A healthy body, mind & space

Healthy eating tips

Healthy eating habits are key to overall health

Eating well is fundamental to your health and wellbeing. Eating well helps you maintain a healthy weight, improves your immunity and reduces your risk of lifestyle diseases. Eating well also helps with regulating sleeping patterns, energy levels, stress levels and your general health.

What does a good meal or snack look like?

Making healthy food choices isn’t too difficult. It’s about balance. But what does that look like? Find some good tips here.

Plan your meals and snacks around colourful vegetables, fruits and whole grains to protect your health. Add protein and iron rich foods like lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds and beans. Milk, yogurt and cheese can also contribute to your protein. Include some healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

Foods to limit

A small amount of foods with low nutritional value is okay. Limit foods like chocolate, lollies, potato chips and energy drinks.

Foods or drinks containing lots of sugar, caffeine, saturated fat and salt can have a negative impact on your health, sleep and overall wellbeing. Use the 5 essential food groups to help make good decisions and find out more about the Australian recommended dietary intakes.

Staying active

Keep healthy through physical activity

Being active can be an effective way to maintain your physical and mental health. Physical activity doesn’t need to be organised sport or going to the gym. It could be anything you do in your day-to-day life – like walking or running in your neighbourhood or doing housework. Even during stressful times physical activity and exercise is important. Find an activity that suits your lifestyle.

Start small. Keep moving! You might prefer group activities – indoors or outdoors – team sports, yoga, join a gym, maybe dancing! Exercising with a friend, joining a sporting group or hiking group can make physical activity easier and more fun.

Regular physical activity can be a good way to boost your mood, reduce stress, and improve sleep.

Getting some exercise can also help improve mental health and wellbeing. Keep a look out for the Eynesbury student experience calendar or contact the Student Experience Coordinator for information about sports events, sporting clubs, hikes through the Adelaide Hills or beaches.

Sexual health

Minimise your risk

Maintaining sexual health is another important part of keeping healthy. Sexual health involves being prepared for safe sex, minimising the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), avoiding unwanted pregnancy as well as creating healthy relationships.

For more details on sexual health have a read of the SA Health Fact Sheet #6 on sexual health.

Shine SA also has information on sexual health for everyone, including intersex, gender diverse and of all sexualities.

Safety

There are a number of precautions you can take

Travelling

• Be alert, walk confidently and keep to well-lit and populated areas.
• Walk against the flow of traffic and if possible, walk with another person and carry a personal safety alarm or mobile phone.
• Let someone know where you are going and the time you will return.
• If you feel unsafe, head for a well-populated area.
• Be aware of your increased vulnerability when wearing personal headphones.

ATM banking

• Do not use ATMs in isolated or dark locations and avoid withdrawing large amounts of money.
• Memorise your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Do not write it down and do not let anyone see you enter your PIN.
• If you feel unsafe at an ATM and you have already keyed in your details, press the CANCEL key and remove your card.
• If you lose your card, report it immediately to your financial institution.

Celebrations

• Organise safe transport to and from the venue before going out.
• Stay with your friends and look after each other.
• Set a drinking limit for yourself, stick to it and have soft drink or water between alcoholic drinks.
• Say “NO” when you have had enough to drink, don’t let others top up your drink.

Personal property

• Don’t carry large amounts of money and never display how much money you have in your wallet or purse.
• Keep your bag, wallet and mobile phone where you can see them at all times and don’t leave them unattended. When shopping use the child safety harness to help secure your handbag to the trolley.
• Carry your bag securely on the side furthest from the road. Never let the strap hang loosely.
• Shoulder strapped bags should be worn across your body. If someone attempts to grab your bag, it is best to let go, to avoid injury.
• Secure your bag in your car before loading or unloading your shopping.

Learn more about personal safety from South Australian police (SAPOL).

Alcohol and wellbeing

It’s your choice whether to drink or not

Alcohol is a socially acceptable and widely used recreational drug in Australia. Many students choose to use alcohol when celebrating, socialising or relaxing and having fun. There are some benefits to moderate consumption of alcohol, however, overuse or abuse of alcohol can have many negative effects on your health, wellbeing, and your study at Eynesbury.

How much you drink or whether you drink at all is your choice. It is worth knowing that the choices you make about alcohol will affect your:

• Physical and mental health
• Relationships
• Work
• Academic performance

Learn more about the Australian guidelines on managing your alcohol intake.

If you’re a healthy adult:

• On any day, you should not drink more than 2 standard drinks – following this guideline will reduce your risk of alcohol-related disease or injury over your lifetime.
• On a single occasion, you should not drink more than 4 standard drinks – following this guideline will reduce your risk of injury and death on that occasion.

You can prepare yourself to make healthy choices and informed decisions about alcohol by understanding alcohol-related harm and ways to reduce it.

Learn more about how drinking too much alcohol can have an effect on your physical and mental health.

If you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, Eynesbury offers counselling support for students, free of charge, and available from Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.

You can book an appointment by email, by phone or you can drop into the office.

Outside of study hours there are a range of support services offered by the Drug and alcohol services South Australia (DASSA).

For a healthy mind

Because life gets stressful sometimes

As a student, you may have many competing demands including doing well in your studies, balancing work, family and social commitments, financial pressure and if you are new to Adelaide, adjusting to a new living environment.

Managing stress:

Life can be stressful and learning to manage this stress can be key to your happiness and wellbeing. Creating a study/life balance, keeping in touch with family and friends, staying active and taking care of yourself puts you in the best position to deal with the day to day challenges that we all face. Find more tips on how to maintain good mental health.

Importance of social connections:

Balance your commitments. It is important to have a life outside study, including social connections, family and cultural connections, spiritual fulfilment and work. Each of these areas provides a sense of belonging, purpose, helps to reduce stress, increase happiness and improve your sense of confidence and self-worth.

Eynesbury provides many opportunities to help you make social connections, become a student leader and help you look for a job. Please keep an eye on your student email account for communication about these events or contact our student experience officer.

Good sleep routines:

Staying up late increases your stress levels and you may not do your best work when you are tired. Getting enough good quality sleep is important to ensure you feel and perform your best. You can achieve this by:

• Creating a bedtime routine: Do the same things in the same order each night to signal to your body you are winding down for sleep
• Going to bed at the same time each night
• Don’t study/work in bed
• Keep your sleep space quiet, dark and cool for best quality sleep
• Take a nap – but not too close to bedtime or for too long
• Avoid eating and drinking caffeine too close to bedtime
• Avoid doing all-nighters if you can

If you struggle with any of the above, please get in touch with Eynesbury  College support or Counselling services. They are always there to help.

Healthy spaces

Create healthy spaces to enhance your wellbeing

Study environment:

A good study environment can help you succeed in your studies. It is helpful to think about making your study space a comfortable, quiet environment that allows you to concentrate, is set up well to ensure you can sit comfortably for long periods of time, has sources of natural light and enough air flow to be both a comfortable temperature and provides you with fresh air.

Find more tips on setting up a good study environment.

Learn how to set up your desk ergonomically.

Living space:

A living space that makes you feel good can also help to keep your mind and body healthy. A healthy living space would ideally be:

• Free from clutter
• Well lit, with fresh air and natural light
• Cleaned regularly to eliminate household toxins that might make you sick
• Free from strong smells that might cause headaches
• Decorated with things that make you happy, such as bright coloured pillows, blankets or pictures of people/things that bring you joy
• Safe and welcoming with comfortable furniture

Plants and fresh flowers can bring life to a space. Some varieties also help keep the air clean! Check out the science behind growing indoor plants for good health and happiness. Some plants are easy to grow indoors in low light. Find more inspiration on which plants to choose.