Content warning: mention of eating disorders
When life gets busy, our physical well-being is the first thing we sacrifice. This problem is the unfortunate reality for many university students. The transition into post-secondary life is a unique circumstance for many of us: acclimating to new responsibilities, increased independence, living alone, a greater courseload…all at once. In the wake of these new and immediate pressures, we usually put our physical health on the backburner. Pulling all-nighters, hours working at a computer screen, and neglecting nutrition are all commonplace — especially at a competitive university like McGill, where we’ve glorified destructive habits and reframed them as necessary sacrifices for academic success.
The effects of these habits on our health are yet to be seen. We’re young, we’re adaptable, we tell ourselves that we can afford to miss a night of sleep — this assignment is just too important! That is exactly the problem: whereas schoolwork yields short-term results, our lifestyle choices can have detrimental effects on our long-term health despite having little consequence in our current day-to day lives.
Sleep debt, for example, is particularly acute among university students. A study found that many university students in North America report struggling to get enough sleep. McGill is no exception — all- nighters are all-too common. In fact, irregular and insufficient sleep is so normalized that the university itself keeps its libraries open 24 hours a day during exam periods. While this is ostensibly to support students struggling through exam prep, it also turns a blind eye to the irreparable damage round-the- clock studying can have on students’ bodies and brain development.
Indeed, neglecting sleep has far worse consequences than we often assume. In the short-term, muscle repair slows and the immune system weakens, making us more susceptible to all sorts of disease, sickness, and injury. In the long-term, sustained sleep deprivation is positively correlated with all-cause mortality, stroke, disease, and a plethora of other somatic diseases and conditions. Just because sleep deprivation is normalized doesn’t mean it’s natural or inevitable. We should find it alarming that we are ready to sacrifice something so fundamental for the sake of productivity.
Similarly, our neglect of proper nutrition is disturbing. Disordered eating patterns emerge in times of high stress; students cite a lack of motivation to cook and a perceived lack of time during exam periods as reasons to resort to ordering expensive take-out, or skipping meals altogether. Food options from cafes, fast food restaurants, or convenience stores can be a quick-fix to fit a meal into a tight schedule. However, when we develop a dependency on these options, we become passive consumers of food rather than active decision-makers in our nutritional habits. Relying on these makeshift meals makes it difficult to develop sustainable and financially responsible habits surrounding food down the line. While McGill has a selection of affordable food on campus, such as SSMU’s free lunch, the majority of their food services include cafes, restaurants, and convenience stores that can be unaffordable for students.
Another result of neglecting nutrition is the normalization of skipping meals and underfueling. This issue is especially pertinent for young women, a major university demographic, who are the most prone to disordered eating. In addition to the destructive mental health consequences, the physical effects of restrictive eating are devastating: higher risk of death, osteoporosis, and low mobility.
An inactive lifestyle exacerbates problems caused by irregular sleep and improper nutrition. Academic work is almost always done sitting behind a computer screen and often spans long periods of time. Although sedentary work doesn’t necessarily result in a completely sedentary lifestyle, students often organize their schedules and other commitments revolving around their academics. It is expected that all else — food, rest, and activity — will be readily sacrificed for one’s desired GPA.
We don’t just take part in these self-destructive habits; we take pride in them. Bragging about getting little to no sleep and eating next to nothing in order to commit to endless hours of schoolwork falsely assumes that when more sacrifices are made, we will be more successful. Meanwhile, eating well, sleeping enough, and making time for physical activity has time and time again proven to better academic performance.
Still, improving grades should not be the main objective of cultivating better habits; a happy and healthy life itself should be the goal. At McGill, once the semester ramps up, it seems like everyone is constantly struggling, tired, and overwhelmed; if you aren’t, then you are seen to “have it easy.” Of course university should still challenge students, but we need to shift academic culture away from glamorizing stress and an overbearing workload. This only leads students to pin success on over- exertion and neglecting their physical wellbeing.
If we want to protect ourselves in a world that prioritizes results over humans, we need to start taking care of ourselves. Eat a sandwich, drink water, take a nap, and go for a walk.