your scores on college exams and presentations,on the court or on the field.                                      REMEMBER:A brain that is hungry for sleep will get it,even when you don't expect it.

When you do not get enough sleep,you are more likely to have an illness that can disturb your studies too.Students who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health and behavior problems.

   NORMAL SLEEP DURATION:-                                                  Teenagers(14-17):Sleep range widened by 1 hour to 8-10 hours.                            Younger adults(18-25):Sleep range is 7-9 hours                                                Adults(26-64):Sleep range did not  change and remains 7-9 hours.                                                       ARE STUDENTS GETTING A GOOD  NIGHT REST:-                                                      Between exams,classes,work,extracurricular and social activities high school and college students aren't getting enough sleep each night,which can have a major impact on their health as well as their GPAs.

                                                There are some ways by which a student can get a good sleep.                                                 1.MAINTAIN A REGULAR WAKE AND SLEEP SCHEDULE,EVEN ON WEEKENDS.                                          Try to keep wake and sleep times regular.Don't vary them more than 2 hours.This may be difficult on weekends,with the temptation to sleep in,but try to stick with it.Large variations in sleep schedules can have the same effect as getting less than normal amounts of sleep.

                                                                                                 2.CREATE A SLEEP FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.                        A sleep friendly environment is dark,cool quiet,comfortable and interruption free.                                        It can be difficult for students living in residence halls,but here are a few suggestions that may help                                                                                                    1. Try hanging a black sheet around your bed.                                                     2. Hang up dark curtains.                                                                                             3. Use eye masks and ear plugs.                                                                      4.Try white noise like fans or humidifiers to cover other noises.

         3.LIE DOWN TO GO TO SLEEP ONLY WHEN SLEEPY.                                                                                            Don't ruin your sleep-friendly environment.If you try to go to bed when you are not sleepy,you may associate your bed with feeling frustrated about not being able to fall asleep.If you can't fall asleep after about 15 minutes,get up and go into another room.If you are in a residence hall,get out of bed and do something non-sleep related,but that is relaxing.Return to bed only after you feel sleepy.

                                                4.DON'T EAT WITHIN 2-3 HOURS OF YOUR PLANNED BED TIME.     

        Avoid heartburn and other discomforts.Eating or drinking too much before bed can make you feel uncomfortable as you are setting down into bed.Try to avoid heavy meals right before bed and be cautious of spicy foods,as they can cause heartburn,which may prevent you from sleeping. 

                                                                                       5.LIMIT AFTERNOON NAPS TO 1 HOUR OR LESS.   

An early afternoon nap may help you get through your day.It is OK to take a short nap after lunch,but don't nap longer than an hour,and never later than 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.                                                                                                         6.AVOID CAFFEINE BEFORE BEDTIME.                                  Caffeine is a stimulant.This means it causes your body to be more alert.Caffeine can stay in your body for an average of 3-5 hours.Even if you don't think caffeine affects you,it is likely to hinder your sleep quality.Avoiding caffeine within 6-8 hours before bed can improve your sleep quality. 

   HARMFUL EFFECTS OF NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP:-                                                                SACRIFICING SLEEP CAN AFFECT YOUR GRADES AND YOUR LONG TERM HEALTH.                                                          Staying up until 4:00 a.m to finish a project,getting a few hours sleep,and then heading to a 9 a.m. class may strike you as a norm at college.But short changing yourself on sleep,regardless of the reason,can lead to sleep deprivation and some serious health consequences.

  Sleepdeprivation:MEMORY LOSS                                                Good sleep is important for several things.For instance,good sleep can boost your cognition,or thinking skills,and memory and bad or insufficient sleep can worsen them.            Half the reason you're at college is to learn and not getting enough sleep can keep college students from their goals of succeeding in schools. So if it seems worth it to sacrifice a night shut eye to squeeze in your studies,think again.Staying u all night to cram for a test may be doing more harm than good.  

                                    PHYSICAL ISSUES                                                                    A lack of sleep can have physical consequences as well.Poor sleep has been associated with weight gain,which can be a problem in college students anyway.Not enough sleep can make you sick,leading to more colds,flu,coughs.Decreases sleep can also depress your immune system. Most college students needs at least 7 hours of sleep each night,but that amount can be adjusted based on how alert a student feels after a particular number of sleep.

                                     SLEEPING DISORDERS                                                                Another big issue with not getting enough sleep is that it can hide a serious sleep disorder.Inadequate sleep can mask other problems.When you brush off as fatigue from pulling an allnighter may actually be a more serious sleep disorder,but there's no way to know unless you are putting in enough hours in bed each night and are still feeling fatigued.If someone's a loud snorer or excessively tired during the day.or their roommates say they stop breathing in their sleep,it may be sleep apnea  which is a sleep condition that requires treatment.

                                                                                                                So establishing healthy sleep habits in college will do wonders for your successful student life as well as for your long term health.   

HEALTHY DIET

HEALTHY EATING TIPS FOR BUSY STUDENTS :                                                            When you are a student,it can be hard to find the time and the will power to eat a healthy diet.But eating right can pay off.With a healthy diet,you can feel better and look better.

When your day is packed with classes,assignments and studying,not to mention a social life and may be a job,who has time for healthy life?while sometimes low on the list of your priorities,being smart about food has many benefits.Eating regularly and choosing healthy portions of nutritious foods means having more mental and physical energy ,feeling good about yourself and enjoying better health.

                               The average college student is often pressed for time,under a lot of stress and eating on the go.You may find it difficult to avoid bad habits like skipping meals or frequently visiting fast food restaurants.But eating a healthy diet can help you feel better,cope with stress and perform better in the classroom.

                                          We've heard it a million times by now;eating right is smart,and eating right can make you smart.What this actually means  is that eating the right foods gives your brain nutritional support,which helps you perform at the highest level.For college students,being able to perform the best is an everyday necessity.There are dozens of studies,books and more all about the idea that what you use to fuel your body can also help your brain. 

1)BREAKFAST :-

(Don't leave home without breakfast). If you have been skipping breakfast because you don't have time or are't hungry,you have been missing the day's most important meal.While it's tempting to get an extra ten minutes of sleep,not eating breakfast will cost you in other ways.

 

                                           Studies have shown that breakfast skippers have poorer concentration,more fatigue,less healthy weights,and eat less fibre and other needed nutrients.

1. NO TIME NO EXCUSE:10 MINUTES BREAKFAST IDEAS:      -Cold cereals,milk dried fruit                                                  -Frozen whole wheat waffles,yogurt                                    -Leftover pizza and an apple                                                  -Whole wheat toast,cheddar cheese                                    -Instant oatmeal with raisins,almonds                                 -Whole grain bagel,peanut butter,banana                            -Bran bar,chocolate milk,grapes                                            -Yogurt topped with berries and granola                              -Sandwich with lean deli meat and cheese                          -Try a breakfast smoothie:Put fruit,yogurt,and juice or milk in a blender.Add a apoon or two of bran cereal or ground  flaxseed for more fibre.If you're short on time,take it with you! 

                                           Q:WHY IS BREAKFAST IMPORTANT?                            1)GIVES YOU MORE ENERGY:In general the students who eat breakfast have more energy,do better in school,and eat healthier throughout the day!

2)INCREASES YOUR METABOLISM:Some experts believe eating breakfast keeps your metabolism running higher because skipping meals causes the body to kick into starvation mode.

3)IMPROVES YOUR MOOD:While your sleeping,your body has gone for long period without food,skipping breakfast could lead to a lack of energy or make you grumpy!                                                                              4)PREVENTS OVEREATING AND WEIGHT GAIN:Skipping breakfast can cause you to overeat later in the day,which could lead to unnecessary weight gain.                              5)IMPROVES YOUR ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE AND LEARN:Students who don't eat breakfast are less able to learn at college,get less iron in their diets,and are more likely to have a higher body mass index(BMI),which is a sign they may be overweight.                                                      -Eating breakfast on regular basis has a beneficial influence on attention,concentration,memory and college achievements.                                                                        OK,you've eaten breakfast,now what?                    Always carry backpack snacks for healthy eating on the go.                                                                                                              

2)FAST FOODS:-    

                  If you must eat fast foods,choose wisely.Choose pizza with half a cheese,a regular size roast beef sandwich,baked potato or green salad with reduced calorie dressing.Limit high fat offerings like French fries,fried chicken or fish sandwiches.

TRY TO LOOK OUT FOR LIQUID CALORIES                           The most important thing you need when eating a fast-food chain is to drink something that gives you calories without nutrients,like soda,sweetened tea,lemonade,and fruit drinks.It's even worse if your drink is also loaded with fat like shakes.Choose either a non-calorie beverage(like water,unsweetened tea or diet soda)or one that contributes some nutrients along with its calories.    

3)MEAL PLANNING:- 

The first step to eat on a budget is planning.

Simple steps for meal planning:                                                  1)Look in your refrigerator,and freezer to see what you already have.                                                                                                                                2)Think of you could see these items for meals throughout the week.                                                                  3)You may need items to go with those that you already have in order to make a meal,put these on your grocery list.                                                                                                                       4)Look through your grocery store's weekly and circle the specials that you can incorporate into your meal plan.Put these on your list too.        

                                                                                         5)Look back over your meal plan for the week,check to see if you are incorporating all of the food groups in most of your meals.

8 TIPS FOR EATING WELL:-                

• -Base your meals on starchy foods.                                      -Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.                                          -Eat more fish.

  

      -Cut down on saturated fat and sugar.                          -Try to eat less salt -not more than 6g a day.                      -Get active and try to be a healthy weight.                           -Drink plenty of water.