5 Easy Back-to-School Tips for Students With Chronic Illness

As a fellow chronic illness warrior who is going back to school in just a few short days, I wanted to create a list of tips I use to balance school and my chronic illness. I am in college, but this is a list of tips that anyone of any age, or with any condition can use. I also wanted this list to be short and sweet, because having too many tips could be overwhelming, so here are five simple and easy to use tips for back-to-school! Hope you enjoy!

1. Sleep hygiene! This means having a well-performed nightly routine (warm shower, wash face, brush teeth, deep breath, listen to some relaxing sounds or music and no electronics). You should have eight to nine hours of sleep a night, but some people may need a little more or a little less.

 

2. Hydrate! Drink lots of water! Take a bottle of water with you to school, and refill it throughout the day as needed. Your body consists of about 60 percent water, so lots of water every day is crucial for maintaining your health and well-being.

3. Self-care!

4. Use a planner or notebook to write down and keep track of assignments and projects.

5. Most of all… Listen to your body!! It will let you know what it needs. When you’re feeling worse than normal go through the mental checklist of “Have I drunk enough water today? Have I had enough to eat? Did I take my proper medications?” Chances are, one of those things you may not have completed fully that day and, most of the time, once you complete that task, you will start to feel better.

I hope you enjoyed these simple and easy-to-remember tips for going back to school! I wish you all luck going into this upcoming year!

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Thinkstock photo via Sergey Peterman.