The 9 Habits Of Healthy Students That You Should Be Doing

For healthy student habits, I’d recommend the following advice from my recently published book titled “Student Study Cave – A Guide to Get Great Grades”:

1. Establish a study space you make all your own.
2. Ensure your tools are immediately handy and available.
3. Break a big task into smaller steps so accomplishment fuels completion.
4. Outline your priorities.  List them.
5. Create a consistent study pattern to form good habits.
6. Know your deadlines and be accountable to each.
7. Give yourself study breaks.  Silences let the music flow.
8. Eliminate your distractions.  Detour and pivot from them.

The whole point is to create a happy place study space that removes every possible bit of inertia so the obstacles are always removed from getting good and diligent work done.  Further, remember that “deferred joys purchased through sacrifice are often the sweetest.”  It’s like a man-cave, but for students.

Contributors: Brian Shell from Passion Hero

Whether you're in eighth grade or headed to your first year of college, sleep is a healthy habit I try to instill in all of my patients from a young age. While it can be difficult to make early bedtimes a priority, especially when homework, friends, and after-school sports often take priority, there are countless benefits of a good night sleep every night. Healthy sleep habits help with memory and attention, among other things. Strive to get at least 9-11 hours, depending on your age. Teenagers should aim to get at least 9 hours, and children ages five to 12 should get 10-11 hours.

Contributors: Dena Nader from MedExpress Urgent Care

The effects of dehydration are often overlooked, especially by students who are on the go all day long and rely on caffeinated beverages and soft drinks to quench their thirst. However, those types of beverages can often do more harm than good when it comes to hydration. That's why I always remind my young patients of the importance of drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day - more if you're a student-athlete. Dehydration can cause significant physical and mental issues, including weakness, irritability, exhaustion, the inability to concentrate, and more. Carry a reusable water bottle with you throughout your day, aim to drink it during class, and refill between classes.

Contributors: Dena Nader from MedExpress Urgent Care

Nothing is worse than taking a test with the sniffles or missing a big football game because you're home with the flu. Stay healthy this school year by washing your hands frequently. Washing your hands is one of the best ways to slow the spread of germs. Scrub up after you use the bathroom, touch frequently used surfaces like water fountains and doorknobs, and before and after you eat. If it's tough to stop by the bathroom to wash your hands between classes, try carrying a mini bottle of hand sanitizer with you. It's not a replacement for hand soap, but it's certainly a good option in a pinch.

Contributors: Dena Nader from MedExpress Urgent Care

You can't do everything by yourself. One of the most important things you can learn to do is how to ask for help whether you are a high school student or in graduate school. You are never going on this educational journey alone. There are many resources on campus through your teachers, friends, and staff members. You also have the support of your family and friends off-campus. Reach out if you need help dealing with any part of your academic career.

Contributors: Amanda Cross from The Happy Arkansan

Previously a college student last year, I was stressed and needed to find an outlet that would let me forget about the stresses of school and focus on the positive parts of my life.  I was able to find that running for at least 30 minutes per day gave me an increase in health and fitness but also allowed me to mentally clear my mind and reset.  This was important in college as you are hit with many deadlines and tasks all the time. Running also releases endorphins that get your mind thinking positive and happy thoughts! The next time that you're feeling the crunch of college, take a run for an A+.

Contributors: Scott Fish from Beginner Running Tips

We think knowledge of food safety is a very important habit for students (of all ages) to learn.

Simple practices such as washing hands and preparation surfaces often, avoiding cross-contamination by separating food, cooking to proper temperatures, and refrigerating food promptly are of critical importance in keeping foodborne illnesses at bay. And these are so easy, students can incorporate them into their daily lives with minimal investment.

In a study conducted at Kansas State University, students were asked to complete a survey regarding their food habits, including the handling of food safely. Surprisingly, many of them outside of the health majors did not know much about food safety.

Contributors: Candess Zona-Mendola from Make Food Safe

Some people also call this technique as spaced repetition. This is a method whereby once you learn a new topic for the first time, you close your book and don't think about it for a while. Then, after a week you open your book and try to recall as many things as you can about the topic. That is your first attempt. It doesn't matter how successful you were. Go through the material once again and close your book. Next, after a gap of two weeks repeat the exercise. And then, repeat after a month. What you are doing with this method is that you're training your brain to identify the information as critical since you're frequently referring back to it.

For this method to work, the student has to prepare much in advance of their exams. But over time the brain learns to retain most of the information. Once this habit is crystallized, learning any new topic becomes a breeze.

Contributors: Thomas C T from New Rationalist

Having good grades in school is admirable, but good grades will only get you so far on resumes and applications. You need something more! Getting involved in activities that excite you will make you much healthier, and earn you lifelong relationships you'll cherish forever. Once school is done, you won't remember all the all-nighters studying, but you will remember all the fantastic people you got to know.

Contributors: Amanda Cross from The Happy Arkansan