You’ve arrived at UW! Before you become overwhelmed by your courseload or hyperfocused on your grades, it can be a great idea to familiarize yourself with supports available on campus and ways you can keep yourself physically and mentally healthy throughout your degree.
Physical health
If you want to perform at your best academically, it’s important that you care for your body. Your brain needs nutritious fuel to function best and your body needs regular, consistent movement to stay healthy. So, where and how can you get active on campus? What are some good food options when you’re rushing between classes and co-op interviews? No stress, we’ve got you covered.
Imprint reached out to UW’s new dietitian, Kristine Brigino, to learn more about how incoming students can support their health and develop lasting, healthy nutritional habits.
Brigino shared a few tips. Firstly, she emphasizes the importance of giving yourself time to adjust when first arriving on-campus, “Your nutrition [and] your appetite might change and fluctuate, but give yourself time and patience because developing new routines is a process.”
Next, recognizing that your diet may not always be as healthy as you’d like is okay. It’s okay to slip up sometimes and Brigino adds, “know that one difficult week does not dictate your whole health. Healthy eating isn’t about perfection.” Her third major takeaway for students is for them to prioritize their overall physical well-being, such as sleep, social connection, and seeking professional help when needed.
If you’re tempted to skip meals when the stress of university life picks up, think again. While discussing the importance of good nutrition for a student’s academic performance, Brigino shares, “Not eating enough can certainly affect your concentration [and] your energy. It can also lead to feeling intense hunger throughout the day.” Rather than have a large sit-down meal if you’re low on time, she suggests having smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, “making sure that you have a meal or snack every three to five hours can really help you with your energy and help you improve your performance with your studies.”
During your time as a student, you’re bound to come across nutrition and diet information online, through friends, or simply have questions of your own. Brigino encourages students to connect with a registered dietitian to discuss any nutritional concerns, as they are the most reliable sources of dietary guidance.
Fueling up: Your go-to meal inspiration guide
While reaching out to a registered dietitian is the best way to receive tailored nutritional advice, there are general nutritional guidelines and food options that can be good sources of energy . Check out some of our options below for some easy, accessible, and healthy food options:
- Smoothies
This is a great option because it offers the ability to customize what goes into your beverage, is easy to make, and can be consumed quickly. Stock up on frozen fruit, bananas, powdered protein or peanut butters, and you’ve got yourself a filling breakfast or snack.
- Nut and seed butters
A high-protein and fibre source of nutrition, nut and seed butters are shelf-stable and can be a game changer when you sleep-in and need to rush to an 8:30 a.m. class.
- Sugar-free granola
Granola is a great high-fibre breakfast option, but it can also be an easy way to add healthy carbohydrates to a yogurt parfait. It’s also an easy and filling snack option or can be a great pre-workout source of energy.
- Canned legumes
Beans, chickpeas, and lentils—they’re all excellent sources of high-quality, plant-based protein. Consider keeping some cans in your dorm room or cupboard. They can come in handy when you need a quick course of protein and a good source of dietary fiber to complement a meal.
Breaking a sweat: Your guide to getting active at UW
Donna Rheams, senior manager of wellness & active living at UW, shared her insights into how physical activity can support the well-being of incoming first-year students. Rheams was quick to point out a 2017 study done by UW researchers, which investigated the effects of campus recreation, GPA, and first-year student engagement. The research found that first-year student engagement helped students ease into the university transition more smoothly, improved academic results, boosted community engagement, and increased a student’s sense of belonging on campus. The study found that student participation in campus recreation was especially impactful for students with a lower GPA, “suggesting that participation in campus recreation activities helped students who were not doing well academically by providing an outlet to involve themselves in campus life.” Low-GPA students become more likely to continue their studies and potentially mitigate GPA decreases that commonly occur during the transition from high school to university. Meanwhile, students with high GPA that engaged in campus recreation showed higher general university engagement, possibly improving their “future enjoyment at the university in terms of feeling connected to their postsecondary institution.”
Asked what she would say to a first-year student who feels they’re just too busy to make time to exercise, Rheams says making time for exercise can be viewed “as a trade-off [but] it doesn’t have to be.” She emphasizes how movement is an investment in oneself, supporting healthy habits, academic learning, and building resiliency. She encourages students to be proactive in developing healthy physical activity habits, which can support them when stress hits.
Another meaningful area Rheams touches on is how campus gyms and activity spaces are a space on campus where the stakes are not particularly high: “This space is a place where you can fail with very little risk involved.” When academic pressures and the stress of exam season make success seem like the only option, being able to have a safe space to make mistakes and simply be can be immensely supportive to both your physical and mental health. “It’s somewhere that you can come and it’s okay to not be good at it, which makes this space on campus a little bit unique,” she adds.
Campus recreation spaces offer the chance to build community and healthy habits, and offer the chance to truly unwind and have fun. At the end of a long week, being able to take your mind off academic stress can mean when you hit the books later, you’ll be refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes next.
Natasha Cardinal: From the high school studio to leading UW’s ballroom dancing club
Natasha Cardinal, a fourth-year psychology student at UW, is now the co-president and an instructor of UW’s ballroom dancing club. While initially disappointed to say goodbye to her time as a competitive dancer during high school, she rediscovered an outlet for dance while exploring the clubs fair during her first year. Through the club, she met what would become her closest friends, participated in classes, events, and trips, met her long-term partner, and eventually became the co-president. “For first year students coming in, I would recommend taking the chance to try that new hobby you’ve always thought about or reconnect with an activity you used to love, because chances are there is a club or group on campus that does it!” Cardinal encourages.
Asked for any self-care tips she’s learned over the course of her undergraduate degree, she emphasizes the importance of prioritizing alone time and adequate sleep. She admits that in her first year she spent much time balancing new friendships, activities, and her courseload, which led to moments of extreme stress and burnout. She explains, “When I learned to time manage, go to sleep at a consistent time and get used to saying no to plans, I was able to actually enjoy the things I was doing. Just because you are a student doesn’t mean you are no longer a human with physical and psychological limits!” When stressed, she would turn to “low stimulation cozy video games, comfort tv shows, easy-read fantasy books that allowed me to escape my long to-do list or slow yoga or walks.”
As for her go-to health snack or meals when on-campus, Cardinal admits that with all the amazing food spots in KW, healthy eating was something she learned to prioritize. “It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but first-year me lived off the chicken, tuna, or ham sandwiches at Flock Stop in [the] SLC or from any of the CnDs on campus. They were low [in calories], high in protein, with veggies, cheap, and always accessible. I am sure there are more exciting options, but that always worked for me.”
Mental health resources at UW
Without a doubt, taking care of your physical health, such as ensuring you’re fueling your body well and getting in enough daily movement are essential, but it’s also important to prioritize taking care of your mental health. Although good nutrition and exercise can support a more positive outlook and help manage anxiety or stress, it’s important to take note of some of the many resources on-campus available to you. Taking care of your mental health may then enable you to better support your physical health and maintain ongoing healthy habits.
Counselling Services
As a registered UW student, counselling appointments are available to you at no charge, Monday to Friday. The number of sessions you receive is based on your personal progress. Three types of counselling sessions are offered: single session, brief, and crisis. Full details on the services offered are available on the Counselling Services page on the UW website.
If you’re looking to begin counseling, you can book an appointment by calling 519-888-4096 and press 1 for Health Services and 2 for Counselling Services. Alternatively, you can also visit the office in person in Health Services or on the second floor of Needles Hall.
MATES Peer Support
MATES offers one-on-one peer support for students looking to have a confidential chat with an upper-year student. Trained student volunteers seek to listen and suggest possible coping skills and resources. To learn more about this resource, you can email mates@wusa.ca or check out the MATES WUSA page.
24/7 support lines
If you ever need to speak to a counsellor urgently, there are a variety of community hotlines you can contact for support.
Empower Me
This confidential mental health service is available 24/7, 365 days a year and is confidential, multilingual, and inclusive of different cultures, faiths, and genders. To reach out for support, you’ll need to create an account on the Dialogue app or website. Full account set-up details are available on the Empower Me WUSA page.
Here 24/7
If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis or are in need of support, you can contact this hotline at 1-844-437-3247. You can find more information on this service by visiting the Here 24/7 website.
Good2Talk
Specifically developed with post-secondary students in mind, Good2Talk can be contacted at 1-866-925-5454 or you can also text GOOD2TALKON to 686868. More information on this service is available on the Good2Talk website.
