Self-care for Cloud Campus students
What self-care method are you using? When you’re studying as well as dealing with other life commitments, it can be tempting to put aside your health and wellbeing and just concentrate on your goals. Taking the time to look after yourself is important, and there are plenty of ways you can take a short break to focus on your wellbeing. Explore some of our favourite self-care tips and see which ones work for you.
Explore meditation
Meditation can have a very positive impact on your wellbeing. You don’t have to meditate for hours to see results, just take 10 minutes to sit quietly and concentrate on your breathing. Try and be aware of how your body moves when you breathe naturally. Doing this once a day is a great way to get into the practice of meditation.
On your next study break, try this guided meditation or one our relaxation techniques. If you’re interested in exploring meditation further you can check out the Smiling Mind app for Apple and Android.
Schedule some exercise
There’s plenty of ways you can fit exercise around your studies. Just getting up every hour and go going for a walk around your house or doing some stretches will go a long way. Next time you take a break, try something from this list of stretches you can do at your desk from SafeWork NSW and see how you feel.
If you’re looking to increase your fitness, you might want to try the Couch to 5k app (Apple or Android) or the PROOF fitness app (Apple or Android). You can also download DeakinMOVES, an app that app lets you set goals, commit to challenges and watch how everyone else in the DeakinMOVES community is progressing.
Eat a healthy snack
What you eat is a huge part of your health and wellbeing. Eating the right kind of food can give you added brain power and increase your energy levels. Research shows a link between diet and mental health, so it’s important to eat healthy food during stressful situations like studying for exams or completing assessments..
When you’re studying it’s a good to try and eat foods that help with brain function and resist the urge to mindlessly snack. Work a few brain-food recipes into your diet and eat food with Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids – such as fish, nuts and seeds.
Reach out for support
Deakin provides a lot of services and resources you for your wellbeing. You can explore Deakin’s health and wellbeing page to learn more about staying healthy during your studies and visit the eWellbeing Hub in DeakinSync for a range of health related resources.
If you feel the need to reach out to someone at any time you can book an appointment with a Deakin counsellor. You don’t have to access counselling support in person – phone appointments are also available. You can also join Cloudy, our resilience webtool that gauges your current level of resilience and then provides articles and habit builders designed to help you cope with stressful situations.