Question of the day: what if we never stopped growing? Physically, I mean. What if, for our entire lives, we were on a continual growth track that pointed in one direction: up. Well for one thing I’d imagine that there’d probably need to be elevators everywhere. Stores, restaurants, and schools would need to accommodate the shorter populace and the tallest. Maybe we’d utilize outdoor spaces more. I don’t have a clue how transportation or cars would work!

There are times when my heart begins beating fast, my mind starts racing, and I break out in a nervous sweat. It may seem that the cause of these symptoms would be from doing something challenging, such as taking a test or perhaps giving an important presentation. However, more often than not, these effects take place in my body shortly after scrolling through news articles online. 

This quickly changed again when I got to college, was pretty broke, and took an ethics class that changed my mind on some of my favorite stores because of how they got their clothing. I started hitting up Goodwill, etc. again. At this point in life, I can find just about anything I need through thrifting; although, I do visit places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls frequently as well - new clothes at discounted prices! 

Skin hunger? I promise, this has nothing to do with cannibals! When we discuss health and wellness, it’s safe to say that touch probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. We might think of getting enough exercise, eating healthy, or working to create positive self talk about ourselves but hugs?

Well it turns out that hugs matter. A lot.

The sad part is that I couldn’t even see the lie I was being fed. After all, I was pretty close to being china! (which begs the question, could ceramic even become china or were these identities immutable?) We were taught to compare ourselves to objects. Objects made to be used by another person and then put away until they needed to be used again.

How high? Well, according to one recent study, a lack of social connection carries health risks similar to what you see when you smoke 15 cigarettes a day. The same study found that isolation is likely twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity (Cost, 2021).

While there are many physical benefits to good hygiene, there’s also an impact socially. People who take care of themselves in these ways tend to be more confident and have higher self-esteem. This boosts productivity at work or school, increases positive self-talk, and puts the person in a better mood. On the other hand, those who don’t practice good hygiene tend to have lower self-esteem and have increased thoughts of anxiety and irritability. It seems as though the saying holds true: look your best, feel your best!

I’ve somehow found a few good recipes in the past couple years, and I’m telling you, now, two loaves don’t last more than 36 hours in my house. Sometimes I can be a little reluctant to start baking, but once I do, I’m completely in the zone and am loving it. I put some music on and have the food to focus on instead of whatever I’m worried or stressed out about.  Baking is a great way to release stress and relax in a productive way. Sometimes trying to relax through something like watching TV doesn’t feel great. People like to rest in other ways that feel productive but stressless at the same time, and baking can be one of those ways. 

One thing Sparky would do, that I hear is actually pretty uncommon for cats, is notice when I was upset. Whenever I was crying, he would leave his catnap spot and run over to me, rubbing against me, trying to get me to pet him. At the time, I was annoyed. “Really Sparky? I’m the one that’s upset, and you’re trying to get me to make you feel better?” Little did I know that petting your furry friend is actually a great way to cope with whatever is going on. Sparky was more intuitive and smart than I was at that moment. 

Last year, I had my first panic attack. At the time, I was dealing with the highest amount of anxiety I’d ever had. I had messed up on something important, and even though it could be easily fixed, at that moment, my body started to react. My heart rate spiked, my breathing started to become labored, and I was shaking. Thankfully, I noticed what was happening. I started to try and even out my breathing. In through the nose...out through the mouth. Over and over, until I had calmed down. Then came the tears. I probably sobbed for about 10-15 minutes, something I rarely do. I was so distraught about my anxiety, and I was stressed to the max.

Almost all of us have that someone. The one that got away. Perhaps it was a crush or a girlfriend/boyfriend who broke up with you. A marriage that ended when you’d tried to make it work. The heartache is unbearable. The pain and grief feel like they will never end. And perhaps, they don’t. To be clear, I’m not talking about the death of a person, but the end of a relationship. 

Change does not come easily for most people. Whether it be life-altering, sudden or expected, change can be difficult. It ranges from moving to a new country or state, starting a new year at school, or beginning a new job. What remains the same is that change is inevitable and consistent. Yes, we can consistently count on change. 

If you’ve found yourself sweating at the mention of change, don’t worry! There are things you can do to make it a bit easier on yourself. Here are a few tips to help you better handle those moments when life alters. 

I don’t think we realized how damaging isolation could be until COVID-19, and we all dealt with it to some degree. Isolation is something that sneaks up on you. For introverts, the idea of staying home and not having a bunch of social obligations may seem like a dream come true. For extroverts, it’s a nightmare. Either way, we have all felt the negative effects at some point.

Regular exercise is so helpful and important for our physical and mental health. Physical activity releases endorphins in our brain, which helps us feel good. If you’ve ever went on a run, walk, lifted weights, danced, played a sport, etc., it’s likely you experienced the effects of endorphins. You feel great for a little while after the activity, are alert, and feel awake. If you are also dealing with stress, anxiety, or depression, exercise can be a great coping mechanism. I’m not sure I would’ve made it out of sophomore year of college without dropping organic chemistry if I wasn’t working out before or after class.

Breakups are just about inevitable. Romantic relationships are difficult to navigate at any point in life, and unfortunately, many of them don’t end well. Some of the most painful times in my life centered around losing that person closest to me, even if it was for the best. There are several stages you go through - denial, anger, sadness, maybe the crazies, regret, etc. Eventually, life starts to look up again - not everything you see reminds you of them, forgiveness happens, and you learn from the relationship. These relationships are often such an important part of your past. They’re going to affect you in the long-term. 

Unfortunately, many of us have spent time grieving in the past 1.5 years due to COVID-19. We’ve grieved the unexpected passing of family members. This kind of circumstance can affect the way we interact with others, and the way we see ourselves. 

There are two kinds of grief: acute and persistent/complicated. Acute grief lasts about 6-12 months after the loss, and persistent grief lasts longer than the 12 months. If you are dealing with persistent grief, it may be helpful to see a mental health professional to help you process and move forward. During a time of grieving, it is common for your mind to be filled with memories, thoughts, and emotions connected to the person you lost. You may also have a hard time really accepting the loss and have deep waves of sadness and desire for them. Chronic stress also comes alongside acute grief and can cause several issues, including having a hard time sleeping, depression, anger or bitterness, loss of appetite, and anxiety (How to Overcome Grief’s Health-Damaging Effects, 2021). These symptoms should not be ignored but more so accepted as part of the grieving process. It is important to be kind to yourself when you’re grieving - your loss was and is important. 

Whether it be school, work, sports, or just maintaining a social life, our day to day lives can get pretty hectic sometimes. A way I like to calm down and destress after a long day of rushing from activity to activity is bullet journaling. A bullet journal is a journal of your own design with the purpose of recording the past, organizing the present, and planning the future. Bullet journaling is a simple but effective way to organize your thoughts and free up brain space each month. It can be however simple or detailed you want it to be and all you need is a dotted journal and a writing utensil. A bullet journal keeps track of your goals each month and it’s fun to look back on and see how far you’ve come. It’s also a great way to get your creativity flowing. 

The relationships we see around us can shape and change us, especially at a young age. We look up to our parents for several years, and the relationship between our parents may be the one we observe and analyze the most. Do they love each other first and their kids second? Do they try to hide arguments or have full blown yelling fights in the kitchen? Were they openly affectionate with each other or did they never touch in front of you? Family dynamics can be difficult, especially if your parents divorced during your childhood.

What makes these relationships so important? When you’ve had a relationship with someone since birth, there is a level of authenticity that is formed. You have shared experiences, memories, etc. from your childhood.

We all know that feeling. The feeling of dread, creeping over your body and pressing down on you. The seemingly abundant thoughts that keep coming at you with things you have to get done or will soon have to do. As a student, it can be overwhelming. Even when you’re able to get one thing out of the way, you get another assignment thrown at you. So if we can never truly get everything done, how are we supposed to get past this?

Stress and anxiety plague students all over the world. Everyone is, has, or will experience it at some point. As for me, I started experiencing stress around fifth grade. In the first week of school, I lost one of my math assignments and got behind trying to redo that, along with keeping up on all the new assignments we got. But even when I did catch up, I still found myself getting stressed out. That’s because for the rest of the year, I was constantly making sure that I stayed up to date on tests and homework. Even now, I struggle with trying to remember everything and keeping track of what I have to do. The truth is that no matter how behind or caught up you are, school is always going to be a source of anxiety. However, the good news is that no matter if you’re in fifth grade, college, or somewhere in between, there are ways to cope and greatly reduce school-related stress.