The end is near but it is not over yet. You may be familiar with the saying “Time flies when you’re having fun”, but I like to say, “Time flies; so have fun!”
Someone once told me that if you put time into perspective, you’d realize that time is man-made, a form of control, but if you take away the idea of time you just see things as either temporary or permanent. I mentioned that because being here in China, 12 hours away from home the concept of time has changed significantly for me. Usually we think we need ‘more time’ in order to fulfil particular goals but it is not time that we need, it is strength, willingness and desire, all of which is possible once we pay attention to our mental and physical health.
Living here for over two months thus far I have adapted to the Chinese way of life and found ways to maintain my healthy lifestyle in a totally different society. These are my top five recommendations:
- Try eating mostly with chopsticks. This may be tedious at first but it helps you to not only eat slowly but to also eat smaller portions.
- The canteens on campus do not sell beverages which at first I found was very strange but it allowed me to not be tempted to buy juice and instead carry my water which is always the healthier choice.
- Walk as much as you can. China is very safe and the campus is huge! Take advantage of this because back at home walking was never a part of my daily routine but here there’s no option.
- Focus on your goal not the price. Food is very cheap in China so do not get distracted by the prices and purchase more than you would usually just keep focused on your health goal and buy just enough of the right things to nourish your body.
- This last tip is related to mental health. Remember to be present and be engaged! Soak it all up, you only have 4 months which for me was the best 4 months of my life! Take this time to grow, you’re on the other side of the globe, nothing is the same use the time to reflect and discover another version of yourself.
With that said, being mentally healthy also means doing things that make your mind relaxed and happy hence, I strongly suggest taking time to explore. I visited Beijing with some of the other international students where we went to the great wall, Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City. It was a beautiful experience, my favourite place was the Temple of heaven; seeing that huge building stand tall as if it’s almost against the clouds was an awe moment. It’s amazing how much there is to see but as I mentioned above, the end is near but it is not over yet
