Maximize Learning: Eat Well, Sleep Well

The beauty of online learning is that you have great flexibility in terms of how you finish the selected online high school courses. You can juggle your online high school program with family life, work, a social life and hobbies. But having too many balls up the air will be detrimental to your learning, as well as your health.

There is a temptation to pull an all-nighter to finish that project you weren’t able to work on for the last week. Or, to munch on fried while you are hard at work at the computer. A full schedule may also result in you neglecting your health – avoiding exercise, a healthy eating habit and getting amble sleep. Remember, a high school diploma will help take you to places you want. But you have to stay healthy to enjoy the benefits that an education affords.

Make Your Health a Priority

Here are some way to keep a healthy lifestyle – that will enable you to handle the demands of earning your high school diploma, as well as meeting the requirements at work and at home and even enjoying your hobbies and interests.

Eat well. The benefit of a healthy diet not just on your body but your mind cannot be over-emphasized.

• Maintain a balanced diet. Don’t just have your fill of burgers and chips. Snack on fruit and vegetables. These are packed with vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber (that can cleanse your insides and sweep out toxins) and antioxidants (that can fight free-radicals). Be sure to also get the necessary amount of protein. Instead of while bread or rice, cakes or food rich in refined sugar and fat, go for whole grain breads, grains and legumes.
• Eat regularly. This way, your body will get a sense of when it’s going to be hungry.
• Eat moderately. Moderation is the key. Don’t overeat and avoid supersizing.
• Drink plenty of liquids. Regularly hydration (with mostly water and not sweetened drinks) will cleanse your bodies of toxins. It will also improve energy levels. If you feel hungry, try drinking a glass or two of water. More often than not, your brain is signaling the need for water. If you are still hungry, then that’s when you may need a snack in between your meals.
• Don’t skip breakfast. Your mother may have told you. The local health magazine will surely mention it. Your doctor will try to emphasize this. Breakfast is an important meal. In fact, missing breakfast is said to be one of the top reasons for the death of brain cells.

Sleep well. Get your fair share of zzz’s. Resting your brain cells will help them “wake up” alert and rejuvenated, able to perform better. If you want to earn good grades while you get high school diploma online, rest and get a good night’s sleep.

• Don’t do your lessons in bed. The bed should not be used as your study area. That is why it is recommended that you put aside a corner of your home (or a room, if possible) as your learning area. You can do your online math or English courses there. When you use the bed only for sleeping, the brain recognizes this so that it goes into sleep mode when you lie on it.
• Sleep at regular times. This will help train your body to sleep when it’s time to sleep. As much as possible, wake up and go to bed at the same time daily, even when you’re free to sleep in. Along with a regular sleep schedule, include a bedtime routine such as reading a few pages of a book or a hot bath.
• Make a room that is conducive for sleep. If you need to shut in white noise, a fan can help. You can also dim the lights and paint the walls and decorate with a soothing color motif. Spritz some lavender on your pillow. Get rid of disturbances, such as a cell phone.
• Avoid stimulating food or activities just before bedtime. Don’t exercise or drink caffeine when it’s close to your bedtime. Exercising release endorphins that keep you up and alert. However, exercising in the mornings can be beneficial.