Health / Food & Drink

Alcohol – 18 Tips to Tame the Spirits

Almost every university student drinks alcohol at some point.  Not everyone enjoys it, but most get on with drinking it anyway.

It doesn’t matter how detached you may be from the rituals and initiations that some clubs and societies put upon their new recruits.  Even some of the stronger spirited (no pun intended!) objectors can be pressured into drinking more than they’d like on occasion.

photo by stranded starfish

photo by stranded starfish

But there’s no need to get completely bungalowed […if you’ve never seen the fantastic Michael Macintyre, you’re missing out].  Whether you’re a teetotaller, an occasional drinker, or simply in need of slowing down your current excessive intake, take the following tips into account and give your liver (and your shrinking bank balance) a break:

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Less Stress, More Bliss

Exams may be long gone, the summer is here (when will the weather realise that!?), but there are still plenty things out there to pile on the stress.

Worse for wear (photo by melodi2)

photo by melodi2

Obviously, you don’t want that hassle…Bust that stress with these 15 tips:

  1. Give a big hug to the here and now – Don’t lose sleep over past events.  They’ve happened, so look to the present and making the most of now.  It’s not even worth worrying about the future too much, since we can’t predict how things will be.  Sure, we can prepare for particular situations, but you know you’re preparing too much when it becomes obsessive and/or time-consuming.
  2. Understand the causes of your stress – If you don’t have a reference point to combat your problems, there’s no way of knowing what’s making you feel this way.  Look to what’s really stressing you out and untangle it from the less pressing issues.
  3. Say ‘no’ to negativity – Problems easily get us down.  It’s simple to stress about something rather than directly deal with it.  But all the negativity makes you feel worse and worse and worse and worse and…you get the picture.  Focus on what’s going right for you and what can advance you further.
  4. Move away from the situation entirely – You may not have this luxury, but if you have the chance, get out of the fire and find a source of relaxation.  Even if it’s just an hour or so, the change of scene helps.  In an ever-connected world, it’s easy to forget that the brain needs a time to switch off and recharge.
  5. Be accountable to yourself and set your goals wisely – Do you answer ‘yes’ to every task you’re asked to do?  Are you forever catching up with work that didn’t emanate from you personally?  If so, it may help if you refocus on your own planning devices, rather than the clutter of voices that seemingly never stop telling you what to do.
  6. Commit to fewer goals to achieve more – You may have a million different interests, but what’s the point in having them if they all vie for your time in overwhelming fashion?  You’ll end up doing nothing at all!  Instead, deal with interests or jobs one at a time.  Multi-tasking many big projects doesn’t suit the brain particularly well.
  7. Ask yourself how important this really is – Maybe the stress will melt away if you genuinely pose the question of importance.  Is the amount of stress emitted truly equal to what’s expected in the end product?  Without noticing, we often overvalue our concern, which gets us worrying over trivial matters.
  8. Is the problem out of your hands? – If you’re stressing over something that you can’t make a difference over anyway, you’re wasting your time over it.  You may not be happy, but if you can’t make a change, it’s time to adapt and deal with it, or to move away from the situation entirely.  And in order to make sure that the stress is not deserved, consider one final time if there is any creative way to move that mountain and make a difference anyway.  If not, take a swipe to that stress.  You’re not giving up, you’re simply guiding your time toward matters in your control.
  9. Deep breath in through the nose, deep breath out through the mouth – When you need an urgent dose of relaxation, have a five minute breather…literally.  Slowly take a deep breath through the nose, let it zoom around your system, then calmly expel it through your mouth.  Do this a few times and your body will thank you.
  10. Sing a song – What’s your favourite song?  I hope it’s a belter, or at least an easy singalong.  Find a private place and have a good sing to yourself.  My favourite song is American Pie by Don McLean.  And all because my Dad played it in the car on long journeys when I was a kid.
  11. Go for a run – I don’t do this one very often, but once or twice I’ve felt a bit het up about certain situations, so I’d run around the block a few times.  Considering I live on a steep hill, it’s quite a tiring run, but it helps get rid of bad feeling and it also eliminates excessive adrenalin (which can also cause stressful thoughts).
  12. Break things down – Lots of little problems can feel huge if you lump them all together.  Take stock of these small problems and focus on how many of them you could easily knock on the head.  Alternatively, if you recognise an underlying issue at the heart of everything, make sure to concentrate on quashing that problem rather than any other annoyances (see Tip 2).  You may find the other issues disappear once you’ve handled the main problem.
  13. Get away from it all – Go back to your family home, or spend a few days somewhere relaxing.  While it doesn’t always work (and might just mask the problems), a break can sometimes clear the air and give you a new sense of purpose and direction.
  14. Smile and give thanks – When you’re stressed, it’s not easy to smile.  If you can’t force that smile out, try calling a good friend and catch up for a bit, or settle down to a DVD of your favourite comedy series.  And if that doesn’t help, be sure to be thankful for all the good things that are happening in your life right now.  There are positive aspects to your life, even when everything feels like it’s crumbling beneath your feet.  You may have to search around before you stop convincing yourself that the world is about to end, but once you begin to see the goodness coming through, it gets a whole lot easier!
  15. Check your own health – Stress doesn’t necessarily emanate from what’s happening externally.  You may be feeling the pressure from your own body.  It could be diet, excessive alcohol, popping too many pills, caffeine overdose, lack of exercise, disturbed sleep pattern, and all sorts of things.  If you feel perfectly happy, yet still find life stressful, give your body a little TLC and see where it takes you.  And if things get too bad, do consult a doctor.

I wish everyone a happy and stress-free summer…and beyond!

Free Executive (photo by sachyn)

photo by sachyn

33 Healthy Hits

Healthy living isn’t always top of the agenda when you’re in the middle of your degree, even if you wish it was.

But it doesn’t take months to arrange a wholesome lifestyle. Bit by bit, there are many ways to look after yourself that little bit more. I list 33 suggestions below. What other healthy hits benefit you?

perch - photo by selva

photos by selva – cc2.gifcc.gif

Doppelganger - photo by selvaVitamin E redux - photo by selvaLychees - photo by selvaMacallan Fine Oak, 18 years - photo by selvajoie de vivre - photo by selvaballoons - photo by selva

  1. Listen to your body – Possibly the most important healthy hit. Your body can tell you so much about yourself that it astounds me.
  2. Remember to eat – I’ve done it many times. I stop at 3pm and think, “I’ve not eaten anything today”. On one or two occasions, I’ve gone without food the whole day. It’s not good. Don’t do it. When I do, it only ends in tears!
  3. Stop drinking coffee/tea – Caffeine keeps you awake but it doesn’t help your studious mind. Anyway, you’re more likely to munch biscuits if you’ve got tea around! If you want a warm drink, why not warm up some squash, or have some healthier green tea?
  4. Walk – Walking to a lecture doesn’t cut it. In fact, I’ve seen people walk up a flight of stairs and suggest it’s helped them lose the calories they just ate in a cake. Complete rubbish! Walk a mile or two with a brisk pace…then you’re doing some good. Walking is good for your breathing anyway, so it’s a double whammy.
  5. Do a 10 minute exercise – So many people can’t even cope with a 15 minute exercise, so why not have a quick stretch and then do a few sit-ups, press-ups, star jumps, running on the spot, whatever. Get your body active, that’s the main thing.
  6. Get the right sleep – I need 5-6 hours. My wife needs 8-9. We’re all different and we can train our body to change to an extent. Keep a fairly accurate routine if you can. I never had a pattern of sleep, although I always got up at the same time each morning, even if it meant less than 3 hours sleep!
  7. Keep a first aid kit – Not one simply full of bandages. Get yourself kitted out with pain relief gel, paracetemol/asprin/ibuprofen, sudocreme, plasters, etc., etc. You won’t have Mum & Dad’s medicine cabinet to raid anymore and who knows when you’ll be struck down with something?
  8. Eat your 5 portions of fruit and veg each day – We still don’t do enough of that, but it’s important stuff.
  9. Take a vitamin and mineral supplement – It’s not an alternative to fruit and veg, but it’s good to make sure you’re getting all the goodies your body needs.
  10. Wash your hands – Hands come into contact with many germs. Hands also come into contact with the face. Oh dear. So it’s best you wash your hands frequently. Also, try to use the back of your hand or your knuckles to rub an eye and get rid of itches.
  11. Clean your room, clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom (but don’t get obsessive!) – Get rid of the build up of dust and grime. You should be able to breathe easy and you’ll be at less risk of picking up the nasties lurking around.
  12. Get a massage – Big time relaxation. If you don’t have the money, why not ask a loved one. Or get a massage off a friend and then return the favour with a massage for them!
  13. Don’t put your hand over your mouth when you cough. Certainly don’t do it when you sneeze. – Why do we use our hands to splutter and snot all over!? Right after you do that, you go around shaking hands with people, touching door handles, using computer equipment, and so on. It’s madness. Instead, I always make a motion toward my armpit when I cough. Sneezing is more difficult, because you don’t want to risk sneezing all over your clothes. Hopefully you’ll have tissues, or at least wash your hands straight after you sneeze into them!
  14. Stay busy – The more you mope around feeling bored, the more likely you’ll come down with something. I haven’t a clue why. But when my Dad was bringing me and my brother up as kids, he was only ill about twice in 18 years. And he was only ill because we’d given him something like chickenpox!
  15. Talk to people – It’s great to socialise. With a bit of interaction, you’ll keep your spirits high and your immune system happier. But try to socialise with people who aren’t stinking ill! 😉
  16. Relax, meditate, chill! – Let go of everything for a while and it’s good for your body, as well as your mental state. Sometimes we forget to slow down, even for a short period of time. Bodies don’t take kindly to that type of treatment.
  17. Eat smaller meals – Don’t bloat up on two or three massive meals each day. Tuck into a more proportioned set of meals, 5 or 6 times a day. On some days, this suits a student lifestyle perfectly. On other days, you’ll hardly think you’ve got the time for one meal. But try it once in a while. You probably won’t feel so lethargic on smaller portions.
  18. Drink lots of water – while the ‘8 glasses a day’ thing isn’t necessarily quite true, you still need to be properly hydrated. If you don’t like water on its own, put a bit of squash with it, or drink a warm honey drink. And remember, if you feel thirsty, it’s already too late and your body is dehydrating more than it should be.
  19. Don’t panic about ‘superfruits’ – They’re more expensive and not always so easy to buy. If you’re trying to improve your fruit and veg intake, start by eating more commonly found items. Your body won’t reject grapes and cherries just because they aren’t goji berries…
  20. Don’t expect to change overnight – When you set a goal, don’t stress when it takes longer than a day to achieve. Allow that thing called ‘time’ to ease you into what’s needed. Our culture may be 24/7, but we can’t always subscribe to that as individuals. Success doesn’t always come from the fast lane.
  21. Get rid of unhealthy rubbish – If it’s there, it’s a temptation. If there are too many sweets/biscuits/cakes/crisps lying around and you know you shouldn’t be eating them, get them out the way. Why not give them away to your friends? I’ll be your friend…
  22. Eat more slowly – Not only is it better for your body’s digestion, but you’re also less likely to overeat. The quicker you eat, the more you’ll have guzzled down before your brain tells you that you’ve had enough.
  23. Turn the heating down – the dry atmosphere can play havoc on your body, especially around the mouth, eyes and nose. If it’s too dry, you might be warm, but you’ll also be inviting the possibility of illness.
  24. Open a window – Let your room get some fresh air and circulation. Stale air isn’t going to do you much good and disguising smells with air freshener or deodorant is even worse.
  25. Clean hard to reach places, like fingernails – Dirty fingernails aren’t always properly cleaned. Give them a proper scrubbing!
  26. Drink alcohol/Don’t drink alcohol – The jury is out on this one. Some reports suggest you should have a small amount of alcohol, others say it’s no good at all. So long as you’re not drinking to excess all the time, you should be fine. Although students and cheap booze… 😉
  27. Breathe deeply – This used to be one of my favourite relaxation techniques. Take a long-lasting deep breath, hold it briefly, then expel that air back out slowly. Do this a few times and the world will seem a better place.
  28. Eat a variation of foods – If you eat healthily, but only the same three healthy foods, over and over again, you won’t be getting a the right nutritional balance. And sorry to disappoint those who eat five portions of carrots a day to get their fruit and veg requirements…but you have to eat five DIFFERENT portions of fruit and veg.
  29. Find time to smile – Don’t worry, be happy. A grumpy state of mind is bound to bring out the worst.
  30. Give someone a hug – But remember to get their permission! Tell them that they should feel the benefit too…
  31. Move around – sitting around in the same place is rubbish and it’ll mess your body up. It’s a recipe for tiredness, restlessness and achy joints. Get up, shake yourself about, have a stretch, go somewhere else. Do it often.
  32. Listen to the classical goodness – If moving about sounds like too much hard work, you could perhaps sit back and listen to some Mozart. While Mozart is always claimed to be the mind-gym king, any classical music is worth a go. And the lack of lyrics (unless you’re listening to opera or choral delights) mean you won’t be concentrating on the words either!
  33. Do something kind today – Spread the love. You’ll feel better for doing something good, as will the recipient of your kindness. Now that’s what I call healthy.

The annoyance of being ill

It’s the evening of November 13 and I’m still feeling unwell. It happens at a time when I had a few slightly different ideas buzzing about that I wanted to write about.

I’m afraid they’ll just have to wait. It’s difficult enough spending this small amount of time writing this. I’d rather be resting up to be honest!

Not that I’m THAT ill, but it really takes the wind out of your sails. Still, it’s given me some thought on some EduLinks (and possibly articles) on health and stuff like the dreaded Fresher Flu…

I hope to put up one of my semi-finished articles (for I have many) and get it polished enough in five minutes to have it good enough to post tomorrow. If not, please bear with me. But I’ll try and get something sorted!

Wish me luck!