health

Creating a Gratitude Journal

Posted on by Olivia Meier

Journal

Through the hustle and bustle of everyday life – between work, school, internships, and trying to have an amazing summer – it’s easy to lose focus and take the little things for granted. With creating a gratitude journal, anyone can easily add a little positiveness to each day. Having trouble getting started? Here are a few tips.

Find a Notebook You Love

This may sound silly, but it is vital. Search for a notebook that shows off your style; one that generates happy thoughts. You can also buy a blank notebook and create your own cover similar to an inspiration board. This is something you can be creative with because it’s all about you. It’s important to have a notebook that you won’t mind carrying around with you or having on your bedside table. You will encounter it a lot – so make sure you like it.

How Much Time to Spend

Writing in your journal everyday is ideal for beginners. This will help kick-off your positive lifestyle and make it easier to adjust to writing about yourself in a journal. Most people advise to write 5-10 things you’re grateful for a day – which is a great guideline – but if some days you have less than five and others you have more than 10, that’s perfectly fine. No two days are the same, therefore you shouldn’t restrict your amount of grateful moments.

Be Specific

When it comes to writing down your ideas, it’s easiest to use bullet points. This breaks up your thoughts and makes them easier to comprehend when you go back and read your entries. However, be specific with your bullet points. Don’t just say that you’re grateful for your job – provide a detailed example. Like that you’re grateful for your job because it’s payday, or you’re grateful for it because it’s brought you great coworkers that cheered you up today. Being specific will pay off when you reminisce on your memories.

Nothing is Unimportant and Keep the Negative Out

If you are grateful for the amazing sandwich you had for lunch, or for the lady who held the door for you at the local coffee shop – write it down. This helps you find positive moments in every situation. And of course, any negative thoughts you have throughout the day do not belong in this journal. This is specifically for happy and grateful thoughts or memories!

If you’re looking for a new way to find joy in every situation, try a gratitude journal. It helps you focus on the little things that make every day great, and it’s a creative way to keep track of your thoughts.

Dear College Students, It’s Okay to Seek Help

Posted on by Julia Aldrich

college students seek help

Dear fellow college students,

Now is about the time when you’re all settled in your college courses. You are studying for exams and you’ve spent numerous hours completing assignments and doing homework. Ironically, as the days gradually grow shorter, our own days feel much longer. The stress of college, from our current social lives, to our grades, and to our looming futures, sometimes feels unbearable. Managing ourselves to be productive and successful individuals can strain us mentally and physically. As the semester goes forward, often times stress piles up and we feel exhausted and drained. Come finals, many people, myself included, have suffered immensely.  This takes an extensive toll on anyone’s well-being. I’m here to tell you that you are never alone!

We’re primed and taught to persevere through tough times as students. All-nighters fueled by coffee and Redbull are considered the “norm”. We’re taught to put school before everything else, our own selves included. However, with this mindset of allowing ourselves to suffer for school’s sake, our mental health is at risk.

According to statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 1 in 3 college students have suffered from depression and about 50% of college students rated their mental health as “poor”. These alarming statistics paint a terrifying portrait of the struggles that college students suffer every semester. College is supposed to be a positive experience to grow as intellectuals and as people, so why are we allowing ourselves to suffer?

Experiencing mental health deficits from overworking myself in school is something I have experienced and it has taught me one very important lesson: never think that you’re alone.

Many schools offer at least some form of counseling for their students at no extra cost. Although seeking help from a professional seems daunting, it can be really helpful. A trained counselor is likely well rehearsed in how to combat mental health issues brought on by school related stress. Therefore, through seeking help, a counselor can not only provide insight, but they can also validate your struggles.

Counseling isn’t the only way to seek help. Talking to a friend or a family member is really helpful as well. Having our feelings heard and having a support system reminds us that we’re not alone. Sometimes it’s difficult to talk about what we’re going through for many different reasons, like feeling like our struggles are trivial. Luckily, that’s what friends and family are for.

College is difficult, but it doesn’t have to take a toll on your well-being. On top of seeking help, make sure to take time to take care of yourself. Take breaks when you’re feeling overwhelmed, eat well and exercise regularly. Call your family and hang out with friends when you’re feeling sad. Whatever makes you happy- take time to do it. Yes, school is important, but your health and well being always should be top priority.

I cannot speak for everyone, but I can say that if you’re willing to seek help, it’s available in some form. Never brush your feelings off as insignificant and always, always keep hopeful!

Do you deal with these feelings brought on by the stress of school? How do you cope or seek help? Drop us a comment below. 

How to Deal with College Stress in 5 Minutes

Posted on by Tia Harvey

How to Deal with College Stress in 5 Minutes

I wish someone had warned me how stressful college can be. No one tells you about all the bad parts of college, only the fun parts like tailgates. Especially that the stress level gets bigger and bigger each passing year. Between juggling school, work and attempting some type of social life, there is also extracurricular activities like clubs and sports.

I’ve had my fair share of meltdowns and panic attacks from all the stress and worrying about the stress will (I can guarantee) make it worse. Most of the time our stress is from thinking about what we need to do instead of actually doing it. I’m not saying that we don’t have a lot to do but instead of trying to avoid all the stress, sometimes its better to face it head on. To get me through these times, I follow these tips that can take only minutes to do, to help me survive this.

Just Breathe

Take a quick second to reevaluate yourself and just breathe. Everything can be overwhelming at times but in those moments, you need to take a step back. Sometimes we take on too much in college and take a moment to breathe can give you clarity on how to handle stress.

Eat a Snack

The act of eating something can decompress stress levels and boost energy levels overall. Sometimes when we are also feeling a little tired, the act of chewing can refresh our bodies and wake us up.

Listen to Music

I am a big music junkie, I need music for everything I do like the showering, driving in the car, and even during studying. Music provides to me what TV does for other people. It clears my mind and it makes a good background noise for when its too quiet without the distractions of TV images. Music is a great way to get lost and let your mind take a break when you need to.

Smell Something Soothing

I don’t personally do this but I have friends that will spray something or go smell something to calm their nerves. I don’t know if this fully helps but I figured I would add it in, what do you got to lose? The scent of something like citrus or vanilla calms your senses and allow aromatherapy to work. Maybe we need to stop and smell the roses sometime to remind us to relax.

Take a Walk

I hate exercising like everyone else (probably more than everyone else) but a quick walk or run can be just what you need to clear your mind. Taking a break from the stress, your body will feel energized again. I tend to take walks a lot around campus with friends to mostly vent about stress or to enjoy the view.

Laugh

It may seem silly but laughter can really be the best medicine. Laughing can boost your immune system and gives your mind break to think enjoy something other than all the work. Laughter can instantly makes my day better and makes my mood lighter and happier.

I truly believe the stress we face in college is the most stressful period in our lives. Hopefully these tips will help you or help someone else. Comment below and tell me how you deal with stress!

A Workout Playlist That Motivates

Posted on by Tori Leggett

Living a healthy lifestyle in college can be difficult, but it’s really important. I love working out because it keeps me feeling healthy. But I can’t workout unless I have my headphones in, so this is a motivating workout playlist I listen to in order to stay motivated throughout my entire workout. I separated the workout playlist out by songs to listen to while stretching, doing reps, intense cardio and cooling off. There’s a wide variety of artists and genres, so enjoy!

Stretching Songs

For when you’re stretching pre or post workout…

workout playlist stretch

I See Fire by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran has an amazing voice. This song was featured on The Hobbit soundtrack. It’s quiet, but the instrumentals are full and intense. Quiet but intense songs make great stretching songs.

The Mixed Tape by Jack’s Mannequin

This is an amazing song to listen to, especially when you’re feeling giddy about a special someone. Stretching is a great time to reflect on how hard you just worked and your goals. If your goal is to make it work with the special someone, think about how your hard work will help you be the best version of yourself.

If It Means A Lot To You by A Day To Remember

Jeremy McKinnon and Sierra Kusterbeck collaborate on this track, creating a sort of story between two lovers. Very sweet, and really fun to sing along to. Another good reflection song to listen to when stretching.

Repetition Songs

For  when you’re bench pressing or just doing an insane amount of squats…

workout playlist reps

Somebody Told Me by The Killers

A Great rock song and it has a back beat you can follow. Aim for your reps to match up with the beat and build of the song. Focusing on that can keep your mind from thinking about wanting to quit or how tired you might be.

What Do You Mean? by Justin Bieber

Hey! Stop the groaning. JB is often cringe worthy, but this song has an EDM vibe, which makes doing reps not so bad. Warning: you may have this song stuck in your head the rest of the day. 😛

First Date by Blink-182

A feel good song, that everyone can relate to. We’ve all had that awkward first date when your hands won’t stop sweating. You likely feel the same way in the middle of reps. Let it motivate you!

Intense Cardio Songs

For when you’re really feeling yourself during a cardio session…

workout playlist cardio

All I Do is Win by DJ Khalid

I don’t even play sports and this song gets me hyped up for a big game. Any negative thoughts about not being able to keep running are completely diminished by this song because all you do is win.

Phenomenal by Eminem

This song is the king of the angry fight songs, let’s be honest. Use it to help fight through your workout!

Throne by Bring Me The Horizon

BMTH is often my go to band when I’m working out. They have a strong sound and even stronger vocals. The song Throne is a little more rock than metal, so give it a try.

Cool Off Songs

For when you’re walking and chugging water post workout…

workout playlist cool off

Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns ‘N Roses

You can’t have a playlist without some classic rock guys. This song is slow enough that it won’t get your blood pressure up, but it also keeps you awake. It’s good to keep moving when cooling down.

I’ve Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth by Fall Out Boy

Come on. You can’t resist that song title! If you haven’t listened to this song, you need to. It’s got a relaxing, but the upbeat melody is perfect for cooling down after a hard workout.

Reckless by You Me At Six

This song is supposed to be that grand finale to your playlist. It’s fast enough and fun enough to wake you back up after you work out!

I hope this fiery workout playlist motivates you like it motivates me. Have a great workout and an awesome day!

Warning Signs of An Eating Disorder: What to Look For and How to Help

Posted on by Alexandria Ramos

Taking care to stay fit and healthy is always a good idea. But when the concern of weight gain becomes and obsession, one can develop an eating disorder. Below are a few of the more common eating disorders and their symptoms.

Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia is probably the most well known eating disorder, which is characterized by an obsession with being thin which results in starving yourself.

Symptoms may include:
– refusal to eat
– irritability
– excessive exercise
– abdominal pain
– dry skin
– dehydration
– thin appearance

Binge eating disorder
Quite the opposite of anorexia, binge eating disorders tend to be characterized by extreme over-eating without compensation of over-exercising or vomiting.

Symptoms may include:
– eating past the point of being uncomfortably or painfully full
– frequently eating alone
– feeling that you have no control over your eating habits

Bulimia nervosa
Similar to a binge-eating disorder, bulimia is characterized by binge eating followed by purging through vomiting, laxative use, or over-exercising.

Symptoms may include:
– eating past the point of being uncomfortably or painfully full
– self-induced vomiting
– feeling that you have no control over your eating habits
– damaged teeth
– dehydration
– excessive exercise

How to Help:
If you or a loved one has developed an eating disorder, it can be difficult to accept treatment. Insist on treatment anyway knowing that it is what’s best. Your physician can refer you to a mental health specialist.

Late Nights, Early Mornings, Less Sleep

Posted on by Alexandria Ramos

Between early morning paper writing and late night study sessions, a good night’s sleep often comes as an afterthought to many college students. Before you grab that energy drink or espresso to pull another all-nighter, take the consequences into consideration.

 1. Cognitive and Memory Problems

Don’t let all your studying go to waste by missing out on sleep! Lack of sleep has been linked to memory problems and difficulty with problem solving. These issues can be permanent and brain deterioration can occur if sleep deprivation is long term.

sleep1

image source: wisegeek.com

2. Pre-Mature Aging

Those dark under-eye circles you get after pulling an all-nighter are doing more damage than you may think. Human growth hormone, which is responsible for strengthening skin, bones, and muscles, is produced during slow-wave sleep. If you never reach this form of deep sleep, your body has less of a chance to produce this hormone.  Lack of sleep also causes your body to increase production of cortisol: a hormone that breaks down collagen. This causes skin to lose its elasticity.

sleep2

image source: healthcaretips.co

2. Weight Gain

Your hormones also get thrown off kilter when you don’t get enough shut-eye. Production of the hunger hormone ghrelin is increased when you get less than six hours of sleep causing you to have a larger appetite than normal.

sleep3

image source: healthbeautyou.com

 3. Heart Problems

Lack of sleep has also been linked to several other heart problems such as irregular heartbeat, heart disease, and high blood pressure as well as diabetes and stroke.

Love

image source: medclient.com

While the occasional late night is sometimes unavoidable, proper time management could help you add on a few more precious minutes (or hours) of sleep. How do you make sure you get a good night’s sleep? Let us know in the comments below!

Sources:

 Feature, Camille. “10 Surprising Effects of Lack of Sleep.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss>.

 Klein, Sarah. “Sleep Deprivation Effects: 8 Scary Side Effects Of Too Little Shut-Eye.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 6 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/scary-sleep-deprivation-effects_n_2807026.html>.

The “No Time” Workout Routine

Posted on by Mario Kolev

dorm workout

You force yourself out of bed, your toes reluctantly coming awake as you prepare to get up and embark on another long journey through campus – from Starbucks, to class, and then on to the gym. Sound familiar? The daily routine of a college student can be exhausting. Whether you’re an undergraduate or have already embarked on a pre-professional path, good health is essential to your peace of mind. However, many put their physical well-being and their workout routine on the back burner for school success due to a simple lack of time. In fact, this is the most common excuse you will receive from someone who has begun slacking on his or her workout routine.

Although it can be difficult, you can’t make excuses! To be successful you need to first be healthy. Simple at-home workout routines can be interesting and efficient. Many individuals think that expensive equipment or a costly gym membership is necessary to get a perfect bod and stay healthy. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. The “no time” excuse is also easily disputed. An effective workout routine does not depend on how long it is – but rather, on its intensity and execution. A 20-minute at-home workout that engages your whole body and challenges you will burn just as many calories as an hour spent on a treadmill staring at the hot guy standing in front of you. Just remember, how are you supposed to go to class and be successful in school if you’re sick all the time? Regular exercise improves the function of your immune system and will help you stay at your best so you can always do your best.

If you’re looking for a time-saving alternative or simply hate going to the gym at busy “rush” times, consider constructing an effective at home workout plan that will get you sweating and keep you healthy. Sometimes you really do benefit from staying home!

Your Weekly Exercise: Pull Downs

Posted on by Ross Capuana

What are Lat Pull Down? Pull downs are a back exercise, specifically focusing on the upper back, the lats.

Instructions: There are different variations of pull downs including close grip, medium grip, wide grip, overhand, or even backhand. The wider your go the bigger your back will get. You want to first sit down at the machine with your knees tightly placed underneath the grip that keeps you secure to pull down. Set your weight and grab the bar. As I stated before you can grip it however you want close, medium, wide, overhand, or backhand. You grip the bar tightly as you bring it right down to your chest. Slowly let the bar go back up while still with a tight grip so you do not let go. Follow these steps bringing the bar down and letting it go back up. As always do whatever repetitions are good for you. A spotter isn’t necessary but it could always be beneficial especially because if you are having a hard time bringing the weight down.

Primary Muscles Worked: Upper Back/Lats

Secondary Muscles Worked: Biceps

Your Weekly Exercise:Push Ups

Posted on by Ross Capuana

What are Push Ups? We should all know what push ups are as we have been doing them for years. I remember way back in elementary school during gym class we were first taught how to do push ups. This may possibly be one of the most underrated exercises ever. This is a phenomenal exercise to build up the chest. Maybe people don’t realize the impact because they are not using weights but that is certainly not the case. Set a target with these, and hit that target daily or even every other day and you are certain to build your chest along with your triceps.

Instructions: No weights needed here, unless you are very strong in that case some people put weights on their back. A spotter or partner is not needed for this exercise either. You want to have your feet very close together. You also want your arms to your side lined up right about at your shoulders. You simply push up, and right back down. There are various different ways to do pushups though. You can do the diamond type in where you put your hands flat on the floor in the shape of a diamond and push up, and back down. These are a lot harder than normal pushups. You can also do a wide push up where you put your hands flat on the ground but wider. You can even do incline and decline pushups. You can do these by either having your feet raised up on a chair or any raised object and do your push up. You can also have your feet flat on the ground and your hands on an object or chair. If you do a circuit of all these different types of pushups you are guaranteed an excellent workout.

Primary Muscles Worked: Chest

Secondary Muscles Worked: Triceps

 

Weekly Exercise: Bicep Hammer Curls

Posted on by Ross Capuana

What are Bicep Hammer Curls? Bicep hammer curls are a variation of regular bicep curls. Instead of you using the normal form for curls where the 2 ends of the dumbbells face left and right as you lift up and down, you are now doing a motion with your dumbbells where the 2 ends are facing up and down. The motion you make looks like you are slamming a hammer, hence the name hammer curls. This is an excellent workout for the biceps that switches things up and confuses the bicep muscle because you are using this different motion.

Instructions: You first simply grab dumbbells, ones that are a reasonable weight. You put them at your sides with your clenched fists facing the floor. You bring both arms up towards your shoulder/head area making a hammer motion, up, and down. Continue this motion for as many times as your set requires. A friend to spot you is always a plus, but is not completely necessary for this exercise. As you can see in the picture you can also do this exercise while sitting down on preacher curl machine.

Primary Muscles Worked: Biceps

Secondary Muscles Worked: Forearms

Remember people, don’t ever do weight that you cannot handle. Also, make sure your form is as good as possible for you are risking injury. Attached is a picture giving instructions of what your form should look like.