GT-How

How to Balance Mental and Physical Health at Georgia Tech

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Authors: Rohan Yethiraj and Avalyn Mullikin

An infographic displaying the seven dimensions of wellness: vocational, social, emotional, environmental, spiritual, physical, and intellectual.

At Tech, it’s easy to get so caught up in your academics that you neglect your physical and mental health. Both are key components of your overall health; they make up 2 out of the 7 dimensions of wellness. It’s essential to balance your workload with your physical and mental health, however not enough students (including us when we first came to Georgia Tech) are able to achieve this equilibrium.

Infographic from a Sintelly article on the 7 dimensions of wellness.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Make connections

Social connections are essential for your success at Tech. Whether they be lifelong friends, short-term friends, study partners, workout buddies, or coworkers, social connections vastly improve your quality of life at this institution.

A few good places to make friends in your first week here are:

  • Week of Welcome events
  • Around your Dorm
  • The Org Fair
  • Events around campus (look for flyers, social media posts, etc.)

Step 2: Find time to exercise

It’s important to set yourself up for success via your schedule. As a first year, you have flexibility in your schedule, since there are many courses you need to take. Use this freedom to create time within your schedule to spend outside of your coursework. This time should include time to see your friends and time to exercise. Avoid taking more than 17 credit hours of classes in your first year to find a healthy balance.

A GT schedule build in GT scheduler.
Notice how this schedule has significant time slots available for exercise and study time.

Step 3: Find a form of exercise you like

Physical exercise is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor; there are many different forms of exercise with varying benefits. Find one that you enjoy, whether it be lifting, running, biking, swimming, rowing, climbing, or something else. Athletic student orgs are a good way to get started, but you can also use Youtube. Utilize the CRC to your benefit; they have lots of free athletic classes in things like rowing and lifting to help you learn about exercise and get started. 

  • Rowing – Use the 5th floor of the CRC which has numerous rowing machines, join the GT Rowing Club
  • Intramural sports – Try out any of the different sports at GT
  • Lifting – The 1st floor of the CRC offers free weights and machines for almost any exercise, join the Barbell Club
  • Swimming – Use the Olympic size swimming pool or the smaller pool for leisure swimming
  • Running – Run the pi mile course on campus, use treadmills or the indoor track at the CRC, GT Run club
  • Biking – Use CRC’s indoor bikes, use the beltline, join group biking experiences like Critical Mass
  • Dancing – Join DanceTech, Dance Company at Georgia Tech, TekStyles, Ballroom Dance Club at GT, GT Salsa Club, and many more
The front entrance to the Campus Recreation Center at Georgia Tech.
The campus recreation center offers equipment and space for many exercise needs. Image from the Georgia Tech CRC page.

Step 4: Create a meal plan

Diet is an essential component of physical health. DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF. It’s tempting to want to radically reduce calories if you’re trying to lose weight, but this habit is extremely counterproductive, and can lead to eating disorders like Anorexia. You need calories to function, especially if you’re consistently exercising. 

 Make sure that you’re getting a balanced diet, with good amounts of protein, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fiber.

An infographic detailing the necessary components of a balanced diet: fiber, protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
A balanced diet should include various options from each of these sources.

Step 5: Set reasonable goals

The key to getting the best out of your college experience is to set lofty but achievable goals. Use the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time based) framework to set out your plans for the semester and beyond.

Examples of goals turned into SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based) goals.

Step 6: Maintain consistency

At some point in the semester, you will almost certainly encounter a “hell week.” These are notorious weeks at Georgia Tech where your coursework will pile up more than usual. It’s important to consider changes in your regular scheduling during heavier workload weeks so that it remains manageable. These weeks may be a good time to take a deload week within your exercise programs.

Step 7: Utilize campus mental health resources

Georgia Tech offers a number of mental health resources for anything you might need while on campus. You should take advantage of these resources whenever necessary because they are specifically made to support your well-being. There are support groups, counselors, and events that are all catered to specific needs you may have.

Step 8: Maintain your health while away from campus

Now that you’ve set up a schedule that supports your health, it is important to take precautions to maintain this while away from campus. Remain in contact with your friends by meeting up with them or calling. Alter your fitness schedule to fit to your resources at home and try to keep up with your meal plan. This will set you up to return to campus and still stay on track with your goals.

The workload at Georgia Tech will be difficult, but there’s no reason you can’t have fun while you’re here. Try to focus on yourself and remember that nothing is that serious. Keep at your goals and don’t give up when times get hard. Best of luck!

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