“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“Traveling can be exciting, but it can also disrupt our routines and impact our health. Whether you're jet-setting for business or pleasure, staying healthy on the road is vital. Long flights, unhealthy food options, and a lack of exercise can all take a toll on our bodies. But with some planning and preparation, you can maintain your health and well-being while traveling.”
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)!”
Read MoreThis was an adventure! Would you consider building your own terrarium?
Read More“I slid my shoes off and giggled as I watched the little pygmy goats hopping all around the farm pen. The farm was beautiful with animals in the distance and plenty of sunshine to pull through the day. I felt freedom and silliness in my heart as I found my yoga mat on the floor.
Being there alone, it felt weird. Everyone else had their friend group or partner and well, me…I was an outsider. People were still nice to me, but I did feel like I was in my own world. Refocusing around me, I watched the baby goats running around chasing the workers down for more food. Animal crackers and plants. They craved both with all of their might.”
Read More“We spend a lot of time thinking of ways to positively affect our mental health and work hard to add mental-health-friendly activities to our everyday routine. However, we do not focus enough energy on removing negative habits from our routines for the betterment of our mental health. With that being said, here are a couple of habits I have identified in my everyday life that has affected my mental health - these may be affecting you as well!”
Read More“But see, that was the problem. This is the Year of the Hummingbird! It is not about failing; it is about doing! It is about moving with the freedom of failing however I please. It is about no wins or losses, just experiences, and lessons. Hummingbirds keep trying flowers for that beautiful nectar. They don't just give up and go hungry for a week; they keep flying, full speed at that!”
Read More“While just getting outside to enjoy the weather is so important for our mental health - there are many different ways that we can spice up our relationship with nature and use the beautiful sights around us to our advantage. Keeping and promoting a healthy relationship with nature through exercise or fun activities ensures more positivity and a better mind-body connection”
Read More“As someone who has spent most of their working career helping others to trust themselves to do what matters most to them, I constantly remind myself that I must practice what I preach. I must fail, so that I have stories to tell. I must win, so that I have stories to tell. I must experiment, learn, and share my results, just like you should too. We need stories to tell. Stories inspire, unwrap possibilities, and bring hope! I am proud to announce my newest and maybe most unhinged experiment yet, ‘The Year of the Hummingbird.’”
Read More“Everyone’s anxiety manifests in different ways. For me, I notice fidgeting, nausea, butterflies in my stomach, and headaches. Being able to find comfort objects to have around when I am more anxious than usual helps ground me and reduce extra stress and anxiety. With that being said, here are some of my favorite comfort objects that help bring relief on my more anxious days.”
Read More“Joy is so much deeper than happiness. It is a decision that you make on a daily basis that remains consistently deep in your soul. When you choose joy, even when happiness is low, you still feel a twinkle in your heart. You feel content with the future in whatever it brings. The littlest hints of good in every single day shine bright despite the bad. You find something to smile about in every situation no matter how bleak.”
Read More“Being able to balance large and small acts of self care in this crazy and chaotic world can help us balance the stress of life and work. Taking mindful moments and asking ourselves what our body needs in the moment can make a large difference in our stress and anxiety levels, even with it being a small thing that is overlooked by many. Putting our minds and our bodies first through the implementation of long-term self care acts is important to ensuring we are able to manage our stress in this post-pandemic world.”
Read More“Sometimes it can be easy to let our mental and physical health decline when we are overwhelmed and stressed. However, to get ourselves out of the chaos, we need to put our health first. Taking intentional breaks throughout the day and making sure we are nurturing our bodies through sleep and food is essential in beating the chaos of life and making sure that we are putting our best foot forward every single day.”
Read More“Good mental health leads to academic and career success. Ashley uses the metaphor of a garden to show the effect of our mental health on our life achievements. “When you have a garden and you are planting new fruits and vegetables, if you're not giving care to those plants [watering, pruning, and plucking weeds] all sorts of insects and weeds are going to take over your garden… if you are taking care of yourself, which could be as simple as going outside or meditating… this is comparable to taking care of your garden.” Taking care of our minds and our bodies is very important. If we don't take care of ourselves, the weeds will grow up in our brain and create burn out because we are not giving ourselves the time or attention we need. Giving ourselves love and grace is essential to success within our lives.”
Read More“Everyone needs someone they can laugh with and cry to, isn’t that what friends are for? Friendships can bring extreme value to your life and create a healthy and positive support system for your toughest life challenges. However, not all friendships are positive and healthy. How do we know when to walk away, and what is the next step?”
Read More“While religion can have strengths and challenges, it is important to have an open mindset and continue to give yourself and others grace as well as compassion. As QuiAnne’ mentioned earlier, professionals should be holistic in their approach to helping someone navigate the challenges of religion and any hardships they have faced. It is also vital to understand how disenfranchised groups can be affected by religion and how personal culture as well as mental health ties into the discussion of religion and how we are impacted by religious practices.”
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