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It's all very well setting up an efficient study system
but you have to live a life as well.
In this video I discuss some of the other factors you need to consider
in living a balanced lifestyle.
G'day. Welcome to Crystal Clear Mathematics where it IS easier than you think!
I'm your host, Graeme Henderson.
Devoting your entire life to study is unbalanced and it's unhealthy.
As a human being you need much more than to be sitting at a desk for hours and hours every day.
In no particular order, here are some things for you to consider:
A major need is exercise!
Almost without exception, top students exercise.
Not only is exercise good for your body, it also helps your mind think more clearly
and improves your stamina for study as well.
I'd like you to consider these six observations:
first, fit people require less sleep; secondly, the quality of their sleep is better;
third, the research that I've seen indicates that fit people get sick less often;
and fourth, when they do get sick, it's less severe;
fifth, the endorphins that are released when you exercise reduce your stress levels;
and sixth, the focus required for most sporting activities
helps you 'zone out' and not concentrate on the intensity of your study
or school work for that period of time.
All this adds up to the fact that exercise is beneficial for your study
rather than detracting from it!
I'll add a cautionary note here: if you have a job,
the physical exercise involved can be very beneficial for you - however,
if your job adds to your stress levels, or if it is taking too many hours per week,
your job may be detrimental to your study rather than helping it along.
Consider incorporating exercise into your daily activities,
like cycling or walking to school or exercising your pet.
And either exercise alone - skateboarding, weights, running, skipping -
or get involved in some team sports, as many top students do,
because they not only get the exercise but they get to socialise
with their friends as well.
A second, vital, need is for good, healthful food.
Good food means an active and alert brain -
which is essential for top performance.
Most top students have parents who provide regular nutritious meals.
And, if that's your situation, then why not thank them for it?
If, however, you have a lot of junk food in the house,
then let me encourage you to negotiate with your parents
to have a diet change - or, at least, to have a bowl of fresh fruit or nuts provided.
And, if that doesn't work, then perhaps you can provide some for yourself
and keep them in or near your study room.
Anything that seriously alters the balance or the metabolism of sugars in your body
should be avoided.
Sugars are brain food.
Try to eat a low GI diet, that is, a low glycaemic index diet.
Minimise your consumption of sugary drinks and drinks laced with caffeine.
Ensure that you drink sufficient water. And try to eat smaller portions more regularly.
A third need is for fresh air.
Your brain only takes up about 3% of your body mass
but it consumes 20% of your oxygen uptake even while you're resting
and, if you're involved in serious or intensive study,
that figure can increase to 25 or even 30% of your oxygen uptake.
Whichever way you wish to look at it, study is plain hard work!
So, ensure that you get an adequate supply of fresh air
and I plead with you not to smoke.
Apart from all the other chemicals involved,
the carbon monoxide combines with the haemoglobin in your blood
to reduce the amount of oxygen getting to your brain.
And that's just plain bad news if you want to study and perform well!
Please be kind to your body.
Your fourth need is for adequate rest.
It is absolutely vital that you get sufficient sleep!
Almost every quality student that I've ever asked has testified that this has been a major factor
in their academic success.
Insufficient sleep means that you're unable to properly absorb and consolidate information
and it also leads to increased appetite and obesity as well.
Interestingly, too much sleep can have its own health consequences too!
Your optimum amount of sleep is a very individual thing,
so let me encourage you to experiment to find what amount of sleep
allows you to wake feeling refreshed and alert.
Use this information to decide when to go to sleep each night during the week
so that you can wake refreshed for the next school day.
Now, if you're having a particularly stressful or busy day,
I encourage you to find somewhere quiet where you can lie down for just a few minutes.
You'll be amazed at the difference it can make in your performance afterwards.
Finally, if you're over-tired, please don't study.
Sleep is always preferable to unproductive study.
You also have a need for social relationships (some moreso than others).
Try to spend an adequate amount of time with your friends
but be disciplined enough to resist their demands or requests at times,
particularly if they're less studious than you are.
YOU need to be in charge of your time management, not them.
And I encourage you to spend time with others apart from your peers as well.
Socialising across the spectrum of ages can be very beneficial and helpful.
If your parents or guardians do not support your socialising,
then it may simply be that they're concerned that you're doing insufficient study.
Now, if this is your situation, let me encourage you to deal with it in an adult way.
Make sure that you are taking significant steps towards building a study system
and then negotiate for their support.
Most parents will 'come around' if you talk with them
and show that you're willing to meet on some middle ground.
If your parents can see that you're making significant steps towards your study,
they may be much more willing to support and encourage
your socialising with friends.
If your parents are uncompromising, then I encourage you to find a family friend
or a counsellor or someone that you both respect and trust
who can act as mediator and open lines of communication
so that you can have an open and healthy discussion
about your family life, your social life and your study.
Something I've found extremely helpful for me has been a knowledge of my 'love languages.'
Gary Chapman has written an excellent series of books
about the five love languages that we all share -
gift giving, acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, and physical touch.
I've provided a link to his site in the description below this video
and I encourage you to go there and complete the questionnaire that's relevant for you
to discover which languages are dominant for you.
Share this information with significant people in your life
and they might just encourage you by giving you more of what really 'switches you on.'
A bonus is that, in completing this quiz, you may gain insights into
how to encourage your peers, your teachers, your parents and other members of your family
by using their love languages.
And this will build harmonious relationships which can only help strengthen and support
your study endeavours!
Another need you have is for debriefing.
School can be incredibly stressful and it just doesn't help
to bottle it all up inside.
Build relationships with one or two very special people in your life
with whom you can debrief when the stress gets too much.
They could be peers or parents or teachers, or social or religious leaders,
or grandparents or neighbours, or even people not associated with your school.
It just helps to have these supportive people in your life
who can give you comfort and sympathy when you need it
and also encouragement and perspective when you need it.
The final major need I wish to mention is variety.
Whether you're extremely disciplined or very disorganised in your daily living,
the simple fact is that constant repetition of the same activities
can lead to boredom and even depression.
Top students overcome this by living a very varied life.
Try to maintain a hobby (or two) if you can and to do something new or different
as often as you need.
I hope this list has given you food for thought.
Try to think of your study as fitting in with your balanced lifestyle
and try also to think of these seven aspects of your life
as supporting and enhancing and encouraging your study, not in competition with it.
While these seven needs help your study in a general and supportive way,
in my next video
I'll be discussing fourteen lifestyle choices that can directly affect your personal study.
This is Graeme Henderson, hoping that you can find a balanced lifestyle
that enhances life for you and also helps you study even better.
Please subscribe to my channel, and like and comment on this video.
Thank you.