Worried sick: how to avoid exhaustion and illness during midterms

With high-profile diseases like Ebola and Entrovirus in the news, it can be easy to forget that other illnesses pose a very real, if less life-threatening, threat.

College students possess several qualities that make them even more susceptible to illness than people at large: college students often eat more unhealthy food, have less time for exercise, and get less sleep than those living in the “real world.” In addition, college students are in an enclosed environment (whether in classrooms or dorms), where close contact is almost inevitable.

A study by the College Health Center found that the most common diseases on college campuses include the common cold and flu, but also severe medical conditions like meningitis, mononucleosis, and strep. College students are also at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases and domestic violence-related injuries.

Times of high stress (like midterms and finals) are more likely to lead to illness, because chronic stress decreases the effectiveness of the immune system. The Mayo Clinic found that stress can lead to very real physical symptoms, including digestive problems, heart disease, sleep issues, weight gain, and susceptibility to infections and viruses.

So the question remains: how do you combat illness in times of high anxiety? Here are some tips to calm your mind and protect your body.

• Wash, wash, and wash again. Always remember to wash your hands, even if you haven’t been to the bathroom. Hand washing in warm water with soap is the only foolproof way to prevent germs from spreading through contact. Hand sanitizer doesn’t count!
•  Get some ZZZs. If you have to choose between getting an extra hour of sleep and studying, it is best to choose the sleep. Dr. Philip Alapat, medical director of the Harris Health Sleep Disorder Center, said in an article about studying and sleep that students do better when they’ve gotten some shut eye. “Memory recall and ability to maintain concentration are much improved when an individual is rested,” Alapat said. “By preparing early and being able to better recall what you have studied, your ability to perform well on exams is increased.” The take away: start studying earlier, and fall asleep at a reasonable hour. Seven to eight hours is the recommended dose for complete rejuvanation.
• Just say no to junk food. Though it’s tempting to devour that big of flaming hot Cheetos, students are better off getting balanced meals at regular times. Junk food contains sugars and carbohydrates that you can give you a boost for an hour, but leaves you crashing in the long run. Some healthy alternatives? Apples with peanut butter, pretzels with hummus, or homemade turkey roll-ups will give you the long-term energy boost of protein your body craves.
• Take a break. The brain stops functioning correctly under stress, which can lead to phenomena like scanning the same sentence fifteen times without taking in the meaning. If you start to get frustrated, take a break from the rigors of study to do something you like: watch a couple of cat videos on Youtube, read a chapter of a good book, or go for a 15 minute coffee break with friends. The caveat: don’t get too sucked in to these stress-busters. Binging on TV shows or spending hours trolling the Internet will only lead to more stress in the future.
• Sharing isn’t caring. Be careful about sharing food and drinks with friends. Saliva is one of the main bodily fluids through which germs spread. Sounds gross? It is. Meningitis, strep, and mono are very easily spread through contact with an infected person’s saliva. So while it’s tempting to take a sip of your friend’s pumpkin spice latte, remember to get your own to avoid spreading viruses around.
• Get pumped. Even a few minutes of exercise can get your brain moving! Before studying, try a quick set of jumping jacks, a brisk walk in the beautiful fall weather, or some yoga poses in the living room to get your body and mind focused. A recent article in Big Think magazine mentioned a possible connection between exercise, blood flow, and better brain power, and also suggested exercise might prevent disease. Just a bonus to how great you’ll feel.

These quick tips and hints are just a few of many ways you can up your potential during midterms. The most important thing to remember is not to let stress and anxiety take over your life. While it may seem like a never-ending cycle of studying and tests now, try to focus on what lies ahead. The staff at Student Publications wishes you good luck!