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Healthy Body, Mind, Eating & Space

Healthy Eating

Eating well is fundamental to your health and wellbeing. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight, improve your immunity, reduce your risk of lifestyle diseases and keep your energy levels all day. But what does that look like?

What does a good meal or snack look like?

Plan meals and snacks around colourful vegetables, fruits and wholegrains 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. Focus on heart healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

What should I be careful of?

Everything in moderation is ok, however too much sugar, caffeine, saturated fat and salt can have a negative impact on your health, sleep, energy levels and overall wellbeing. Try to limit consuming foods with low nutritional value, like chocolate, lollies, potato chips and energy drinks.

External resources

UniSA Recipe Book

Allianz ‘Appetite for Study’ Cookbook

Nutrition Australia Recipe Library

Healthy Body

There are many factors to keeping your body healthy, including:

Staying active

As a student, you will spend a large part of your day sitting either in lectures or at a computer doing assignments, which can have a negative impact on how your body feels. Taking the time to move your body outside of your study time can have great benefits to both your physical and mental health and lower your risk of disease. All UniSA campuses have gyms that are quite cheap for students to use, as well as many sporting clubs that you may be able to join.

UniSA gyms:

City East – Centenary Building, Level 2

City West – Pridham Hall

Mawson Lakes – Building B

Magill – E Building (off Bundey Street)

UniSA Sporting Clubs:

Contact UniSA Sport

Sexual health

Sexual health involves the physical aspects of sexual relationships, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). But it is also about how to build healthy relationships. Please see the SA Health Fact Sheet 6 on Sexual Health here for further information.

Safety

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.

Taken from SAPOL Website: https://www.police.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/2690/Personal-Safety.pdf

External Resources

UniSA SAFEZONE

SAPOL Personal Safety Resources

Alcohol and wellbeing

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 CELUSA SAIBT.

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 at CELUSA SAIBT

Here are 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.

Why is alcohol a health issue?

No level of alcohol consumption can be considered safe for everyone, and regular consumption can have long term health effects. Click this link for more information.

Where to get help?

CELUSA SAIBT offer a counselling service 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:

  • City East Campus: B5-04B5-12A
  • City West Campus: CS3-25
  • Mobile: 0491 052 487

Outside of study hours there are a range of support services offered by the Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia (DASSA) which can be accessed at the SA Health website here.

There are many alternative options to reduce study stress whilst keeping your body healthy and avoiding alcohol. If you like to know more please visit Benefits of Exercise.

Healthy Mind

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, you may even be 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. It helps to find study methods that work for you, take regular breaks from study sessions, stay physically active, eat well and stay hydrated. You can also manage stress by being prepared and organised, attending your classes, starting assignments and readings early.

Social connection

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.

SAIBT provide 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 Jodie:

Email: Student.Experience@navitas.com

Phone: 0459 164 188

Room: B5-12B, Brookman Building – UniSA City East

Sleep

Staying up late increases your stress levels and you may not do your best work when you’re 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 need help with any of these things please contact the SAIBT counsellor Leeanne:

Email: Leeanne.D’arville@navitas.com

Phone: 0491 052 487

Room: B5-12A, Brookman Building – UniSA City East

External Resources

  • SA Health International Student Fact Sheets
    Covering topics such as OSHC, Doctors and Hospitals, Medication & Allied Health Services, Emotional Wellbeing, General Health and Wellbeing and Sexual Health
  • Beyond Blue
    Provides information about depression to consumers, carers and health professionals.
  • Black Dog Institute
    A world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
  • Headspace
    A website of the National Youth Mental Health Foundation
  • MyCompass
    An interactive self-help service that aims to promote resilience and well-being
  • SANE Australia
    National Mental Health Charity.
  • Transcultural Mental Health Centre
    Provides information and assistance related to mental health in languages other than English.

Healthy Space

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.

Learn how to set up your study space: SafeWork SA Office Workstation Checklist

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 a bright coloured pillows, blankets or pictures of people/things that bring you joy.
  • Safe and welcoming with comfortable furniture.

Plants and fresh flowers can also bring life to a space. Some varieties also help keep the air clean!

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