How much you work, sleep, study, exercise, take time out for yourself and what you eat, can all influence how you feel. Many students spend periods of time surviving on three hours of sleep, drinking heaps and living on chips.
After a while, it catches up with you! So get active, take some time out for yourself, keep connected with friends and uni deadlines and you will be well on your way to a ‘stress less’ UWA lifestyle. Get Active
Exercise - some people love it, some people hate it but we all know it is good for us. Exercise elevates our mood, switches on our brains, gives us energy and reduces our susceptibility to colds, flu and other nasties. Do activities that you like. There are many ways to be active, so find something that suits you. Try a class like belly dancing, tai chi or boxercise. The social part is great fun as well. UWA Sports has some fantastic programmes and classes. Check out their website or look out for the Recreate magazine at the Guild Village, Rec Centre and other spots around campus. Who says that the only real exercise is a punishing 5 km jog at 6am? Finding your shoes at that time of the morning is enough effort, let alone getting them on your feet!! What ever you do remember to keep going and make exercise a habit.  The food you eat does have a significant impact on how you feel. It is possible to have too much of a good thing so have a good honest look at what you have been putting in your mouth lately, especially if you have been feeling tired, stressed or low on energy. Most of us know what a healthy diet looks like, it’s just that the less healthy diet can seem so much more convenient after a long day.
Liquid meals (of the alcoholic kind) should be approached with caution and trepidation at any time of the day or night. Healthy eating is about lifestyle and taking the time to get it together. Think 3 meals a day plus extra snacks that keep your energy up.
Feeling depressed?
Aim for foods which maintain or boost your serotonin level – omega 3 foods such as chicken, turkey and salmon, tinned or fresh should help. Or how about trying Freo sardines, an excellent source of omega 3. Feeling tired?
Eating carbohydrates that have had less processing will boost your blood sugar level and keep it up. Try brown rice and whole grain bread, fresh fruit and nuts. Don't make a habit of making yourself feel better with sugary or highly processed foods like chocolate bars, ice cream, cakes or strong coffee. This might pep you up for a little while but leave you feeling worse later on. Craving sugar?
Increasing your protein levels may help. It’s OK to eat a bit of protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try eggs, chicken, red meat or fish. In a sandwich or as part of a salad or stir fry is fine. You don't have to sit down to a steak to get your protein. And finally, drink water, it’s trendier than Coke these days!!
Keep Connected to people you know even if they are not at UWA. Continue to do the pastimes or hobbies you used to. Even if they are considered 'daggy' you can be sure that at UWA somebody else is into the same thing. There may even be a club or society for it. Try to find something else that interests you but you never got around to doing it.
Use the following links to the variety of UWA Clubs, Societies, Groups or meetings:
• UWA Fit For Study • From the Main UWA home page
• UWA Student Guild • UWA Sport and Recreation Association
• UWA Spiritual Dimensions Go on, give it a go, it’s a great way to met new people and get the most out of university life. | 
