5 Quick Tips to Stay Healthy at Hackathons
Virtual hackathons are a great way to connect with other programmers from the comfort of your home. However, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the busy schedules of hackathons and neglect your physical and mental health. Check out this guide on how to stay healthy at hackathons. If you’re interested in participating in a TechTogether hackathon, please click here.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve been to at least one hackathon in your life and are familiar with the jam-packed days of networking, staring at computer screens, and pulling all-nighters perfecting last-minute touches on your project.
As more hackathons have become virtual, all of the programs are through the computer. Although it’s more convenient and safe amidst a global pandemic, it’s easy to adopt unhealthy practices when participating in virtual hackathons.
Below are five tips on how to stay healthy at your next virtual hackathon.
1. Drink Plenty of Water and Stay Hydrated
On average, folks should be drinking around eight glasses of water each day. While it’s more convenient to down a cup of coffee, energy drink, or take a shot of expresso, your body first and foremost needs good ole’ H2O.
Water not only flushes out the toxins in our bodies but carries oxygen to our brains so we can function and think clearly. In other words, hydrating yourself can help you and your team come up with the best project at the hackathon!
2. Schedule Frequent Bathroom Breaks
It’s so easy to get caught up in the hour-long workshops and brainstorming sessions with your teammates. If your hackathon is anything like TechTogether hackathons, then you know as a participant, you’re in for a full day of games, activities, workshops, career fairs, and more!
TechTogether hackathons usually start in the early evening and don’t wrap up until the following morning. Soon, you’re wondering where the time has gone and potentially didn’t realize you were holding your bladder the entire time.
Set your alarm every four hours to remind yourself to take a bathroom break. By emptying your bladder every 3–4 hours, you can avoid unpleasant and potentially dangerous health problems down the line — and you can reset yourself before tackling your next project.
3. Stretch Your Body
Now that most hackathons are virtual, participants can find themselves sitting down, hunched over at their computer for hours at a time. Taking time to walk around your bedroom, kitchen, and living room periodically, or wherever you choose to participate can improve your cognitive thinking skills, induce a healthy blood flow throughout your entire body, and act as a great reset.
Incorporating about 15 minutes of stretching can also improve your posture at your computer and help put your mind at ease.
4. Meal Prep or Schedule Food Deliveries
At a virtual hackathon, everyone will be online all weekend and most likely participating from the comfort of their homes. Despite being closer to accessing food from your kitchen, it can be easy to forget to nourish your body throughout the day continuously.
If you have time, try to meal prep a day or two before your hackathon to ensure you can effortlessly and quickly access food throughout the day. If you despise meal prepping or cooking, apps like Doordash and Grubhub allow users to schedule orders days in advance. Regardless of the option you choose to go with, your body will “thank you.”
5. Schedule Power Naps
The great thing about virtual hackathons is that almost every single workshop and educational event is recorded. This means you have the opportunity to attend all of the workshops, games, and activities you’d like. If you feel yourself getting tired, schedule a 15–20 minute nap without missing any of the information.
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