Self-care for men: How to take good care of yourself

No matter your age or fitness level, exercise is important for your physical wellbeing. By fitting in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days of the week, you'll reduce the risk of heart disease, lower your blood pressure and improve your physical strength. In other words, exercise = good!

If you're not sure where to start, you can look for ways to build physical exercise into your everyday activities, such as:

• Walk or cycle instead of driving or taking public transport.
• Actually walk the Rainbow Steps instead of avoiding them.
• Count your steps and set a daily target.

If walking or gym work doesn't sound appealing, you can also try local or on-campus sports, or activities that will incentivise you to go touch some grass. UNSW has plenty of exercise-focused clubs, such as the Campus Runners, a Latin Dance Society, and even a Cheer and Dance Society that will get you moving in no time. 

This may sound straightforward, but it's surprisingly common to forget to eat and/or drink water when you're several hours deep into an assignment or a study sesh.

Make sure to set time aside to eat something (use an alarm to remind yourself) and keep a water bottle handy. You'll be far more productive when your stomach is full and you're well hydrated.

Thanks to Arc, UNSW students have access to cheap (and occasionally free) and delicious food on campus during most weeks of term. Be sure to visit these spots and treat yourself to a nice meal.

Good personal hygiene is important to help protect you from sickness, as well as minimise the spread of illness to other people. Several aspects go into good personal hygiene, so let's dive into them:

1. Body odour: Sweat, dirt, bacteria and waste excreted through your skin build up during the course of the day, resulting in unsavoury body odour. Make sure to bathe or shower with soap or shower gels regularly.
2. Clean laundry: Linked to body odour, your clothes will absorb all the sweat and bacteria built up on your body, so it's equally important to wash your clothes with laundry detergent regularly.
3. Wash your hands: It sounds simple, but many infections can be caught and spread by touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. The thing is that we don't even realise it most of the time. To minimise the risk of illness being spread, either to you or others, always wash your hands (using hand soap and thoroughly scrubbing for about 20 seconds) after using the toilet, before making or eating food, after handling pets, if you're sick or if you've been around someone who is sick.
4. Dental health and bad breath: Bad breath is typically caused by poor oral hygiene, which can lead to more serious dental issues such as tooth decay. Look after your teeth by flossing after every meal, and brushing your teeth twice a day with a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.

To use a clumsy metaphor, our body is like a well-oiled engine: It's important to get it regularly checked by professionals in order to it to run smoothly.

In the context of physical health, getting regular health checks from doctors and health professionals is an important way to ensure everything is going well with your health, as well as catching potential concerns early.

For UNSW students, the University's Health Service provides high-quality, confidential medical care that's bulk-billed with Medicare (or an applicable OSHC). Face-to-face or telehealth appointments with experienced doctors are available to students, so be proactive with your wellbeing and get that (metaphorical) engine checked out regularly.

Like eating regularly and drinking water to stay hydrated, sleep is an essential function for us human beings. While it's tempting to stay up for that one extra hour to watch another episode of that show or to finish that assignment, getting enough rest is hugely important for your wellbeing.

Sleep allows your body to repair itself, keep your immune system and bodily functions strong and helps support your cognitive abilities. For a university student, losing out on sleep means being unable to concentrate in classes and lacking that bit of focus needed to finish assignments.

While the amount of sleep needed varies from person to person, a good rule of thumb to follow for young adult men is to get about seven to nine hours of sleep each night to feel properly refreshed the next day.

Remember how we said that it's important to remember to eat? This is an add-on to that point.

What you eat is just as important as when you eat. As much as we'd love to thrive on a diet of junk food, an apple will have a much more positive impact on your health than, let's say, a block of chocolate. But equally importantly, there's a strong link between what we eat and how we feel.

A diet of junk food will leave us feeling sluggish and flat. Conversely, a healthy and balanced diet (with carbohydrates, protein and a variety of fruit, vegetables and nuts) will not only result in you feeling more energetic and help you sleep better (more on this below), but it can also help with your concentration.

Chocolate is perfectly fine in moderation, but make healthy food the cornerstone of your diet!

Just remember that UNSW's Food Security Strategy ensures that every student can access affordable and nutritious food through a series of support programs. Don't be afraid to hit up these support programs if you need access to healthy food.

While clubs are a great way to get your daily dose of exercise in, they're equally great at providing a sense of community for those looking to find their place at UNSW.

Whether it's a love of trains, finding your fellow Chinese students or a love of motorsport, there's almost certainly a UNSW club that caters to your interests or hobbies. Most importantly, every club is full of welcoming people who just want to hang out and socialise over shared interests.

If you want to give back to the student community, there are also several Arc student volunteer programs (such as Place 2 Be and Wellness Warriors) that are always looking for people to join.

After staring at a screen/textbook/past paper for a few hours, there simply comes a point where no more productive studying will happen, no matter how hard you try.

It's alright, we've all been there. That means it's a sign to take a break from your studies and give yourself some much-needed 'me time'.

Build regular breaks into your study blocks and use that time to reenergise yourself. Go for a walk and clear your head, organise your desk or jump into an activity that'll keep your brain active (like a crossword or sudoku). 

Human beings are generally social creatures by nature, so it's good to keep connected with others in some shape or form. In the same way we need to take care of our physical wellbeing, our mental and social wellbeing also need attention.

Make sure to take time out of your schedule to catch up with a friend or a group of friends. It doesn't have to be anything serious or major; a simple lunch or coffee catch-up goes a long way. The important thing is to maintain relationships you've built with friends and make sure to keep in touch, especially if you feel a bit off and just need some support from a mate.

If you want to speak to someone beyond your friendship circle, UNSW Psychology & Wellness offers free, confidential, short-term counselling and wellbeing services for students. Not only are qualified mental health professionals available to support you through any challenges, but these appointments are all confidential, meaning they will not be associated to your student records or visa when you reach out.