Page 103 - Keys to College Success

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WELLNESS AND
FINANCIAL FITNESS

Complete the following on paper or in digital format.

Wellness has its costs—fitness club fees and healthy food often aren’t cheap, although they can save you medical costs
down the line. Track health-related expenses (both positive and negative) for one week and enter your daily and weekly
totals in a grid you create with headers as shown here.

ITEM MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT SUN TOTAL

In the “Item” column, include a row for each of the following items: Food + (healthful food), Food − (junk food),
Alcohol, Tobacco, Fitness, Other. For monthly fees such as fitness memberships, divide by four and enter your result in
the TOTAL box for fitness.

Looking at your grid when the week is over, answer the following questions.
1. Approximately how much did you spend on items that increase wellness?
2. Approximately how much did you spend on items that decrease wellness?
3. Are you spending more to increase or decrease wellness?
4. If you want to change how you spend money related to your wellness, describe your desired change here and be
specif c about how you plan to put it into action.

If you smoke or vape regularly, you know that quitting is challenging. However, if
you seek help and persevere, you have a good chance of success. Practical suggestions
for quitting include the following: 31
■ Try a nicotine patch or nicotine gum, and be sure to use it consistently.
■ Get support and encouragement from a health care provider, a “quit smoking”
program, a support group, and friends and family.
■ Avoid situations that increase your desire to smoke or vape, such as drinking heavily
and being around others who smoke or use vape pens.
■ Find other ways to lower stress, such as exercise or other activities you enjoy.
■ Set a quit date and enlist friends and family as accountability partners.
The positive effects of quitting include increased life expectancy and lung capacity,
better skin, less body odor, and financial savings. If you’re interested in quitting, inves-
tigate resources at the Centers for Disease Control (on its website, click on “S” to find
“Smoking and Tobacco Use”).
Drugs

Illicit drug use is a perennial problem on college campuses. The NSDUH reports that
22% of college students surveyed had used illicit drugs in the year prior to the survey.
32
Some college students use drugs to relieve stress, others want to be accepted by peers,
and other just want to try something new.
In most cases, however, the negative consequences of drug use outweigh any tem-
3 porary high. Drug use violates federal, state, and local laws, and you may be arrested,
CHAPTER 66 your reputation, your student status, and your ability to get a job if you are caught
tried, and imprisoned for possessing even a small amount of drugs. You can jeopardize