How to Take Care of Yourself to Improve Learning
Original Editor - Michael Rowe
Top Contributors - Ewa Jaraczewska, Jess Bell, Tarina van der Stockt and Kim Jackson
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Students who are beginning their college education must adapt to a new environment and engage in newfound responsibilities. [1] To endure this transition, students may develop unhealthy behaviours that include bad dietary habits, sedentary life style, and sleep deprivation.[1] Research shows that healthy diet and good lifestyle behaviours possitively affect cognitive functioning, where fast food consumption lead to poorer executive functioning and poorer visual memory performance in students. [2] Habits around self-care, including diet, exercise, sleep, and social relationships, can have a significant impact on one's ability to learn effectively.[3]
Social skills are the type of behaviours that are socially acceptable and enable an individual to effectively communicate with others. [4] Social relationships can be defined as a "sum of the social interactions between people in the process of joint activities"[5], and they are influenced by the family, teachers, peers, and individuals themselves. Student's academic performance can therefore be influenced by both family and school contexts.[5]
This article offers a general approach to how diet, exercise, sleep, and social relationships impact students' learning.
Balanced Diet and Learning[edit | edit source]
Pollan's principles of balanced diet:[6]
- Eat food
"Food is what you buy in the bakery, butcher, and deli sections in supermarkets."[3]-- Michael Rowe
- Not too much
"Portion you dish up should be about the size of a medium-sized bowl."[3]-- Michael Rowe
- Mostly plants
" A diet should be made up mostly of fruit and vegetables."[3]-- Michael Rowe
Diet and Cognitive Function[edit | edit source]
Facts:
- The brain needs up to 25% of your daily energy output
- The brain needs a steady supply of glucose from complex carbohydrates for sustained mental clarity and focus
- To nourish and protect neural tissue, we need foods rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
- Consuming a variety of foods like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains can have significant impacts on mental acuity
- To supply adequate energy for the brain we must:
- eat nutrient-dense foods
- have regular meals and snacks to maintain blood glucose levels
- To help maintain energy levels and mood stability we should limit the intake of processed foods that are high in sugar and unhealthy fats
Regular Exercises and Learning[edit | edit source]
Sleep and Learning[edit | edit source]
Social Relationships and Learning[edit | edit source]
Life Changing Practical Solutions[edit | edit source]
Conclusions[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
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References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Al-Haifi AR, Al-Awadhi BA, Bumaryoum NY, Alajmi FA, Ashkanani RH, Al-Hazzaa HM. The association between academic performance indicators and lifestyle behaviors among Kuwaiti college students. J Health Popul Nutr. 2023 Apr 4;42(1):27.
- ↑ Pilato IB, Beezhold B, Radnitz C. Diet and lifestyle factors associated with cognitive performance in college students. Journal of American College Health 2022; 70(7): 2230-2236.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Rowe M. How to Take Care of Yourself to Improve Learning. Plus Course, 2023.
- ↑ Zhu Z, Tanaka E, Tomisaki E, Watanabe T, Sawada Y, Li X, Jiao D, Ajmal A, Matsumoto M, Zhu Y, Anme T. Do it yourself: The role of early self-care ability in social skills in Japanese preschool settings. School Psychology International, 2022; 43(1), 71-87.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Li Y, Qiu L, Sun B. School engagement as a mediator in students’ social relationships and academic performance: a survey based on CiteSpace. International Journal of Crowd Science 2021; 5 (1):17-30.
- ↑ 'In Defense of Food' Author Offers Advice For Health. Available from https://www.npr.org/2008/01/01/17725932/in-defense-of-food-author-offers-advice-for-health [last access 9.12.2023]
