Month: July 2017

What is Wellness?

Jordan Skalisky Leave a comment

It's almost a new school year! You’ve jumped through the hurdles of getting into college, figuring out financial aid, where you’re going to live, and you may have already signed up for your fall classes. You’ve taken care of all the logistics of getting yourself to college and this stage of your life – but are you taking care of you?

The SPU Wellness Initiative is here to provide you with information and resources to help you succeed at SPU. Wellness includes physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, environmental and occupational wellness. From helping you figure out how to navigate mental health, academic stress, and how to maintain healthy eating habits to managing procrastination and planning for the future. Throughout the school year there are weekly posts on various topics posted here and on our Facebook for you to check out.

As September gets closer you may be feeling the upcoming stress as you transition into the identity of a college student. You’re going to start new relationships, take on responsibilities, and navigate many new experiences. What are some ways you can manage this transition?

  1. Set realistic expectations while you transition
    • Yes, you will want to get straight A’s, be involved in on-campus activities and attend social events. Try to set realistic expectations and goals. You don’t have to be perfect and we all know FOMO (fear of missing out) is a real thing.
  1. Be kind and treat yourself
    • Try to take an hour a day to unwind – close your laptop, put away that heavy textbook and do an activity you enjoy. You might feel selfish for not spending 24/7 studying, but your brain will thank you later.
  1. Plan ahead and be mindful of your time
    • One of the simplest ways to combat academic stress is to plan ahead. Jotting down when your next test is coming up or when the next social event is will save you a lot of time and worry later on. Being mindful of how you’re spending your time will also help prevent the dreaded phenomenon of procrastination.

Taking time to think about how you can better take care of yourself will pay off in the future and will make your college experience more enjoyable. Here's to a new academic year and one with a focus on wellness!

 

Faculty Spotlight: Natural Environment Benefits

Jordan Skalisky Leave a comment

As technology has increasingly become a prominent part of everyday life, outdoor activities often take a backseat. Arguably, students spend more time viewing other’s experiences on Facebook, Instagram and other social media than they do creating their own. It’s been documented that heavy use of technology and social media are linked to increased depressive and anxiety symptoms. Taking a break from technology and spending time indoors may have mental health benefits as spending time participating in outdoor activities and natural environments have been linked to increased self-efficacy, mindfulness and concentration.1,2

Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief that they can complete a task or succeed. Unsurprisingly, a higher sense of self-efficacy may be a preventative factor against the negative mental health impact of stress and other stressors students may face over the summer. As students are accustomed to their performance being measured by academics throughout the school year, students may find increased self-efficacy from physical and leisurely activities, such as hiking, camping, swimming, volleyball, and other outdoor experiences and sports.

Similarly, mindfulness, which refers to an individual’s ability to be present in the moment, may also see a boost when in natural environments. The college environment requires constant multi-tasking and can keep students in a perpetual state of heightened arousal due to the flexibility required to perform well in multiple classes and extracurriculars.1 In comparison, natural environments allow for more sustained attention and self-directed attention to the individual’s own thoughts and feelings.1

Attentional restoration theory (ART) suggests that urban environments, such as college campuses, may induce cognitive fatigue, impacting students’ ability to concentrate.2 As natural environments are considered restorative due to the decrease in executive-based attention that they require, it is beneficial for students to take time away from technology and urban environments to explore the outdoors, with summer being the prime time for outdoor experiences.

Summer is the ideal time for students to reset, relax, and prepare for the next year of school. Some students will utilize this time to plan outdoor adventures and immerse themselves in restorative environments. However, it is important to reach out and promote the mental health benefits of outdoor activities and environments to students that either reside in urban environments or may not realize the mental health benefits of the outdoors. Fortunately, reaping the benefits of natural environments can be as easy as reading a book outdoors instead of indoors. For students and faculty residing in Seattle over the summer, although SPU is in an urban environment, Seattle has a natural abundance of outdoor opportunities with easy access to parks and water. Lastly, it’s important to benefit from the sunshine in Seattle while it lasts!

1Mutz, M. & Müller, J. (2016). Mental health benefits of outdoor adventures: Results from two pilot studies. Journal of Adolescence, 49, 105-114. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.03.009

2 Pearson, D. G. & Craig, T. (2014). The great outdoors? Exploring the mental health benefits of natural environments. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(1178), 1-4. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01178