Health Tips for the School Year

Welcome back to school and back to BridgeUP! We are so excited to hear about how you spent your summer. Now that school is starting, we’re here to encourage that you start off on the right foot. School can be stressful, but here are our tips to help you stay healthy during the new year–physically, mentally, and socially:

- Plan how you will stay organized! Many of us say we will be organized, but it can be hard to keep things organized when classes start to get busy. Check out our BeWell videos on using a planner, creating a study environment, and making a to-do list to learn how we stay organized to prevent academic stress!
Create a plan for what you will do if you get stressed. It is normal to be a little bit stressed, but it’s important to be able to manage stress and work through it. We have created videos about how we cope with stress, including progressive muscle relaxation and the Calm app. Figure out the best stress coping strategy that works for you before you get stressed or frazzled.
Try to get enough sleep. Teens should be getting about 9 hours of sleep every night, and if you don’t sleep enough you will have less energy and won’t be able to focus as much at school. We have a video about sleep hygiene which will give you some great tips to maintain a healthy sleep routine.
Figure out your go-to healthy snack. Sometimes when we get stressed, it’s easier to grab unhealthy foods like chips, candy, and soda to hold us over while we study. Instead of reaching for these things, try making some protein-packed energy bites, spiced up popcorn, or a smoothie. These flavorful snacks will keep you full and focused.

Remember your priorities. It can be easy to get caught up in drama in high school, but drama usually just distracts you from reaching your goals. If you find yourself getting caught up in drama and gossip, take a step back, turn your phone off for a little while, and focus on what you have to do to be the best version of yourself. You deserve it!