“In our fast-paced world, stress has become an unwelcome companion for many. The first step in effectively managing stress is identifying its sources. Today, Gloria will delve into several key points to help you pinpoint the causes of stress in your life and chart a course for effective management.”
Read MoreWhile this is easier said than done, taking care of yourself and being preventative when it comes to your mental health is crucial to seeing success in your personal and professional life. If you do not take the time now to disconnect and engage in non-work-related activities that you enjoy, you have the potential to experience burnout, anxiety, insomnia, and many other complications.
Read More“I ask you a question, and you answer it (anonymously, of course!) Then, we discuss the questions and answers in my new blog series called: Building Mental Health as a Community. Like everything in life, our mental health most definitely takes a village of love and support.”
Read MoreI took a trip abroad to Portugal with little to no planning and booked it less than two months in advance! It was a life-changing adventure!
Read More“A big mental health moment for him was, ‘When I was going through a breakup at the beginning of college and in a completely new environment I had to make a point to take time for myself and step away from certain activities to ensure my mental health was okay. This impacted how much I valued mental health and made me realize prioritizing it is very important and necessary, especially during times of high stress.’”
Read More“Anthony does believe that there are things that are not already implemented on campus that would better the mental health of the students attending. He thinks that “they should implement a system which allows for no more than two exams in a week, and allows for students to spread out their workload more efficiently, no matter what classes they are taking," to help students relieve stress and school-related anxiety.”
Read More“I was a bit embarrassed that Ms. Linda had to literally come over to my side of the table and really talk me through how to do the process. My hands were sweaty, and I was nervous. I kept apologizing for my sweaty hands, and she told me not to worry. She tried to help me adjust my stiff fingers, but my uncoordinated hands were not trying to listen. After a few more attempts, she began to cheer as I had finally gotten the hang of it. She happily exclaimed: ‘Yes, you have got it!’ Her African accent was gentle and genuine. I felt like a child again being praised for finally figuring out a problem. I almost called myself dumb for not getting it, yet she cut me off very quickly there.”
Read More“Another was when a fraternity brother of mine committed suicide. It opened my eyes to the fact that no matter what it appears to be on the outside. Many people struggle with what is going on on the inside, and in order to be yourself and do all that you do, your mental, physical, and emotional health need to be in necessary alignment.”
Read More“You cannot see what needs to be seen if you do not slow down and give time for one foot in front of the other, in this case, one plant in front of the other. I appreciated that we were forced to start with the leaves, then the flowers, then the twigs in that order as it forced us to see our piece deeply, over and over.”
Read More“The best way to describe my first improv experience was like unzipping myself for a moment, airing out my soul and putting it back into my body. My soul has so many parts. All of these parts matter and they have a place in the world. My whole self matters. My whole self is valuable. Improv reminded me that proverbial humanity is funny. We are naturally hilarious as people, and we are all awkward beings, combing our way through society. I played with a bunch of strangers. They said some wild things. We laughed. We got lost.”
Read More“For others seeking mental health resources other than therapy, Harrison believes that those resources can seem unattainable due to poor structure. ‘When even campus-sponsored mental health programs can be alienating or too slow to respond, it really makes people feel like they're left to their own devices,’ Harrison later adds.”
Read More“I focused in on my body as the session got increasingly difficult. I focused in on my breath. I reminded myself over and over: ‘Sabriya, you are capable of this.’ Most times, at home, when things get too hard in a workout, it is easy for me to quit and lose form. In this studio, women of all body types are there, giving it their all with the instructor’s watchful eye, and accountability as well. I was determined not to give up.”
Read More“She believes that when professors still continue to give assignments or exams on or around the wellness day, the day loses its purpose, and students are forced to use this wellness day for school-related work. She would like to see more regulations around the mental health practices and resources put into place to ensure that they are properly implemented on all levels for the students.”
Read More“I began to talk to God. I began to think. I prayed for some divine ideas. I reflected on my life. So much had happened in the last few years. Huge moves, marriage, growth, change. Maybe this was the space where I could think of what was next for my life. Weirdly enough, I kept finding my mind go back blank. I began to feel this feeling inside that I needed to surrender to the nothingness. I began to just allow my body to become limp and my mind to deactivate and for just a few minutes, there was a nirvana approaching. The nirvana of surrender.”
Read More“Welcome back to my new favorite blog series: College Students on Mental Health. If you happened to miss the first one, this series focuses on giving college students of different backgrounds and majors the opportunity to provide their insight on the topic of mental health and how we can provide support and resources to young adults within the transition into higher education and, once they graduate, their careers. “
Read More“There were three opening comedians before the headliner, Lev. As I snickered between sips of wine, I began to feel my anxiety subside now that the lights had dimmed and the whispers had stopped. The first comedian did their set, the second one did their set, and there was only one more to go before Lev came out, and I was stoked. As I was listening to the third comedian flow through his set, he pauses, looks directly at me, and announces the question everyone has been wondering,
‘Wait, are you alone?’”
Read More“Like a horse out to the races, the instructor abruptly jumped on stage with her apron and special with the paper plate having my name written on it dedicating the seat and canvas to be paintbrush in hand asking us if it was okay to start a bit early. As soon as we said “yes,” she began spouting off the directions so quickly and all you could do is hyper focus into the moment so you would not get left behind. Use the paper plate to draw the circle moon. Light line here. Shade in there. It was happening rapidly, but I was in my zone! I was loving the fast-paced directions and I was moving along with “Agility” as my middle name.”
Read More“Mental health has become an important topic for many college students around the United States, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Isolation, online classes, and trying to transition into adulthood during a time of virtual socialization and education has created impacts for college students that we could have never imagined. I decided to take this opportunity to speak to college students with different backgrounds and majors to dive deeper into the topic of mental health and how we can further support and provide resources for young adults making the transition into higher education and their future careers.”
Read More“Music blasting, random metal rods in our hands, we were OFF! Now Hannah, she had her rage focus: The unfortunate actions of government and other bad things happening in the world. My mind sadly went blank, but it did not mean I did not enjoy the moment. I was breaking stuff for the sake of breaking stuff, which was freeing. It was so fast that the glasses were shattered within minutes and the rage was coming to a close. We attempted to burst more glasses on the floor, but tiny pieces of shatter were not breaking much further. “
Read More“Hobbies are a fun and easy way to improve your mental health and take some time out of your day to do things truly enjoyable. However, we live in a busy world - we are expected to balance so many things in our everyday lives. How do we fit hobbies into our schedule when it is already packed enough? My solution: finding hobbies that will actually make your life easier (and not take up too much time)!”
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