Written by Lauren Buser. Media by Thomas Hajny. [divide]
As fall begins to settle in, students and employees begin to settle into a very busy routine. Most of us put our own health and well-being on the back burner. Students from Greenville College have shared their interesting ways of staying happy and healthy through their messy schedules.
“Your health is more than the physical condition of your body. There are multiple aspects of wellness to consider… When one area gets out of balance, it usually affects the other aspects of your life, whether you realize it or not,” states James Davidson, assistant vice president of Student Wellness at the University of Nevada. This proves true, as Live Science says stress is the top factor negatively influencing academic performance. If your health is negatively influenced in one way, it can create a chain reaction, causing other distresses.
Did you ever hear the term “Brain Food” as a child? This was your parents’ sly way of getting you to eat your food. Becoming physically malnourished causes our mental activity to slow and makes us more susceptible to stress, anxiety, and depression. Depression in college students has risen 56% from 2005 to 2011. Deja Sawyer, a cheerleader at Greenville College, explains, “To stay mentally fit, I make sure I get plenty of rest. For physical fitness…well, have you met my coach?” Sleep is an important asset to both physical and mental well-being, especially for college students. Our minds are stimulated every day with assignments, work, and social events. Keeping ourselves mentally prepared for such events is difficult. However, a quick and easy way to stay at the top of your mental game is to walk. According to Psychology Today, aerobic exercise is one of the best things you can do for your mental health.
For all the athletes who experience physical stresses and injuries, staying mentally strong is even more difficult. Hannah Webster, from US News, says that depressive symptoms may also stem from the loss of a physical outlet and a change in exercise schedule. Especially for professional athletes, who spent hours every day focused on training and preparation, living with an injury that changes their daily routine is an adjustment. The best way to stay mentally fit through injuries is to create a routine. Tell yourself that you can excel in bigger and better areas of your life. After all, being an athlete is not all life has to offer. Miguel Kronbach states, ” Being fit is a lifestyle. It isn’t just something you do to look good. There was a quote I read one time that said, ‘Would you rather have a bag of chips that you have been craving for 15 minutes then it’s over or achieve the healthy body that you have craved for your whole life?'”
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