With the spring semester finally here, I have been reflecting on how I spent the longest winter break to date. Like many, I watched a lot of Netflix and Hulu, which I had not had time to do during school. I also started reading for pleasure for the first time in many years. It felt like I was back in middle school, when I had time to do things like read, draw or workout simply because my academics did not take up most of each day like it tends to now.

Especially during this past online, condensed, fall semester, I felt at times that I often pushed aside activities that gave my mind a break from the mountain of work I had each week. Personally, I began working out and boxing again early in the semester, which was a great way to get a boost of energy and let out some of the pent-up stress that comes with sitting for hours on Zoom calls. Prioritizing one’s hobbies has also been linked to positive effects on mental health and strengthening one’s mind, which is why I strongly believe students should try to make time for activities like reading, painting, exercising, etc. 

It is easy for students to choose to spend their free time — or procrastination time — during the semester scrolling through their phones or binge-watching television. While I also do the same, I have to say that spending too much time doing mindless activities like this can contribute to further stress or fatigue during school. I think choosing brain-stimulating activities like exercising, writing, painting or reading can help effectively stimulate and relax our minds during the craziness of school. 

For example, this past semester I had a paper due and waited until the last day to complete it. Oddly, I chose to go to the gym that night and got back home around 8 p.m., taking a break to shower and eat before beginning to type my essay. I wrote through the night and ended up submitting the paper early that morning, hours before it was due. I had never felt such a genuine boost of energy that powered me through a significant assignment for school. I have certainly pulled several all-nighters throughout my college career, but never have I done so with such energetic wide eyes. 

According to Everyday Health, exercise helps with one’s health and well-being in five main ways. This includes increasing endorphin levels, leading to a feeling of euphoria known as “runner’s high.” It can also help improve heart health, allowing one to have greater daily endurance, and improve sleep patterns, something college students definitely need. Exercise can also sharpen one’s focus, and lastly, but most importantly, one’s mental health is highly likely to improve with regular exercise. 

The American Psychological Association wrote a cover story on “The Exercise Effect,” in which multiple psychologists said they recommend exercise to clients and more psychologists should implement exercise into their plans to help patients. This is because they have found that exercise has an endless amount of benefits that greatly help improve one’s mood, simply by taking as little as five minutes to moderately exercise. 

Exercise can help keep students balanced and in better spirits during the semester and daily life. Plus, with all these physical and cognitive benefits, why not make time for exercise and possibly boost your GPA simultaneously?