Fall semester is in full swing and the leaves will soon fall, while the workload steadily increases with each coming week. If there’s one thing with the potential to make this semester either miserable or fun and exciting in relation to work, studying and homework; it’s a healthy mind and body.

Maintaining a healthy body and a calm mind is a good idea for every student because health issues can dominate or compound other problems. Taking time to prioritize and maintain a healthy lifestyle isn’t as arduous as it initially seems, and the payoffs are worth it.

“Health motivates you to come to school,” said SRJC student Luisa Navarro.

Along with increased motivation, changing your eating habits and increasing your physical activity can give you more energy, less stress and a general sense of well-being.

“We know from a National College Health survey that we do every three years on campus that students have said stress is the number one health issue that gets in their way of doing well academically,” said Santa Rosa Junior College’s health promotion specialist Jeane Erlenborn.

As work loads and school responsibilities increase, so will stress if not dealt with and can lead to other health problems.

“The other thing with stress, it tends to make you put on weight because stress raises your stress hormone cortisol and puts you in that fight or flight mode, and your body’s thinking ‘Don’t spend time in digestion right now,'” Erlenborn said.

A few steps students can take to stay and remain stress free and healthy are paying attention to the:

• Nutritional aspect
  

– Have breakfast.

“Having a good breakfast is just as important now as it was in kindergarten. It’s good to have protein in the morning,” Erlenborn said.

“Foods high in vitamin C actually help you fight off the stress,” Erlenborn added.

-Watch coffee intake.

“Coffee is fine, but coffee on its own can suppress your appetite and you think you’re not hungry, but you really are,” Erlenborn said.

-Hydrate.

• Physical aspect

-Run.

“The more mental academic work you do, the more the physical is important too,” said SRJC’s health services assistant Brian Chetcuti.

-Walk often. Walking is both relaxing and potentially rejuvenating if done around nature.

“Even if you get up and go for a walk when you’re studying with friends, we have a beautiful campus. Walk and talk,” Erlenborn said.

-Do Yoga or Pilates.

“The postures of yoga offer tremendous benefit to your body and mind. They help create balance, flexibility, and strength-all essential qualities for a healthy, dynamic life,” writes author and doctor Deepak Chopra in “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga.”

-Head to the gym.

“I think a lot of people have experienced too, when you’re working out you’re actually treating your body well and you crave healthier foods,” said Erlenborn.

– Don’t sit for too long.

“Sitting is not good for our health. It actually changes our metabolism,” Erlenborn said.

• Mental and Social aspect
  

-Breath mindfully.

“When you’re brain dead just get out of your mind,” said SRJC student Sebastian Troncoso.

-Meditate.

-Get enough sleep.

“Use your bed only for sleep. Don’t have your laptop in there and doing homework and try to unplug at least an hour before sleep because the bright light of your laptop or your smartphone can actually make it hard to go to sleep,” Erlenborn said.

-Promote Balance.

“Maintain that perspective that the semester is not going to be forever either,” Chetcuti said.

– Reach out.

“Communication skills, health of relationships, ability to relate in a positive manner with people, having support, having connection with humans because if you don’t have that it impacts all other elements of health,” said SRJC’s director of student health services Susan Quinn.

“We’re really like a safety net here on campus,” Quinn said about the many services that student health services offers to students.

Essentially, it’s wise to put an effort into preserving all aspects of your health in order to function optimally throughout the semester and beyond. Paying attention to eating habits, physical and social habits throughout the coming weeks is key to doing so. “You have to really own your body, your social, your mental and physical health,” Quinn said. Have a healthy, happy and peaceful semester.