feel good guide 2011
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Feel Good Guide 2011TRANSCRIPT
www.warwicksu.com/feelgood
Exam Checklist• Check the location of your exam venues... Make sure you know how long it takes to get to your exam room.• Locations, dates and times can change - check the exam timetable regularly.• Remember to set your alarm clock if you have a morning exam• Check your pens have enough ink in them. These should be in a CLEAR pencil case• Check that there are no notes written on anything you are taking into the exam. Dictionaries and calculators will be checked by the invigilators, and disciplinary action is normally taken against anyone found with unauthorised notes
• Have something to eat and drink before your exam.• Take pens, pencils, calculator, dictionary, water and tissues with you.• Go to the loo before your exam!• Leave your phone at home, or switched off in your bag.• Allow plenty of time to get to venues- you will probably not be allowed into the exam venue if you arrive later than 30 minutes after the start of the exam.• If you are ill on the day notify your department immediately.• Take your University card to ALL exams. If you have lost yours, go to University House for a replacement.
So it’s that time of year again- the sun is shining, and tempting you to go outside, yet you are faced with the daunting prospect of revision and exams. Unfortunately, around this time people are popping caffeine tablets and downing energy drinks
like there’s no tomorrow, pulling all-nighters, and occasionally freaking out. Relax. These exams might be important, but you’re doing yourselves no favours by
attacking your body with a not-so-ideal diet/lifestyle. Sleeping, eating healthily, and drinking plenty of water around this time are crucial for you to realise your
potential in your revision and in your exams. On another note, this guide will help you figure out who to speak to if things don’t go well during your exams. Happy
revision and best of luck (not that you need it, you are Warwick students after all!). See you on the other side!
CaffeineProPlus, Coke, Lucozade, Red Bull , Relentless… you name it, you or people you know are ‘relying’ on this stuff to get through revision, and possibly through exams. Although caffeine can helpconcentration, it is to be had inmoderation- it’s difficult to say what this means, as it changes from person to person, but if you get cravings, if you’re starting to get extremely anxious, if you’re feeling your emotions getting out of control (mood swings), if you’re much more nervous than usual, then you’re definitely having too much.
You can overdose on caffeine, as with any drug, and caffeine itself can cause long-term insomnia, panic attacklikelihood, and seizures. Energy drinks have also been known to exacerbate Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Consumption ofcaffeine doesnot eliminatethe need forsleep; it onlytemporarilyreduces thesensation ofbeing tired.
You canOverdose on
Caffeine
If things didn’tgo as planned
If things don’t go as planned Warwick SU is here to help. The independent and fully confidential service offered by our Student Advice Centre is always an option if you don’t know who to turn to.
For all of the above, the Student Advice Centre can help!
Here are a few useful people you can get in touch with:
[email protected] 024 765 7282407832932508 (in an emergency)
07792069359 (in an emergency)
024 7652 3761024 7652 4888024 7657 5570024 7652 3519 024 7615 022602476 417 668
www.uwhc.org.uk/
[email protected]@warwicksu.com
SU Advice CentreWelfare Officer
Education OfficerCounselling Service
Health CentreDirector of Student Support
ChaplaincyMental Health Coordinator
Nightline [email protected]
Make sure you have medical evidence.
sleep
1) Don’t eat late, and avoid rich, spicy or sugar-rich foods, red meat, and cheese. 2) Make sure you get enough fresh air and any kind of exercise so that your body is naturally tired3) Make sure your sleeping arrange ments are comfy enough4) Establish a regular routine: go to bed only when you’re tired, and get up at the same time each day. Avoid napping!5) Learn to de-stress before bed. Dismiss nagging thoughts by writing them down. Have a warm bath, practice a relaxation technique, or listen to some calming music.
Confusion, memory lapses or lossdepressionhallucinationshand tremorsincreased blood pressureincreased stress hormone levelsincreased risk of diabetesincreased risk of fibromyalgianystagmus (rapid involuntary rhythmic eye movement)obesity
After a certain time with no sleep, no new information can be retained. The old joke about "Can we stop? My brain is full." seems to be true; at some point, your capacity to add new information is seriously reduced until you experience actual sleep. And that's not just doing something else for a break, but actual,
honest sleep. Don't neglect this!
By now many of you will have done all nighters in order to get essays done. Make sure you don’t follow this pattern when it comes to exams!
Sometimes we incur a ‘sleep debt’, making us tired and irrita-ble, and generally leaving us incapable of functioning properly. Lack of sleep may result in:
Top tips to help you sleep
Just one example of anight-time relaxation routine…Breathe deeply, counting slowly up to four as you breathe in, hold for another four seconds and then
breathe out slowly. A good yoga technique to relax is to consciously
tense and relax your muscles, in turn, starting at your toes and
working your wayup your body.
Beating Exam
Take a break: Work hard for 45-60 minutes and then takea 5-10 minute break, to make sure you keep your brainworking at maximum capacity.
NutritionWhen you’re studying for finals, good nutrition often slides way down on the priority list. It’s easy to get into the habit of glugging coffee and gobbling take-out pizza, because you don’t want to waste time on food preparation. But, actually, good nutrition should be part of your study plan because it’s going to help you ace those tests.
STRESS AND WELLBEING Poor diet can have a disasterous impact on the way you behave, think or reason; on the ability to concentrate or remember; or on
our powers of coordination or our mood. In pretty much every study of essential nutrients, issues with mental wellbeing are prominent
among the symptoms of deficiency. This shouldn’t be surprising: like any other part of our bodies, the brain and nervous system can only work well if they are properly nourished. If you think that your problems are all in the mind, then you don’t have to just rely on anti-depressants and tranquilisers – many of the answers to make your life a little bit easier lie in your hands (and in your shopping bag)!
FATIGUE AND TIREDNESS Fatigue is one of the most common health complaints in the UK; everybody feels too tired at some point in their life. Too many late nights, a long day in the library, or family/friend problems can wear anyone down. Some people, however, feel fatigued a lot more than others, feeling listless and lacking in energy. Fatigue may have a psychological or a physical cause, and often is a combination of the two; any form of tiredness, however, can be made worse by a poor diet.Food can also play a part in spiralling fatigue: if you are feeling a bit tired, you are more likely to avoid cooking, shopping and planning meals, leading snack meals (such as pastries, biscuits and crisps) to replace healthy eating and play havoc with your blood sugar levels. Also, persistent tiredness will lead to a reduction in exercise, without which the body’s absorption of iron and other vital minerals is poor.
Nutrition Table
Stress
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B6
Magnesium
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Omega 3
Fatty Acids
Magnesium
Zinc
Tyrosine
Magnesium
Folic Acid
Insomnia
Loss ofMotivation
Anxiety
PoorMemory
PoorConcentration
Brown rice, Wheetbran, broccoli, muchrooms, cabbage, squash, beef kidney, beef liver, pork, turkey, chicken, tuna, salmon, sun�ower seeds, peanuts
Oats, Brown rice, Bran, Barley, Avocado, Watercress, Cauli�ower, Cabbage, Peppers, Squash, Asparagus, Chicken, Pork loin, Turkey, Tuna, Trout, Salmon, Soy beans, Chick peas, Sun�ower Seeds, Bananas, Mango
Oatmeal, Wheetbran, Long grain rice, Spinach, Avocado, Peppers, Broccoli, Plain yoghurt, Baked beans, Sun�ower, Poppy, Pumpkin, Bananas, Kiwi, Blackberries, Strawberries, Orange, Raisins, Chocolate, Pistachios, Almonds, Peanuts, Walnuts, Pecan
Spinach, mushrooms, squash, asparagus, broccoliturkey, lamb, pork, ground beef, mussels, shrimp, mozzarella, cheddar cheeses, yoghurt, lentils, chick peas, kidney beans, baked beans, lima beans, blackberries, kiwi, cashews, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin, sesame
Avocados, green beans tofu, soy sauce, spinach, marmite turkey, tuna, liver, cheddar, camembert, gruyere, mozzarella, bananas, �gs, plums, raisins, tomatoes, prunes
Spinach, lettuce, asparagus, beets, cabbage, broccoli, green peas, fresh parsley, avocado, cauli�ower, turkey, cod, tuna, salmon, halibut, shrimp, lentils, chick peas, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, sesame seeds, oranges, peanuts, hazel nuts, cashew nuts, walnuts
Oats, brown rice, barley, pasta, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, romaine lettuce, mushrooms, spinach, watercress, green peas, aubergine, brussel sprouts, Pork, Tuna, salmon, mussels, lentils, soya milk, sun�ower seeds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, sesame seeds
Oatmeal, brown rice, wheatgerm, bran, brown bread, broccoli, watercress, cauli�ower, alfalfa sprouts, peas, carrot, celery, avocado, sweet potato, mushrooms, yoghurt, broad beans, chick peas, watermelon, blackberry, lemon, raspberry, strawberry
Calf liver, chicken, turkey, lamb, salmon, halibut, tuna, shrimp, trout, crab, cottage cheese, yoghurt, eggs, milk
Salmon, sardines, scallops, fresh tuna, halibut, shrimp, cod, trout, walnuts
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