Namaste. Peace and blessings. My name is Rob, and I’ll be accompanying you on this journey today. To give you some background, I’m a third-year student at Oxford and I pride myself on being a very healthy individual. I’m always up to date with the latest wellness trends and, as such, my diet is balanced, my fitness is on point, and my mental health is so strong it’s almost starting to weigh me down. Among certain circles, I’ve become known as Oxford’s unofficial health coach, so it was no surprise when The Oxford Blue reached out to me for a piece answering your burning lifestyle queries. The following recommendations have all been personally means-tested, so please have full confidence in their ability to help you survive and thrive this Michaelmas.
“I never really drank before coming to Oxford. Isn’t alcohol meant to be bad for you?”
No – this is a myth! Recent studies show that alcohol actually provides a number of health benefits. For example, according to The Scientific Journal, having one beer per day lowers your probability of heart disease by around 33%. Naturally, this means that drinking three beers per day will lower your risk of heart disease to a negligible 1%! I personally have at least four just to be safe.
“Oxford can be a really overwhelming environment. How do you manage your mental health?”
Thank you for bringing up this very important topic, although it isn’t really an issue that affects me too much. In fact, my wellbeing is so excellent that my tutor recommended me for “a college mental health cheque”, which was a nice gesture. I didn’t need the money, however, so I refused. That being said, if you are ever feeling super anxious or overwhelmed, please do seek help or confide in someone you trust. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. My college nurse, who must be really struggling, pulls me aside for a chat almost every week.
“How should I strike a healthy work-life balance?”
I recommend sticking to a simple nine-to-five. If you fall asleep right after five, you can still get a few hours of sleep before your morning tute.
“How do you keep your energy levels up?”
I’m something of an extrovert so, personally, I can get all the energy I need just from hanging out with my friends (hey guys!). Although, to quote Rhianna: “I’m friends with the monster that’s under my bed” – I just keep my cans in the fridge. Yes, like many others, caffeine does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping me functional. I’m deadly serious when I say this: do not speak to me until I’ve had my morning coffee! Although, good luck getting a hold of me afterwards, as I’ll definitely be in the toilet doing a poo.
“How do you keep active in Oxford?”
There are loads of ways one can stay active in Oxford through college sports, uni teams, and college fitness programmes, plus great gym options at Iffley, PureGym, and Buzz. I’m more into e-sports myself, but I am running a half-marathon next month. I won’t actually be participating in the race, obviously, I just love the planning and logistics of it all. Do feel free to sign up as there are plenty of spaces.
“What should I be doing to relax?”
Reading! It is amazing how something so simple can have such a positive impact on our health and wellbeing. I know that here at Oxford, people are often busy with tute-sheets and essays etc., but I always try to schedule in a ‘Mental Health Reading Break’ for a couple of hours every weekend. Trust me, it nourishes the soul and you’ll be glad you reserved the time.
“How to stay healthy on a budget?”
Staying healthy is expensive – believe me, I know. As I just mentioned, I often travel to Reading at the weekend and train tickets are not cheap! Plus, you then have to factor in spending money on attractions like the Beale Wildlife Park and the Reading Museum. For this reason I’ve learnt how to cut costs whenever possible; books, for example, are expensive, so try a healthier and cheaper alternative like social media.
“How to overcome ‘Oxford’s impossible trinity’?”
As the common saying goes, an Oxford student can only pick two out of these three things: good grades, a social life, and enough sleep but, personally, I find this a ridiculous notion. Sleep is a prerequisite for functioning as a human being, a social life is the only thing keeping us from complete existential collapse, and our degree – after all – is the reason we’re here at Oxford in the first place. It seems absurd to pick just two of the three. This is why I recommend scrolling on your phone from the moment you wake up until 3am the following morning, in order to resist the choice altogether.
“How can I eat healthily on a budget?”
As much as possible, try to cook rather than eat out. It’s so much cheaper – plus healthier – as you can see exactly what ingredients are going into your diet, with none of that ultra-processed crap. Also, bulk prep! This saves you even more money and so much time. Last Trinity I stuffed my fridge and bulk-prepped all my dinners for the whole term in 1st week (sorry to everyone in my staircase!) A couple of weeks into term I got really sick, so it was nice not to have to worry about cooking in the evenings.
“What can I do to get a better night’s sleep?”
Sleep is super important! I always try to get at least 10 hours every single week. One big piece of advice is to stop using electronic devices at least two hours before bed as this reduces the impact of blue light and allows your brain activity to wind down. Consequently, if you finish writing your essay at 1am, you will need to find something to fill your time until 3 o’clock. I know that some people find it difficult to stay awake for the full two hours, so I recommend having a small coffee or energy drink just to tip you over.
Pro tip: if you’re really struggling with sleep here at Oxford, you can always nap on the train/car-ride home at the end of term.
Robert Ebner-Statt is a third-year student at Brasenose College, author of ‘Eat Your Greens & Beat The Blues’, a beginner’s guide to nutrition and wellbeing, and co-host of the ‘Eat Your Greens Podcast with Robert Ebner-Statt.’