[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ursing students may work in the healthcare system, but when it comes to juggling study, work experience and everything else, it can be very difficult to remain healthy yourself when earning your Master’s in nursing online. With so much to do, it’s no surprise that many nursing students find themselves living on a diet of convenience foods, take-outs, energy drinks and coffee with, little exercise other than being on their feet all day on the ward during a work placement. If you’re currently studying to become a nurse and want to be able to set a good example to your patients, here are some simple healthy habits that you can start today.
Drinking Water
Water is the main liquid that your body needs, especially if you’re living in or visiting a hot country such as Nigeria whilst studying to become a nurse. Although it can be very tempting to turn to drinks that will give you a temporary boost, such as energy drinks or a cup of coffee, these beverages are often laden with sugar and caffeine itself can be addictive and lead to a range of health problems. If you hate plain water, you can always add a slice of lemon, mint, ginger and cucumber to your water for a burst of flavor.
Walk Often
Whether there is a school bus that takes you to your campus, you own a car, or you’re studying for an online master of science in nursing and your classes are done from home, it can be tempting to skip going for a walk. However, in order to reach our optimal health levels it’s recommended that we exercise for at least half an hour per day, five days of the week. Taking a walk is one of the best ways to do this, and when you walk to the places that you need to be, you can increase your physical activity without having to give up too much time.
Sleep Early
It can be very tempting to stay up into the late hours conducting revision and working on your university assignments. However, this will leave you feeling more tired than ever the next morning, and in the long term, could lead to insomnia and other health conditions that you can do without. Instead, getting an early night as much as possible means that you will be able to arise early in the morning and get started sooner.
Eat Healthily
Healthy eating doesn’t always have to be about seriously watching what you eat and buying only fresh and organic ingredients. In fact, you can make small changes to your diet, such as cutting out take-out and microwave meals, drinking fruit juices and water instead of soda, and snacking on fruit and vegetables rather than candy or chips. These changes are all easy to make, but yield great results!
As a student nurse, you spend a lot of time looking after others but have little time to look after yourself. Thankfully, these methods of improving your health don’t require a lot of time.
