HEALTH AND WELLNESS, PART 2

CHAPTER 7
 DO YOU HAVE A REGULAR EXERCISE ROUTINE?

If yes, what do you do and how often do you do it?

If no, why not?
What more could you do to improve your:
a) Endurance?
b) Strength?
c) Flexibility?
 REST AND SLEEP

▪ Sleep experts agree that humans in today’s

information-loaded, multitasking world aren’t
getting the quantity and quality of sleep
needed to perform at peak levels.
▪ The amount of sleep we get plays a pivotal
role for preserving our health and enhancing
our performance.
 THE VALUE AND PURPOSE OF SLEEP
Resting and reenergizing the body are the most obvious purposes of sleep to include:
1. Sleep restores and preserves the immune system. Studies show that when
humans and other animals lose sleep, it lowers their production of disease-fighting
antibodies, making them more susceptible to illness, such as common colds and the
flu.
2. Sleep helps us cope with daily stress. Sleep research shows that when we’re
experiencing stress, we spend more time in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of
sleep, which is the stage when most dreaming takes place. Getting high-quality sleep
helps us maintain our emotional stability and keeps us in a positive frame of mind.
3. Sleep helps the brain form and retain memories. When we’re sleeping, our brain
isn’t bombarded with sensory input from the outside world. This allows the brain—
particularly during dream sleep—to devote more of its energy (metabolism) to
processing and storing information taken in during the day.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP FOR COLLEGE
STUDENTS
▪ College students tend to have poorer sleep habits and
experience more sleep problems than the general population.
▪ Heavier academic workloads, more opportunities for late-night
socializing, and more frequent late-night (or all-night) study
sessions often lead to more irregular sleep schedules and more
sleep deprivation.
▪ It’s estimated that 60% of college students get an insufficient
amount of sleep.
▪ On average, adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each day
and teenagers need slightly more—about nine hours.
 REFLECTION

▪ How much sleep do you think you need to perform at a

peak level?

▪ How many nights per week do you typically get this amount
of sleep?

▪ If you’re not getting this optimal amount of sleep each

night, what’s preventing you from doing so?
 ADJUSTING ACADEMIC WORK TASKS TO YOUR
BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS
▪ Attaining peak performance in college requires attention to both time
management and energy management.
▪ When planning your daily work schedule, be aware of your “biological
rhythms”—that is, your natural peak periods and down times.
▪ Become aware of your most productive hours of the day and schedule
your highest priority work and most challenging tasks at times when
you tend to work at peak effectiveness.
▪ Try to arrange your schedule in such a way that you’re sitting in your
most challenging courses at times of the day when your body and
mind are most ready to tackle those challenges.
 STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY
1. Become more aware of your sleep habits by keeping a sleep log or
sleep journal. Tracking your sleep experiences in a journal may enable
you to detect a pattern or relationship between certain things you do (or
don’t do) during the day on those nights when you sleep well.
2. Try to get into a regular sleep schedule by going to sleep and getting up
at about the same time each day. The human body functions best by
establishing a stable sleep schedule.
3. Attempt to get into a relaxing pre-bedtime ritual each night. Taking a
hot bath or shower, consuming a hot (non-caffeinated) beverage, or
listening to relaxing music are bedtime rituals that can get you into a
worry-free state before sleep and help you fall asleep sooner.
 STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY
4. Avoid intense mental activity just before going to bed. Light
mental work may serve as a relaxing pre-sleep ritual.
5. Avoid intense physical exercise before bedtime. Physical
exercise elevates muscle tension and increases oxygen flow to
the brain, both of which will hinder your ability to fall asleep.
6. Avoid consuming sleep-interfering foods, beverages, or drugs
in the late afternoon or evening.
 STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY
In particular, avoid the following substances near bedtime:
▪ Caffeine. It’s a stimulant drug; for most people, it will stimulate their
nervous system and keep them awake.
▪ Nicotine. Another stimulant drug that’s also likely to reduce the depth and
quality of your sleep.
▪ Alcohol. It’s a depressant (sedative) that makes you feel sleepy, but
reduces sleep quality.
▪ High-fat foods. Eating just before bedtime (or during the night) increases
digestive activity in the stomach. This “internal noise” is likely to interfere
with sleep.
7. Make sure the temperature in the room where you’re sleeping is not
warmer than 70 degrees. Warm temperatures often make us feel sleepy, but
they usually don’t help us stay asleep or sleep deeply.
 SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND RISKY BEHAVIOR

In addition to putting healthy nutrients into our

body, as well as exercising and resting it, there are
two other important elements of physical wellness:
(a) keeping risky substances out of our body
(b) avoiding risky behaviors that threaten our
body’s well-being.
 ALCOHOL USE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS
Alcohol is a legal beverage for people 21 years of age and older. Since it’s a
substance commonly accessible at college parties and social gatherings, you’ll be
confronted with two choices:
1. To drink or not to drink
2. To drink responsibly or irresponsibly
If you decide to drink, here are some quick tips for drinking safely and
responsibly:
• Eat well before drinking and snack while drinking. This will help lower the peak
level of alcohol.
• Drink slowly. Sip, don’t gulp.
• Space out drinking over time. This gives the body time to metabolize the alcohol.
• Maintain awareness of how much you’re drinking while you’re drinking by
monitoring your physical and mental state.
 ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS
▪ College students’ expectations that they should drink (or drink to
excess) accounts for binge drinking—periodic drinking episodes
during which a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time.
▪ Consumed in moderate amounts, alcohol is a relaxing beverage;
in larger doses, it’s a mind-altering drug.
▪ Approximately 7% to 8% of people who drink develop alcohol
dependency.
▪ Binge drinking also reduces our inhibitions about engaging in
risk-taking behavior, which, in turn, increases our risk of personal
accidents, injuries, and illnesses.
 USE AND ABUSE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS
▪ While the college years are often a time for exploring and
experimenting, experimenting with illegal drugs can be risky.
▪ You’re not just taking a criminal risk by using an illegal substance,
you’re also taking a health risk by consuming an unregulated
substance.
▪ Bottom-line recommendation is: When in doubt, keep it out. Don’t
put anything into your body that’s unregulated and whose impact
may be unpredictable.
▪ Any drug has the potential to be addictive, especially if it’s injected
intravenously or smoked. These routes of delivery are particularly
dangerous because they allow the drug to reach the brain faster
and heighten its peak effect.
 MOTIVES FOR DRUG USE
1.Social Pressure. To “fit in” or be socially accepted
2. Recreational (Party) Use. For fun, stimulation, or pleasure
3. Experimental Use. Doing drugs out of curiosity—to test out its effects
4. Therapeutic Use. Using prescription or over-the-counter drugs for
medical purposes
5. Performance Enhancement. To improve physical, mental, or social
performance
6. Escapism. To escape a personal problem or an unpleasant emotional
state
7. Addiction. Physical or psychological dependence resulting from
habitual use of a drug
 MOST COMMON SIGNS THAT A PERSON’S DRUG USE IS MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF
(ADDICTION):
▪ Steadily increasing the amount (dose) of the drug and/or using
it more often
▪ Difficulty cutting back (e.g., unable to use the drug less
frequently or in smaller amounts)
▪ Difficulty controlling or limiting the amount taken after
starting
▪ Keeping a steady supply of the drug on hand
▪ Spending more money on the drug than the person can afford
▪ Using the drug alone
 MOST COMMON SIGNS THAT A PERSON’S DRUG USE IS MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF
(ADDICTION):
▪ Hiding or hoarding the drug
▪ Lying about drug use to family and friends
▪ Reacting angrily or defensively when questioned about use
▪ Being “in denial” about abusing the drug
▪ Rationalizing drug abuse (e.g., “I’m just partying. It’s a normal
part of the college experience.”)
▪ When continuing to use the drug matters more to the user
than the personal and interpersonal problems caused by its
use.
 UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
▪ Relationships can become unhealthy and pose threats to our physical or
psychological well-being.
▪ If you’re in a relationship where you feel you’re being repeatedly
disrespected, excessively controlled, or are concerned for your safety,
it’s essential that you acknowledge and act upon these signals.
▪ Behaviors that characterize relationship violence include: degrading
language, dominating or dictating a partner’s actions, as well as physical
and/ or sexual assault.
▪ Victims of relationship abuse are often reluctant to seek help because
they fear embarrassment or retribution.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT CAN TAKE MANY FORMS:
Sexual harassment in college settings includes any unwanted or unwelcome
sexual behavior initiated by another student or an employee of the college
1. Verbal—such as, making sexual comments about someone’s body or
clothes; sexual jokes; or teasing—including spreading sexual rumors
about a person’s sexual activity or orientation; requesting sexual favors
in exchange for a better grade, job, or promotion.
2. Nonverbal—such as, staring or glaring at some-one’s body; making
erotic or obscene gestures toward the person; sending obscene
messages or unsolicited pornographic material.
3. Physical—such as, contact by touching, grabbing, pinching, or brushing
up against some-one’s body.
STRATEGIES FOR AVOIDING OR ESCAPING ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS
• Avoid relationship isolation; continue to maintain social ties with
friends outside of the relationship.
• Don’t make excuses for or rationalize the abuser’s behavior (e.g., he
was under stress or she was drinking)
• Get an objective, “third party” perspective by asking close friends for
their views on your relationship. (Love can be “blind,” so it’s possible to
be in denial about an abusive relationship and not “see” what’s really
going on.)
• Speak with a professional counselor on campus to help you see your
relationships more objectively and for help with any relationship that
you sense is becoming abusive.
 SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIS)
▪ STIs represent a group of contagious infections spread through sexual contact that
can threaten our health and well-being.
▪ Latex condoms provide the best protection against STIs
▪ Having sex with fewer partners reduces the risk of contracting an STI.
▪ When it comes to sexual intercourse, we have three basic options: Do it recklessly,
do is safely, or don’t do it.
▪ More than 25 types of STIs have been identified and virtually all of them are
effectively treated if detected early.
▪ However, if ignored, some STIs can progress to the point where they result in
serious infection and possible infertility.
▪ Experiencing pain during or after urination, or unusual discharge are common early
symptoms of STI.
 SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIS)
Some online resources that provide information that may be helpful to increase
awareness and respect:

▪ Overview of STIs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcPCY83FIvk 

▪ TED Talk of someone who has an STI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcIl-hclrLI
 WELLNESS IN SUM…
• Watch what we eat. In particular, we should increase consumption of natural
fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, and water and decrease
consumption of processed foods, fatty foods, fried foods, fast foods, and foods
purchased from vending machines.
• Become more physically active. To counteract the sedentary lifestyle created by
life in modern society and attain total fitness, we should engage in a balanced
blend of exercises that build stamina, strength, and flexibility.
• Don’t cheat on sleep. Humans typically do not get the amount of sleep they
need to perform at peak levels.
• Drink alcohol responsibly or not at all. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol
or other mind-altering substances that can threaten our physical health, impair
our mental judgment, and reduce our inhibitions about engaging in dangerous,
risk-taking behavior.
 WELLNESS IN SUM…
▪ Avoid use of illegal substances that are unregulated—particularly substances
whose effects may be unpredictable and that pose a high risk for dependency
(addiction).
▪ Avoid unhealthy relationships that are abusive or violent. If involved in such a
relationship, don’t tolerate it and allow it to escalate. Instead, escape it, or seek
immediate help to address it.
▪ Minimize the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. There are
three basic strategies for doing so: using latex condoms during sex, limiting the
number of sexual partners, or choosing not to be sexually active.
▪ Minimize the risk of being victimized by crime. Be mindful of surroundings,
particularly when alone and at night, use social support strategies and emerging
technological tools (e.g., apps) to enhance personal safety.