College life is fun and exciting but it can also be stressful for many students. Mental health can affect individuals physically, mentally, and socially. On a college campus, students can get stressed from various things like relationships, internships, workload, financial struggles, extracurricular activities, and much more. There are many ways students can receive the support […]
health
Friendship Toxicity
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Friendships in adulthood can be difficult to navigate especially when it comes to recognizing a healthy friendship versus one with toxic traits. Growing older means meeting friends in many different ways, for instance, in college we meet them in class, club meetings or even as student workers. Throughout the years we are constantly growing and evolving and sometimes we may outgrow certain friendships. When we grow as a person, sometimes friendships do not grow with us. People grow in different ways and it is okay to let them go.
Healthy relationships look different for everyone but at its core they all consist of similar values. Having the ability to have open and honest communication with one another is the foundation for every friendship. When communicating, it is important to have respect and to practice active listening skills. Relationships have highs and lows and being able to stick through both of them can say a lot about the relationship. At the end of the day, regardless of which values and boundaries the relationship has set, what is important is that each person enjoys spending time with one another.
Boundaries are a vital part of every healthy relationship that help everyone feel comfortable. Just like relationships, boundaries are constantly evolving and they look different for everyone. An example of a boundary is that folks often believe that relationships consistently need to be 50-50; however, this is not always the case. Oftentimes it is okay if that number fluctuates because someone can’t always give everything all the time in a relationship.
We are all human and as humans we make mistakes, and that is okay. What really matters is how someone responds upon realizing a mistake. Mistakes can take many forms like snapping at someone, taking more in the relationship or accidentally pushing some of the boundaries a friend may have set. Upon realizing the mistake, it is important to be able to hold oneself accountable. Accountability can look different in various ways but the most well-known and appreciated is an apology and the willingness to learn and grow.
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Story by:
Kye Binik, senior law and justice major, Wellness Center intern
Photos by:
Valentina Giannattasio, dance and marketing double major
Produced by:
Lucas Taylor, English education graduate student
References
https://www.today.com/health/behavior/toxic-friendship-warning-signs-rcna16665
What is the Deal with Mental Health and First-Year College Students?
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. The first year of college is both exciting and terrifying. You are moving away from home, gaining a sense of independence, and expected to […]
Benefits of Being a Pet Owner
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Owning a pet comes with joy that radiates through the owner’s body when they come home to see them waiting at the door. The love […]
Prioritize Your Wellness
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. One of the biggest challenges as a college student is the workload of assignments, exams and other extracurricular involvements. Many college students are extremely […]
Managing Stress as a College Student
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. College is a tumultuous period of transition. Many students go from living at home with their parents to the newfound freedom of living alone. […]
How Nature Can Improve Your Mental Health
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. In the bustling modern world, time is always short, and the never ending stress is always piling on. The expectations set by peers, educators, […]
I’ll Be There For You
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. When a friend comes to us with a problem or if they seem in distress, our first immediate thought might be to try and […]
Applying Different Learning Styles
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Learning doesn’t have to be rote memorization of facts, theories and explanations. One way of improving learning while reducing stress is employing different learning […]
Life with a Hint of Compassion
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Having compassion with oneself goes hand in hand with being compassionate with others quite often. According to self-compassion researcher Kristen Neff, “With […]
Prioritizing Wellness Days
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Spend time imagining that middle-of-the-semester rush. Rushing through campus to get from class to class. Upcoming homework repeatedly fills your mind while also keeping track […]
Managing Your Stress in an Ever-Changing Environment
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. In college, one of the biggest challenges for students is managing stress in difficult times like midterms or finals. With college, there are various […]
Understanding and Accepting Our Own Trauma
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
What is the first thing that comes to someone’s mind when they hear the word “trauma?” For a majority of people, they most likely think of devastating events such as war, sexual assault, or even a car accident that could forever alter someone’s life.
Although all of these events fit the criteria for traumatic experiences, this is far from the defining limits of it. In actuality, trauma can be described as any distressing event that impacts one’s ability to cope and control what is going on in their lives (Barbash, 2017).
There are two general categories that trauma can be divided into, which are “Big T” Trauma and “Little t” trauma. “Big T” Trauma can be defined as the type of trauma that aligns with the examples that were aforementioned. It is associated with one significant event that often leaves the individual in severe distress and feeling powerless because they don’t have control over their immediate environment. “Big T” Trauma can be debilitating and may also be the precursor to a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Barbash, 2017).
On the other hand, “Little t” trauma is formed by a congregation of events that over time result in emotional disturbance and difficulty coping. This type of trauma covers a wide variety of situations such as infidelity in a relationship, financial struggles, and bullying. Specifically, an example of someone experiencing “Little t” trauma would be hearing negative comments about themselves over a long period of time. This could impact their own self-image, their framework and control over their life and result in emotional damage, which are key characteristics of trauma responses.
Recognizing one’s own trauma may be difficult, especially in the case where one’s own hardships have been normalized through repeated exposure. Here are some steps to take to begin the process of realizing trauma and healing from it.
To start off, the process can best be begun by taking a moment to recognize the feelings one is experiencing.
Once those feelings are identified, one should accept these strong emotions and allow themselves to feel them. Now it is time to investigate these emotions into a deeper analysis by thinking about the specific sensations, thoughts, images, and feelings that arise (Firestone, 2017).
The final step in the process is to not let these thoughts, feelings, and experiences define oneself; what someone went through in the past may impact the way they are able to cope, but the reality is that these events are not a defining factor of one’s identity and worth.
This part, along with the other steps in the process, can take a long time and that is perfectly fine. Everyone’s experiences are different and it would be unfair to compare one’s healing process to another because none of them have dealt with the same thoughts and feelings. Remember: no type of trauma will be easy to cope with and taking the time to accept one’s trauma is an important first step in the healing process.
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Story by:
Lauren Vitale, Senior Psychology Major, French Minor, Honors Concentration, Wellness Center intern
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Ashley Craven, Sports Communication and Media Major
Produced by:
Lucas Taylor, Senior English Education Major
Unplug and Live a Great (Offline) Life
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
It’s no secret that people spend time on their phones. It just so happens that it is a lot. However, how much of it can be considered a bad thing?
Considering the fact that excessive time spent online, specifically with social media, has resulted in increased mental health issues and distorted views on real life (Robinson & Smith, 2021), it can be wise to say that how a person uses and the amount of time spent online and through social media can impact their emotional health.
Even if it’s for 30 minutes or an hour a day, there needs to be effort to unplug routinely. However, one might find it difficult to fill in the time spent online with something new.
That being said, here are five tips on living a great (offline) life!
- Develop a hobby: Feeling the need to check those social media notifications? Replace it with finding a new hobby to enjoy. Whether it’s a current hobby or something new to try out, focus on that hobby whenever there’s that compulsive need.
- Go outside: Another simple tip is to just simply go outside. While spending time online frequently, spending time in nature is a great way to unplug. Even a simple walk can help lead to increased mental health benefits (Weir, 2020).
- Spend time with friends and family: While it’s easy to connect with friends and family online, nothing can compare with connecting in person (Robinson & Smith, 2021). Whether it would be catching up over coffee or having a game night (safely, of course!), the time spent together can help foster an improved emotional and social well-being.
- Learn to improve time management skills: Be intentional with spending time both online and offline by mastering time management. Try to divide up time between time spent online or scrolling through social media with dedicated times to unplug and just be.
- Practice self-care: Trade in that screen time with self-care time! Several of the mental health issues can be helped with practicing mindfulness and self-care (Robinson & Smith, 2021). Recognizing that can help make better improvements on how a person can manage their screen time and live their best life.
References
Robinson, L. & Smith, M. (2021, October). Social media and mental health. HelpGuide. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm
Weir, K. (2020). Nurtured by nature. Monitor on Psychology, 51(3), 50. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature
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Rachael Owen, junior public health and wellness major, Wellness Center intern
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Ashley Craven, sports communication and media major
Produced by:
Lucas Taylor, senior English education major
Spirituality: Discovering Your Own Faith
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Religion has always been an integral part of human culture and continues to be present in the lives of many, providing a sense of community, faith and purpose. While religious practices can be very beneficial, there are still many people who do not feel connected to or welcomed by various denominations and instead, seek out an alternate path.
Spirituality and religion, though they may seem interchangeable, are completely separate, with spirituality focusing more on an inward journey and understanding rather than external worship. Christina Puchalski, MD, a leader in incorporating spirituality into healthcare, explains, “Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.”
Spirituality is an inclusive approach that embraces connectivity to forces larger than the self, and without the rigidity of traditional religious institutions, gives individuals the freedom to worship in the way that works best for them. Often called the “pathless-path,” spirituality is unique to each individual and may involve connecting to a higher state or resonating with the belief in a higher power.
Spiritual practices including meditation, yoga and contemplation allow individuals to explore a consciousness-based worldview that values love and kindness above all. Studies have shown that individuals with any form of belief in a higher power were shown to use their religious or spiritual practice as a way to cope with life stressors. This form of coping is very beneficial, improving feelings of well-being, decreasing stress and depression, and even decreasing one’s fear of death and dying.
Spirituality not only serves to improve one’s overall health and wellness, but provides a path based on one unifying force, where everyone has the freedom to discover their own faith and where no one is left out.
Story by:
Leah Mahon, senior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, junior business management major
Produced by:
Lucas Taylor, senior English education major
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Tapping into our Internal Monologue
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
For the majority of people, it is safe to say that we have an inner dialogue in our head that goes off throughout the day. That little voice can be perceived as our self-talk, which is the given name to our internal monologue.
Internal monologue is described as a combination of both conscious and subconscious feelings, thoughts and beliefs.
Self-talk is a natural process. Often, it can be seen as playing the role of many characters in our minds such as the critic, motivator and the conscious/ego. What we say to ourselves in a given moment, helps us frame or shift perspectives from ourselves as well as others.
According to Psychology Today, whether your self-talk appears to be positive, negative or instructional, it still affects our actions and behaviors. This can be seen as dependent on the different formations of evidence that aligns with our own personal values and beliefs, but the evidence that you choose to focus on is what helps influence and reinforces that said belief.
We make ourselves believe in certain notions; for example, that those around us think we are “weird.” Well, what’s the evidence for that? If we haven’t done anything “weird,” there’s nothing to back that thought up. In fact, the truth may be that the reason we haven’t been approached by a person is because they are just as anxious to make conversation as we are.
So, what are we really telling ourselves? Think of it this way: choice of words matter. Whether it’s the dialogue going on in our head or if we are communicating with someone, the same way we may hurt someone’s feelings by making a negative comment can also hurt our own feelings as well.
Instead of “I’m so stupid I did that and didn’t realize,” maybe try “I made a mistake, that’s okay — it’s part of being human. Next time, I’ll be more cautious.” It’s both the concept of reframing and allowing ourselves some grace that will help us maintain healthy self-talk.
Story by:
Maria Espejo, senior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, junior business management major
Produced by:
Lucas Taylor, senior English education major
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Period Poverty is the Unspoken Crisis
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
At any given moment, around 800 million people are menstruating. From this, we can determine that about 26% of the human population are menstruators. In addition, this number is trending to increase as the onset of puberty continues to occur at younger ages.
Period poverty can be defined as a public health crisis that refers to the lack of access to menstrual hygiene and care products each month as well as inadequate education about the menstruation process.
These deficiencies lead to unhealthy, or even dangerous, menstrual hygiene practices. The lack of menstrual products in circulation also leaves the well-being of millions of menstruators unable to execute their day-to-day tasks comfortably and even possibly lead to crucial harm to the body. As a result, menstruators across the globe are missing out on school or work activities, sometimes for the entire duration of their period.
Period poverty is typically caused by menstruators being burdened with harsh impurity stigmas as well as suffering from economic inequalities. For example, in Pakistan, a 2017 poll indicated that 49% of young menstruators had no knowledge of menstruation before their first period. It is also common practice in Pakistan to use rags and cloths to take care of menses which are often shared between family members, leading to high risks of infection. In Ethiopia, 75% of menstruators do not have reliable access to products leading to 25% of menstruators simply going without using any. For most Ethiopian menstruators, sanitary products cost an entire day’s pay. The Period Poverty, which is already burdening Scotland, has undergone an increase due to the COVID-19 emergency, with 1 in 4 menstruators having experienced infection due to the lack of access to sanitary menstrual products.
A common misconception is that Period Poverty is a “far away” problem that only occurs in developing countries. In reality, Period Poverty is just as much of a public health crisis here in the United States with the main cause being due to impoverishment and economic inequality. In fact, 27 out of 50 states currently enact a luxury tax on menstrual products. As of 2020, 1 in 4 American menstruators struggle to afford period products leading to 1 in 5 menstruators missing school, work and day-to-day activities. COVID-19 has undoubtedly only inflamed these statistics along with the national poverty rates.
So, what can be done to combat Period Poverty? There is a lot more to understanding why Period Poverty happens, such as policies, legislation, systemic and economic inequality, that complicate the process of rectifying these problems.
Currently, there are countless organizations making efforts to ease the burden for impoverished menstruators. Some exceptional ones include Happy Period, Hate the Dot and Code Red Collective. Period Equity is a notable organization of lawyers who are dedicated to eradicating the tax on period products in the U.S. through policy, which would be a huge stride towards economic equality efforts.
Menstruation is such a common and relatable process that menstruators are typically told they should be ashamed of. Yet, it is quite literally the essence of human life that gave everyone existence. With that, everyone should be encouraged to remember that menstruator rights are human rights, and the unspoken burdens of Period Poverty are humanitarian issues that deserve to be heard.
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Logan Johnson, junior biological sciences major, Wellness Center intern
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Stephanie Batista, junior business management major
Produced by:
Lucas Taylor, senior English education major
Doing Hobbies in Exchange For Our Own Mental Wellness
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
As a content creator, I have experienced burnout and disinterest when I have used my hobbies for profit. When money becomes a driving force for an individual to begrudgingly continue their hobbies, it may lead to issues that affect the creator’s mental health. Due to this, the line with which a hobby is enjoyable and that of a tiring job can get rather confusing.
When it comes to health, we should prioritize and understand aspects of our own life that can be considered as hazardous. It’s perfectly normal to enjoy the hobbies that we choose, but we also have to acknowledge the premises of overworking. We often look over this idea, but the overworking of our hobbies could potentially put a toll on our own mental and physical health.
However, having a healthy relationship with our hobbies and allowing ourselves to have rationale for it can be perceived as being especially beneficial. Daniel Hövermann, a writer for Medium, discusses the dichotomy of stress and hobbies and how it could potentially alleviate some of the anxiety that we feel throughout our days. In one of his published articles, Hövermann states that “…hobbies can help to calm your mind and reduce your stress level. Besides that, they grant you valuable times with friends or things you love.”
One of my own favorite hobbies is fixing furniture with my family. We love to thrift-shop shabby items and refurbish them with the intent of showcasing our own specific creativity. Since repainting and reconstruction are physically tiring, we do not overwork ourselves by taking on more than our bodies can handle.
For myself, I have just recently changed my own perspective on the matter as I have returned to treating my hobby as a creative outlet and not just as a money making side hustle. Mainly, I had to reflect on my own thoughts when I had prioritized money over my own well being. I found myself begrudgingly doing work and not enjoying it for those simple enjoyable moments that it had once brought me. I had to reassess: “Is the hobby unenjoyable because it is fueled by making money?”
Due to the premise of money, many people sacrifice their own wellbeing and happiness over the pursuit of accruing more. As we all know, life can become exceptionally difficult because of money. Due to situations such as paying for education, paying for daily necessities or even personal expenses, the main idea still remains the same — life can prove to be difficult.
Using our own creative hobbies as a financial outlet can temporarily alleviate some of these hardships that we feel, but just as Hövermann says, “Change the job instead of stressfully trying to turn your positively distracting hobbies into cash-cows. Otherwise, you will cripple both. You end up with a job you hate and with a hobby that lost all its lightness.” Sometimes, turning a hobby into a second job will only hurt our own health.
We must understand why hobbies are so helpful for stress relief and when it becomes detrimental to our physical and mental health. The bottom line: hobbies should not cause stress because their sole purpose is to provide happiness.
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Serina Gonzalez, Rowan Global student in M.A. in Strategic Communication program, Wellness Center intern
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Ashley Craven, junior sports communication and media major
Produced by:
Lucas Taylor, senior English education major
The (Abridged) Beginner’s Guide to Communication Studies
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook
When I first entered college, I was unsure about what I wanted. My friends all seemed so solid in their paths to becoming mechanical engineers, accountants or even psychologists. For a long time, this made me insecure about my own choices and, more often than not, my inability to make them. However, even with all of the trouble that I had faced with indecision, I realize now that I found my place in one of the broadest majors Rowan University has to offer: Communication Studies.
The most elusive thing about my major is its definition. What is communication studies? According to the University of Otago in New Zealand, communication studies can be described as “a study of how we communicate differently to various audiences/users and communities. It understands that communication is social, political, and media-based, and occurs in different contexts” (University of Otago).
This idea can be applied in countless different ways across two major tracks: Rhetoric/Cultural Criticism and Interpersonal/Organizational. This major gives students so many options when it comes to specializing in the specific fields of communication that they would like to study. While this freedom may sound like a good thing, students often can feel restricted when it comes to narrowing down their concentration and looking for a job.
A graduate of communication studies can do anything with their degree. Some students in the Interpersonal track may find a job in human resources at a large company, while students in the Rhetoric track may go on to graduate school and conduct their own research. A minor or certificate of undergraduate study can also help guide students through this process. The number of opportunities out there can feel overwhelming, but the key is keeping an open mind and knowing how to market yourself and your acquired skills.
References
What is Communication Studies. University of Otago, University of Otago, New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2022, from https://www.otago.ac.nz/mfco/about/otago040200.html
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Brandon Simon, senior communication studies major, Wellness Center intern
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Stephanie Batista, junior business management major
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Lucas Taylor, senior English education major
Our Environmental Crisis, and How a College Student Can Help
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. According to earth.org, the biggest problems that our world is facing are: poor governance, food waste, plastic pollution, air pollution and agriculture. […]
The Journaling Journey
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Journaling has always been something of a joke to our society. We make it out to be something that only teenage girls with crushes and secrets should be doing. But truthfully, journaling, which can also be described as a form of “affect labeling” (putting words to emotion), has been shown to be a great emotional regulation technique, according to Dr. Marianna Pogosyan in her article “Put Your Feelings Into Words, You’ll Feel Better” (Pogosyan, 2021).
But what is emotional regulation, and why should it matter?
Understanding what you feel and being able to label it is a great way to make someone feel more in control of themselves, as well as in a seemingly impossible situation.
When a person can journal about a situation and express how they are feeling in a more controlled manner, they can be introspective on it later. Also, at the moment or directly after, journaling can help by being a distracter from the intensity of emotions. This is important because it can teach a person to act more rationally rather than acting on an impulse they might regret in the future.
Even outside of high-stress situations, journaling can be a very helpful tool. Not only can a journal be a place for one to keep their personal thoughts, it can also be an asset to any organizational tool box.
When journaling, typically people will discuss the highlights/events that have occurred over a span of time. When organizing, someone who journals can use the past information to find patterns in their life in order to help set up for future events or times to be flexible.
In almost all forms, journaling is a great idea. From writing down goals to working through stressful experiences, the act of writing things down can benefit our lives. And, while labeling is not something we should do all the time, affect labeling might just help us through some stressful times.
References:
Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). Put your feelings into words, you’ll feel better. Psychology Today. Retrieved September 18, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-cultures/202109/put-your-feelings-words-youll-feel-better.
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Brianna Broadwater, sophomore psychology major from Bel Air, Maryland, Wellness Center intern
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Jack Maisonneuve, senior communication studies major
Interacting with the World Through Video Games
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Playing video games is a popular pastime for people of all ages, especially for younger generations who have grown up experiencing the […]
Meditation for the Unsettled Mind
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
It’s Thursday night. Will and his friend decide to go grab some fast food before the restaurants on Delsea Drive close. His friend rolls down the window at the drive-thru to give her order. Chicken nuggets. Classic.
Wait, that reminds him. That composition paper on poultry processing is due tomorrow. It’s cool though, he has time to do it. But wait, he was going to take that statistics exam tomorrow. He was also going to do laundry, call his grandma and hit the gym.
Suddenly, Will’s mind is flooded with every single thing he was anxious about this week.
In these moments, the small tasks we stress over can get the best of us. A good way to bring yourself back to reality is through meditation.
When thinking about meditation, we probably picture someone sitting on the floor, cross-legged, reciting the word “om” over and over again. Luckily for us, this is not the only way to meditate. Meditation can be done anywhere and in any position. You can meditate while walking through campus or even sitting on the couch. Mindful.org provides a great step-by-step guide for us to follow.
To begin, set a time limit. If taking a walk, just follow a path and finish at the end. If sitting down, use your phone’s timer.
Next, get comfortable and become aware of the body. With intent, move different body parts to where they are most comfortable. Straighten the spine. Keep the eyes closed if it is more relaxing.
Now, pay attention to breathing. Inhale for five seconds, then exhale for five seconds. The important part of this step is counting each second. By doing this, the mind will focus solely on air intake and relaxing the body. This will push out the stressors that are causing anxiety.
After a while, the mind will wander. Allow it to do this. According to Stacce Reicherzer, a professional counselor, educator and author, this will lead the meditator down different avenues of thought and begin to think about problems in a new light. Wherever the mind goes, it is always important to bring it back. Focus on breathing again. Count breaths (Reischerzer, Feinberg, Gonzales, & Liang, 2021).
Once finished, always close with kindness. Look around and take notice of the environment. Pay attention to how the body feels.
Meditation can provide us with new understandings and better focus. However, it is important to remember that it is not a cure or end-all-be-all. While it helps us to relax in the moment, we may still need to more directly address the problems we face.
Reference:
Reicherzer, S., Feinberg, H. H., Gonzales, A., & Liang, N.-C. (2021, August 31). How to meditate. Mindful. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/.
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Brandon Simon, senior communication studies major from Middlesex County, NJ, Wellness Center intern
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Stephanie Batista, junior music industry major
One Will Never Have To “Work Hard” If They Set SMART Goals
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Ever heard the saying “Work smarter, not harder?” Well, it’s a phrase that holds true. Here’s why: If one works harder, they will only exert their utmost energy and end up left on E like a car without gasoline. However, if one works smarter, then they work more strategically and thoroughly.
Working hard can only get one so far. That’s why setting SMART goals is conducive to success. Whether or not one believes it, there is such a thing as “SMART” goals. Smart goals are very effective game changers to some individuals who use them. Personally, they have worked for me, and I’ve been able to benefit from them ever since.
According to author Thomas Rutledge from Psychology Today, SMART goals were actually created using an evidence-based formula. “SMART” stands for: Specific—clearly identifying the goal, Measurable—defining the goal in measurable terms, Attainable—choosing goals that are realistic and manageable, Relevant–making sure the goal is something that is important to oneself, and Time-bound—defining the time frame during which one will achieve the goal (Source: Thomas Rutledge). This method requires that one apply each step to a particular goal. SMART goals are convenient because they can actually be used in all aspects of one’s life.
Some examples of how one can use this method are for the gym if one wants to set up workout routines or start a workout plan/program, academics and test taking, job/apartment hunting, cleaning routines, starting one’s own YouTube channel, saving money, spending and budgeting, etc.
A really simple example of how I used SMART goals over this past year was by connecting it to my New Year’s resolution of growing my hair out. I have always cut half of my hair off each year since freshman year. For my senior year, I decided to do something different. Since I haven’t had my hair long in such a long time, I figured to keep it growing until I graduate to see my overall hair growth progress in a healthy way.
The way I set this up was: Specific—no cutting my hair, only small trims and growing it the longest it’s ever been, Measurable—since I will be slightly trimming my hair each month, I will give myself until the end of this semester and the next to grow my hair the longest it’s been before, Attainable—I’ve grown my hair out before so I know I can do it again with additional length this time around, Relevant—I focus a lot on my haircare since I do believe it is my best feature so it is significantly important to me because I can style it in many ways, Time-bound—I will utilize this whole year of 2021 going into 2022 as a timestamp. So far this year, I’m still going strong on growing it out and I’m proud of it because learning to manage a specific hair type or hair in general is similar to that of a chore.
SMART has helped me grow my hair out strategically rather than putting loads of products in my hair and expecting instant growth. Growth takes time and I now think of SMART goals as my accountability partner, which have improved my skills and time management overall.
Reference: Beyond SMART: An Evidence-Based Formulate for Goal Setting
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Erika Morales Sanchez, senior psychology major from Bergen County, NJ, Wellness Center intern
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Rachel Rumsby, junior communication studies and public relations double major
Confidence Is Not Always Consistent, And That’s Ok
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Being confident is hard, especially as a college student. Transitioning into a competitive environment, navigating through your career goals and personal goals, as well as uncertainty about the future can have a significant impact on an individual’s self-esteem.
College is a unique experience and with it comes a variety of obstacles and adventures. While being a college student can be a very rewarding journey, it can also come with a wide range of challenges that can result in a fluctuating self-esteem, and that’s ok.
Self-esteem is rarely at a constant level, it fluctuates and develops throughout our lives. According to an article published by Mayo Clinic, “Self-esteem begins to develop and form in early childhood … depending on your circumstances it can begin to fluctuate throughout time” (Mayo Clinic, 2020).
Factors such as life experiences, friendships, home life, school life, relationships, how we perceive ourselves and more influence our self-esteem. A majority of these factors are probably significantly different now compared to how they were in childhood. Throughout that time period, a variety of changes and overall growth occurs. The changes physically, emotionally, mentally and socially significantly and greatly impact self-esteem as growth and maturity develops and takes place.
As young adults and adults, that growth has not stopped. During an academic career in college and higher education in general, a lot of changes will occur, both good and bad ones, throughout an individual’s time as a college student. It is ok to experience fluctuation in confidence and self-esteem.
Self-esteem is important and it is something that can affect individual’s greatly, especially if they are experiencing low self-esteem. It is ok to experience both healthy and low self-esteem. Most, if not all, college students go through times where confidence is high as well as times where confidence feels nonexistent. It is important, however, to reach out to trusted resources on and off campus if self-esteem and confidence is starting to affect daily life.
From freshman to senior year of college, there is a significant difference in who individuals are when they first start college and who they are when they graduate college. That change from the first day of college to the last day just shows how individuals change and grow during their college experience. Fluctuations in self-esteem, both the highs and lows, is a part of that growth individual’s experience throughout their time in college. In the end, the high’s and low’s in confidence are valid and ok to experience throughout college and throughout life as well.
Reference:
Mayo Clinic, Staff. (2020, July 14). Does your self-esteem need a boost? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/self-esteem/art-20047976.
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Sarah Mackenzie, junior biological sciences major from Gloucester County, NJ, Wellness Center intern
Photos by:
Joe Gentempo, art graduate
Social Media and its Effect on Body Image
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. For someone like me, I cannot go one day without using social media and its features. I check my socials multiple times […]
Tips On Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle And Eating Habits In College
Rowan Blog contributor, Public Relations major and student athlete Natalie DePersia shares how students can make healthy options available in their residence halls and where healthy options are accessible around campus.
Dorm eating can be difficult. The refrigerators that come in your room can only hold a little bit of space between two roommates, and there is no access to cooking in dorm rooms. Despite the adjustment from home living to dorm living, there are many ways to seek out healthy food options and to get the daily nutrients your body needs.
Utilize Holly Cafe in Holly Pointe Commons
This was key for me my first year. Because I was always hustling to get from class to practice, I needed to be able to grab something quick and easy at all times. Holly Cafe always has bananas, apples, bars, and cereal available that can be taken on the go. There is even a yogurt and granola station!
Get snacks that do not need to be refrigerated
You do not need a refrigerator to have healthy snacks. Lots of protein-packed snacks can be stored in a pantry. A couple healthy options can be trail mix, rice cakes, protein/energy bars, nuts, nuts/seeds and popcorn. These snacks are not only guilt free, but they taste good!
Seek out healthy options
There are many healthy options available on campus. My personal favorites are Bowl Life and Freshens in the Student Center. Bowl Life is awesome because you can get foods like spinach, sweet potatoes and whole-grain rice. Freshens offers a wide variety of options like smoothies, wraps, salads and more. There are also healthy places off campus like Playa Bowls.
Meal prep
This is targeted more toward students who live in apartments or off campus. Meal prepping can be difficult in a dorm but still possible. Meal prepping is a great way to stay full and while maintaining portion control. I like to meal prep my food on Sundays and again on Wednesdays so I have fully prepared food for a few days at a time!
Carry a reusable water bottle
Staying hydrated is pivotal to overall health. My reusable water bottle not only keeps my beverages cold, it is environmentally friendly. There are many fill up stations located around campus including stations on each floor of each dorm.
Invest in a Keurig
If you are a coffee lover like me … a Keurig was my saving grace by not only saving money, but by staying away from unnecessary sugar. Instead of going to Starbucks or Dunkin daily, I would use my Keurig to make my coffee. I also like how you can make tea, hot cocoa and other beverages with the Keurig.
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Story By:
Natalie DePersia, junior public relations major
Sports and Mental Health
Junior Psychology major McCarly Thompson shares advice on how taking up exercise or participating in sports improves more than just our physical well-being.
It is safe to say that the watching and/or playing of sports has been one of the world’s greatest pastimes for centuries. From childhood, through the stages of adulthood, leading up to old age, humans all over the country participate in sports-related activities throughout their daily life.
According to the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine, “The Royal College of Psychiatrists recognize exercise prescription as a treatment modality for a wide range of mental health conditions.” That’s right: Not only can exercising and participating in sports benefit us on the physical level, but also the mental level as well!
Participating in exercise and sports on a team-based or competitive level has many benefits to our mental health in ways we may not even imagine. By helping us form social connections with others, sports can prevent and decrease the chances of depression and help us create strong relationships with people of similar interest as us. Participating in these activities also do justice on the personal level by increasing motivation and self-esteem via selective hormones in the body. Physical activity is also good for children in helping them make friendships, learn how to problem solve, and work their way through a task to reach an end goal.
Clinicians have recently been promoting physical activity as a substitution for many other intervention services. Instead of writing up a prescription or putting someone in an institution, physical therapists have seen positive results in just advising several hours of physical activity a week to their patients. Ironically, it is important to note that many professional athletes do not seek mental health assistance due to the stigma behind it. The stereotype also follows that “big, strong men” don’t need to talk to anyone about their problems or feelings, when in fact this is not the case.
Therapeutic service has actually been shown to increase performance in athletes, proving a strong correlation between sport and mental health. I believe that if we as a people raise awareness of the benefits of sports/physical activity, we would see the rise of a healthier generation on the physical and mental side, and also more elite athletes, able to reach their full potential on the field.
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McCarly Thompson, junior, psychology major
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Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
Surviving a Breakup: Taking One’s Power Back to Change Life Forever
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
The minutes, hours and days after the demise of a relationship can be some of the most profoundly painful moments experienced by humans. In today’s fast-paced, social media-driven world, romantic relationships have become more difficult to navigate than ever. Add to that the implications of social distancing amid a global pandemic and breakups seem almost inevitable — and they can be, but, they don’t have to hurt.
Breakups usher in uncomfortable feelings, self-criticism, emotionality and heartbreak — yet, these moments of adversity are powerful agents for growth and change: “…An ideal coping strategy should encourage those who have experienced a romantic relationship’s end to purposefully focus on the positive aspects of their experience while simultaneously minimizing negative emotions” (Seligman, et al 1). Breakups are opportunities that teach incredible life lessons and help cultivate personal power in a manner that can expand our perspectives which, in turn, can create the best version of ourselves.
Still reeling after experiencing a breakup? First, assess any and all feelings relating to the relationship and ensuing breakup. Honor these emotions by grieving as it feels natural, and realize any residual emotions are normal and healthy as the acceptance of such emotion can prove to be a critically important part of the healing process, particularly, as one re-establishes their own independence.
At this time, do not be afraid to reach out to family, friends or even a counselor to further process these feelings. It is paramount to accept all positive support, love and encouragement as it can be soothing, even transformative, in tough times. In addition, The Wellness Center offers counseling and psychological services for students which can assist in unpacking these feelings. To schedule an appointment call (856) 256-4333 Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Next, prioritize the needs of the self-conscious. Choose to step up self-care: get back into the gym, fearlessly contemplate switching up personal style with a new haircut or outfit, consider getting a massage or look into planning a day or weekend trip away with friends or family as breakups are the perfect time to “break free” and retreat to self in a comforting and empowering way. Further, don’t be afraid to constructively channel focus elsewhere, perhaps by re-engaging academic goals, giving back through acts of service such as by volunteering, discovering a new hobby or activity to partake in — cultivate experiences that give a sense of fulfillment as keeping oneself engaged in other aspects of life can be restorative. Overall, the key to healing and expanding upon oneself post-breakup is by adopting healthy behaviors that assist in facilitating this new life change, while also helping to promote dynamic growth and personal power.
Lastly, after taking adequate time to grieve, process and heal, don’t be afraid to get back out there — but only when ready and not a moment sooner. Above all, acknowledge that every individual person is unique when it comes to grieving and healing post-relationship. One’s journey may not be similar or reflective of another’s, and that is perfectly fine. Upon determining one is ready to open their heart again to love, accept that you are worthy of loving (and expressing love), proceed forward thoughtfully, at a speed that is comfortable. Initially, start by getting to know new people and growing new friendship connections — taking the time to enjoy the company of others can truly restore the confidence and strength required to reignite ones’ romantic life.
References:
Breakups aren’t all bad: Coping strategies to promote positive outcomes. http://www.apa.org/research/action/romantic relationships
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Story by:
Melinda Steward-Cobbs, senior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Jabreeah Holmes, senior radio/TV/film major
The Healing Power of Art
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
The arts are present throughout our lives each and every day. According to Roberston (2019), the arts can be broken down into five main categories: the performing arts, visual arts, literature, culture activities and online arts.
Research studies have shown that when an individual immerses themselves in the world of art, they may experience positive effects on their health and overall wellbeing.
One of the most influential parts of the arts is that an individual is given a chance to share a personal story or experience in a creative manner. In many cases an individual may have a difficult time explaining an upsetting event through the use of words to others. As a result, by creating the piece of art, an individual is given an opportunity to reflect about their thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a way that works best for them (Horenstein, 2010; Henry Ford Health System Staff, 2018).
An individual may also be able to track their personal progress of growth and healing by visually identifying how the tones or images reflected in their art have changed over time. For example, during the beginning of the personal reflection an individual may draw an image of a dying tree if they are experiencing a great deal of stress. Although through time they may learn to cope with this stress and their art may transform from the image of a dying tree into a blooming tree.
Furthermore, individuals may also be able to seek healing by connecting with another person’s work of art. Because of the fact that art can tell a story someone might be able to relate to another person’s experience and feel empowered by it.
Along with offering the power of healing through storytelling, art can lead to a variety of improvements in physical health Specifically, studies have found that by listening to music an individual may experience less severe symptoms of nausea, drowsiness, or lack of appetite (Robertson, 2019). By actively creating music or other forms of art, an individual may experience additional benefits such as reduced levels of pain and anxiety (Roberston, 2019). Additionally, art can allow individuals to develop better skills with memory, attention, and gaining higher self esteem (Horenstein, 2010; Robertson, 2019). All of these benefits can lead to better daily functioning and a higher quality of life.
Overall, this article has only scratched the surface of the variety of benefits that art can bring towards health and wellbeing. As mentioned earlier, art appears in a variety of diverse forms such as the performing arts, visual arts, literature, culture activities and online arts (Roberston, 2019). Some of the key benefits that art can introduce is healing through storytelling, physical symptom benefits, and the development of skills such as memory, attention and self esteem (Horenstein, 2010; Robertson, 2019). By becoming immersed in the world of art an individual will be able to experience the power of healing through art.
References:
Henry Ford Health System Staff. (2018, May 29). The healing power of art. Retrieved February 12, 2021, from https://www.henryford.com/blog/2018/05/healing-power-art
Horenstein, S. H. (2010). Promoting Values Through the Arts. Min-Ad: Israel Studies in Musicology Online, 8(1/2), 37–56.
Robertson, S. (2019, November 12). The arts play an important role in improving well-being, according to a who report. Retrieved February 12, 2021, from https://www.news-medical.net/news/20191112/The-arts-play-an-important-role-in-improving-well-being-according-to-a-WHO-report.aspx
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Story by: Allison Niemiec, Rowan Global student in master’s in higher education-administrative track program, Wellness Center intern
Photography by: Jabreeah Holmes, senior radio/TV/film major
Black Men in Medicine
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
I have always wanted to be a doctor; ever since I was little. My parents often told stories of me as a kid, how I was always fascinated with the medical world.
It might just be my parents being parents, trying to encourage their child; either way it helped inspire my love for medicine. Growing up I didn’t really know many doctors that looked like me, until I discovered Dr. Ben Carson. Not many African Americans were doctors, much less a neurosurgeon. I learned about Dr. Carson in his book, Gifted Hands, where he told his life story, highlighting his struggles as a young adult and his path to becoming a neurosurgeon. He is known all over the world for separating conjoined twins at John Hopkins Children’s Center in September 1987. This was the first time conjoined twins have ever been successfully separated. His story has inspired many just like me all around the world to believe that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.
Growing up Dr. Carson lived with his mom, Sonya, and brother in Detroit, after their father abandoned them for his other family. His mother often had to work two to three jobs just to keep their family afloat. Despite all their financial problems his mom always made education a priority for he and his brother. She made them read as often as possible, and this helped Dr. Carson develop a love for reading and greatly improved his academic success. However, he was always getting in trouble and getting into fights at school; almost stabbing one of his classmates at a certain point. But he was able to deal with his issues and go to college. He graduated with a psychology degree, eventually attending medical school, where his eye-hand coordination and three-dimensional thinking made him a top neurosurgeon.
Not too long after medical school, he became the chief surgeon at John Hopkins Medical School, where he went on to accomplish many things. Dr. Carson once said, “Successful people don’t have fewer problems. They have determined that nothing will stop them from going forward.” This quote and his life story are things that inspire me daily and remind me that I can achieve my goal no matter the obstacle that is in my way.
References:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/11100.Ben_Carson
https://www.biography.com/political-figure/ben-carson
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Story by:
David Malomo, junior biological sciences major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
Imposter Syndrome and Inner Perfectionism: How to Turn Doubt into Confidence
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
As the entrepreneur Steven Bartlett once said on a Twitter post, “You wouldn’t plant a seed and then dig it up every few minutes to see if it has grown. So why do you keep questioning yourself, your hard work and your decisions? Have patience, stop overthinking and keep watering your seed.”
Of course, doubting your abilities and success is a common feeling most of us have experienced. In fact, it’s so prevalent that it even has a name for it: imposter syndrome, which refers to the behavioral pattern of doubting one’s accomplishments, skills, and/or talents as well as having the constant fear of being exposed as a fraud (Soeiro, 2019).
According to psychologist Dr. Loren Soeiro (2019), roughly 70% of people experience this syndrome, most of whom are women, minorities and LGBT individuals. Imposter syndrome is also common among those who are starting something new, such as attending graduate school or working a new job (Soeiro, 2019). Additionally, people with this syndrome are typically perfectionists who are overly concerned about making mistakes, failing, not knowing everything, receiving feedback or critique, and asking for help.
Although this behavioral pattern is not a psychological or medical condition, it can certainly lead to mental and emotional problems if not dealt with. Imposter syndrome can cause guilt, shame, anxiety, depression and elevated stress (Soeiro, 2019). But perhaps the worst outcome from this syndrome is low self-esteem, which can prevent us from being brave, leading us to not take chances or be hopeful about our future.
Overall, suffering from imposter syndrome can negatively affect the way we live our lives as well as our mental and emotional well-being. But this doesn’t mean that all hope is lost; there are ways to cope. As described by psychologist Dr. Janina Scarlet (2020), the first step is to acknowledge that our self-evaluation and thoughts are a result from imposter syndrome.
Next, we must remind ourselves that we are not alone in our struggles since many people experience this syndrome, and then understand why we are feeling doubtful (Scarlet, 2020). Once we realize why we feel inadequate, we should value the big picture, meaning the specific cause that we really care about (Scarlet, 2020). Doing so will help us remind ourselves that our feelings of imposter syndrome make us become aware of what we are truly passionate about.
Lastly, it is important to talk to others about our doubts of not feeling good enough; whether it be our friend, parent, mentor, or anyone else we trust, they can give us that emotional support we need and remind us that imposter syndrome is normal. Making a list of all our accomplishments can also help us appreciate ourselves and our ability to succeed in life.
But mostly importantly, we should realize that we are all special in our own ways and deserve the praise, attention, and care that we receive. This constant need of being perfect, comparing ourselves to others, and belittling our accomplishments will not help us in the end, especially with our confidence. Instead, we should understand that we got this position, scholarship, or any other achievement for a reason; it is simply because we are worthy.
We are better than we think we are and know more than we give ourselves credit for. It’s ok to think that we don’t fully know what we’re doing, but we should acknowledge that growing and learning throughout our lives is a normal process. Along the way, we will figure out how to overcome these moments of doubt without undermining ourselves and our confidence.
References
Scarlet, J. (2020, October 2). I Am Not Good Enough: Managing Imposter Syndrome. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-real-superheroes/202010/i-am-not-good-enough-managing-imposter-syndrome
Soeiro, L. (2019, August 2019). How to Cope With Impostor Syndrome. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/i-hear-you/201908/how-cope-impostor-syndrome
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Story by:
Jenni Necsutu, junior biochemistry major, Wellness Center intern
Photos by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
The Importance of Unstructured Time
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Humans naturally gravitate towards routinized lifestyles centered around patterns. From a young age, we’re exposed to the concept of “time management,” and all throughout our lives we compare schedules and find ways to fit in every little thing we have ever wanted to do. But oftentimes we fail to ask ourselves: what about unstructured time?
Everyone knows what I mean, that awkward 15 minutes in between two back-to-back classes that often gets spent filling in with additional schoolwork; or the half hour lunch break spent grading exams, filling out papers or restocking laboratories. We all do it, it’s our instinct to fill the gaps with priorities.
But every now and then, it’s important to allow ourselves the opportunity to simply just be. To not have a task, to not have an objective, to not create work.
Letting the mind wander and focusing on breathing in those moments is not only healthy, but also crucial for overall creativity, stress relief, and mental well-being. Think of it as a mental recess break; just as recess is proven to be effective for healthy development in young children, adults need this ability to relax and decompress as well (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2006).
With the ongoing global pandemic, and this evolution of “work” occupying what feels like every second of everyone’s lives, it is imperative that we allow unstructured time to remain unstructured and serve its purpose for providing us not only a needed mental break, but personal enjoyment as well.
References:
Jacobson L. Children’s Lack of Playtime Seen As Troubling Health, School Issue. Education Week [Internet]. 2008 Dec 3 [cited 2021 Feb 12];28(14):1–15. Available from: https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=5080228 80&site=ehost-live
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Story by:
Landyn Bacanskas, sophomore biomedical engineering major, Wellness Center intern
Photos by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
Staying Involved Virtually
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Virtual learning has effectively flipped the college experience head first.
In this new environment, many hurdles exist for students in terms of getting involved. The connected nature of a college campus often gets lost in translation remotely; procrastination, distractions, work and idleness deter students from participating in virtual activities. However, maintaining a mindset open to new ideas and learning effectively keeps students involved regardless of the setting. Online club activities, campus events, and hangouts represent a few effective ways to stay connected.
Hangouts, group chats and virtual meeting rooms provide excellent opportunities to interact with classmates and peers. “Connecting with other students should be a top priority for online students” (Wilson). Different platforms like Webex, Zoom and Google Hangouts allow users to host personal rooms to invite friends, colleagues, instructors and more.
Students have the ability to discuss, work on projects/assignments and arrange study sessions easily through virtual rooms. It has never been easier to pop into a quick conversation with a friend during a break!
In addition to meeting rooms, virtual campus and club events allow students to involve themselves in fun and meaningful experiences. If a student is interested in history, they can attend a virtual lecture on the Nuremberg Trials or the Electoral College. If a student enjoys watching anime, they can attend Anime Club meetings!
Students should remember that events exist for them to forge connections and learn. “Along with the many resulting challenges” from online learning, interaction through club meetings, campus events and meeting rooms assist in defeating academic isolation and nurturing meaningful involvement (Villasenor).
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Story by:
Gurkirat Dhillon, junior computing and informatics major, Wellness Center intern
Photos by:
Jabreeah Holmes, senior radio/TV/film major
References:
Villasenor, John. “Online College Classes Are Here to Stay. What Does That Mean for Higher Education?” Brookings, Brookings, 4 June 2020.
www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2020/06/01/online-college-classes-are-here-to-stay-wh at-does-that-mean-for-higher-education/.
Wilson, Jamise. “Staying Connected as an Online Student.” Affordable Colleges Online, Affordable Colleges Online, 7 Jan. 2021.
www.affordablecollegesonline.org/college-resource-center/staying-connected-as-an-onlin e-student/.
Too Much Screen Time? It’s Time to Take a Break
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Presently, the amount of time individuals are spending in front of a screen is at an all-time high.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, our work, academic and social lives have had to move online to help prevent and limit the spread as much as possible.
Due to the transition of most activities going from in person to online, people are in front of their screens more frequently and for longer periods of time. Having such an abrupt and drastic increase in screen time within the past year, a dramatic decrease in physical contact with others, and the stress of the pandemic, mental health is being heavily impacted.
Since moving to online, it has become increasingly difficult to disconnect and take a break from the screen and from studying and doing work. It has also been difficult for individuals to be physically active as well.
According to a study conducted by multiple authors, “sedentary life is a high risk factor for depression in adults” (Madhav, 2017). Researchers also determined from the results that “individuals expressed moderate to severe depression levels when screen time was six hours or higher” (Madhav, 2017).
With everything online, we are not only in front of the screen and connected constantly but individuals have become less physically active. These are both high-risk factors for depression and anxiety to either develop or worsen. With depression increasing, an increase in anxiety is being seen as well. For overall success throughout this pandemic, it is important that individuals take breaks and de-stress in order to effectively help manage and take care of themselves and their mental health.
Some ways to take breaks from the screen are to go on a walk without looking at your phone, take time to make a meal or snack, and limit your screen time on social media apps.
If you feel like you have been in front of the screen for too long, it is probably time to take a break!
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Story by:
Sarah Mackenzie, sophomore biological sciences major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Joe Gentempo, senior art major
Reference:
Madhav, K., Sherchand, S., & Sherchan, S. (2017, August 16).
Association between screen time and depression among US adults. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5574844/
How to Take a Break with No Break
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Across the United States, college students’ beloved week off, Spring Break, has been cancelled for many universities. This was a designated slot in the semester to take a break. Some vacationed in Miami, others headed to local East Coast shores and some ventured across the globe to enjoy a week of fun, but mostly, of time off.
Without the week off, students have a semester that goes straight through — something that is new to most students. Even during fall semesters, we have a Thanksgiving break, which allows allotted time to decompress. Taking time away from school, a break from studying and worrying about deadlines is a huge component in maintaining mental health, motivation and minimizing your risk of burnout.
Taking a break doesn’t look the same for each individual. There are many ways to take a break, and many ways to manage time to take a break. Some people benefit from taking short, quick breaks throughout the day. Youki Terada from the George Lucas Educational Foundation found that “[s]tudents are easily distracted, but regular, short breaks can help them focus, increase their productivity, and reduce their stress.” Others would benefit from designating one day a week to doing something enjoyable — or doing nothing at all (which is also very enjoyable).
Another way to plan breaks is to set aside evenings to yourself and complete all work in the morning. Or, maybe one to two hours a day of self care is beneficial.
While there are several ways to manage relaxation time, there are also endless possibilities in which someone can take a break. With what should’ve been Spring Break around the corner, individuals may be scrambling to manage time as well as celebrate this college-beloved “holiday.”
An alternative spring break could be volunteering through a program at Rowan — the Alternative, Alternative Spring Break. It’s also fun to gather friends and take a trip to the beach, masked up and socially distant. Maybe roommates decide to have a movie weekend. A quiet weekend with a Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked, pajamas and a movie marathon may be exactly what some may need.
To plan ahead enjoying Spring Break, be sure to complete homework in ample time to minimize stress.
Enjoying time off is important, and a dire need of students. Take some time to kick back, relax and leave worries about those modules at the logout button on Canvas.
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Story by:
Angela Colo, junior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photos by:
Joe Gentempo, senior art major
Healthy New Year’s Suggestions from Health-Related Majors
As we finally kiss 2020 goodbye, enjoy this advice from our health-related majors on some New Year’s suggestions that can hopefully make 2021 a better year!
Amanda Murphy, a senior Nutrition major specializing in Exercise Science from Tinton Falls, NJ (Monmouth County) shares a great New Year’s resolution to encourage healthy eating habits. She challenges you to “rely less on convenience foods and more on whole food sources.” Healthy eating is possible on a college campus, you just have to be committed to finding the foods that work for you!
“You only have one life to live – make changes now to help your quality of life later,” says Erica Walsh, a senior Health & Exercise Science major from Somerdale, NJ (Camden County.) She suggests putting your mental health first, getting activity every day and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Heather Tomaselli, a sophomore Nutrition major with an Honors Concentration from Bound Brook, NJ (Somerset County) challenges you to take the stairs rather than the elevator to promote physical health. “The choices we make now determine our long term health!”
“Not only will exercise and a healthy diet improves your physical health, but it will also have a positive impact on your mental health as well.” This advice about the importance of exercise comes from Tyler Weiss, a senior Nutrition major Specialized in Exercise Science from Winfield Park, NJ (Union County.)
Junior Athletic Training major Jocelyn Reuben from Burlington, NJ (Burlington County) doesn’t drink any soda, unless it’s ginger ale for a stomach ache, and she walks everywhere she goes. She shares that, “Making healthy changes can help you see and carry yourself more confidently.”
A few healthy practices that you can try are “Going on walks outside to center yourself, listening to podcasts to motivate and inspire, using art as a form of self-expression.” These are some suggestions from Hannah Holzhauer, a junior from Nutrition major, Dietetics Master Program from Green Township, NJ (Sussex County.)
Although it may be difficult “you simply can’t buy a bottle of soda and label it ‘self-care’ … you need to actually make the decision to upgrade your life, make it your number one mission to become overall happier, more positive than ever and take steps every day to get that result.” so “ leave a toxic relationship, say daily positive affirmations, forgive yourself for past mistakes and try to disconnect from stress by going for a walk.” These are all great suggestions from Krishna Mansukhani, a senior Health Promotion & Wellness Management major with a minor in Psychology Sports, and Exercise from Sayreville, NJ (Middlesex County.)
Danielle Holroyd, a senior Health Promotion and Wellness Management major from Barrington, NJ (Camden County) shares a few ways she stays healthy while in college. She is committed to “eating healthy, exercising, and keeping up with her school work.”
Caroline Lippincott, a senior Nutrition and Exercise Science major from Columbus, NJ (Burlington County) suggests taking daily walks in the new year to promote physical and mental health.
To stay healthy, try to “remember to take breaks. Yes, school is important, but so is mental health.” Brianna De la Cruz, a senior Nutrition and Dietetics major from Hillsborough, NJ (Somerset County) tries to “exercise most days of the week, eat well, and hang out with my roommates to help destress.”
“One small healthy change you can make is taking 10-15 minutes out of your day to meditate. This can help give your mind a break and relieve stress from school and work.” This advice comes from Haley Bencivengo, a sophomore Nutrition major from Hamilton Township, NJ (Mercer County).
A small, healthy change you can try to make in the new year comes from Emily Nicholson, a sophomore Nutrition major from Turnersville, NJ (Gloucester County). “Instead of sugary coffee every morning, try green tea!”
In the new year, try “Spending 30 minutes less on electronics to be outside and enjoy the fresh air! This is good for mental health and can also be beneficial to physical health if you decide to go on a walk or perform any physical activity.” This advice comes from Sal Murphy, a senior Health Promotion & Wellness Management major from Gloucester County, NJ.
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Loredonna Fiore, junior public relations and advertising major
Take Control
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
In a simplistic way, we are all conscious beings. It is what differentiates us from all other life forms and is the reason we can imagine ourselves in a situation before it becomes a reality.
But what happens when our moral guide no longer exists, the voice in our head seizes to separate right from wrong and instead criticizes the very existence of everything.
The authors at PsychAlive view this as the “critical inner voice” and explain it as “a well-integrated pattern of destructive thoughts toward ourselves and others.”
The critical inner voice is often the result of a maladaptive childhood. It is when the child does not meet the adequate necessity of self-recognition, therefore the child’s self-concept begins to match a false perception of what important others think, for example, Mom and Dad. This often leads to the concoction of feelings experienced by the archetypal villain: arrogance, deceit and resentment. But instead of plotting the very destruction of the world, there is an alternative pathway that leads to the halt to the internal destruction within.
According to PsychAlive: “In order to take power over this destructive thought process, you must first become conscious of what your inner voice is telling you so you can stop it from ruining your life. To identify this, it is helpful to pay attention to when you suddenly slip into a bad mood or become upset, often these negative shifts in emotion are a result of a critical inner voice.”
Understanding the difference between conscience and the critical inner voice is vital in gaining control over one’s actions, thoughts and behaviors, therefore acquiring the ability to stop and analyze the situation can mean the end to damaging unwanted thought processes. Take control.
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Story by:
Marco Imperiale, sophomore psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Rachel Rumsby, sophomore public relations and communication studies major
Reference Page 17th, L., 16th, W., 12th, P., 4th, W., 21st, L., 15th, S., . . . 23rd, S. (2018, April 02). The Critical Inner Voice Explained. Retrieved September 16, 2020, from https://www.psychalive.org/critical-inner-voice/
Have You Checked On You Today?
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
The infamous phrase of “Work now, rest later” has been ingrained into everyone’s mind in order to enforce a productive work week. This saying is obsolete and no longer provides the benefits one once thought they reaped.
A constant cycle of working hard with little to no sleep is detrimental to your mental health and overall well-being. When juggling work, school and everything else in between, life becomes increasingly overwhelming.
Achieving such success, sometimes requires our mental health to be put on a back-burner. Granted all your affairs are in order now, but your most important priority, you, has been left compromised. With that said, answer this question: ¨Have you checked on yourself today?¨
The question posed may seem silly, but it is essential one is cognizant of their own emotional welfare. Incorporating a weekly mental check-in will help people persevere through many hardships and prompt them to analyze if they’re effectively managing through life or if they have a “survive not thrive mentality” as I like to call it.
People believe the notion that a productive day equates to how much work they´ve completed. Discard this idea! It is unhealthy to think this way because one’s happiness will solely rely on how much they’ve accomplished. This is how the vicious cycle of work now, rest later becomes habitual. Take a time out and find things that help alleviate stress and bring fulfillment. Remember you are one person and will have ample opportunities to reach goals. Be kind to yourself and forgiving when everything does not go as planned. There is always tomorrow.
Here’s two mental health check-in tips Mental Health America says boost well-being.
Practice forgiveness: Even if it’s just forgiving that person who cut you off during your commute. People who forgive have better mental health and report being more satisfied with their lives.
Do your best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine: Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.
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Story by:
My’yonna Boyd, sophomore biological sciences major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Rachel Rumsby, sophomore public relations and communication studies major
Source: https://www.mhanational.org/31-tips-boost-your-mental-health
Tips to Keep Mental Health Strong While Learning Remotely
Are you having trouble learning remotely and staying happy? Here are three things you can do that might help with stress or anxiety. Keep in mind it is important to reflect on what works for you specifically when trying to cope with mental health issues.
Students at all levels are being challenged in 2020 to learn in a completely different way than they always have been, and on top of that are being asked to be “socially distant” from their friends. Maintaining strong mental health is a vital and often overlooked aspect of remote learning. This can take a toll after a while, but there are ways of coping with the negative feelings like loneliness, being overwhelmed or frustrated.
Here are three tips that have allowed me to have success with my classes, work two jobs on campus as well as still being happy with a clear mind.
- Stay Social
It has never made any sense that in efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 officials mandated “social distancing” instead of “physical distancing” when our world is now well built to be social from far distances via technology. Nevertheless, having a routine that involves rarely leaving the house means you might be lacking a healthy amount of human interaction.
If you feel comfortable, you should make an effort to get together with friends in a safe way, maybe outdoors. After a long day/week of Zoom classes it’s refreshing to talk to people face to face. However, with the coronavirus still very much present at Rowan University, it’s still safest to hang out in person only with whoever is already in your social circle, meaning people who you have been living with like roommates or family members.
FaceTime, Zoom and other video chat services are great ways to converse with friends without having to risk exposing each other to the virus.
- Take Breaks
At all levels of education, learning has always been done in a classroom. This year that is no longer the case as many students are being asked to take class from their homes and this major change can affect how well students can concentrate.
I have always found that taking breaks is important to not overwork your brain. Depending on your schedule, you may have several Zooms lined up one after another, or you may have pre-recorded lectures to watch. For most people it is a combination of the two, but either way it’s likely that as a remote student you spend a lot of time looking at your computer screen. Stepping away in between classes or in between assignments can help reset your brain. Go eat lunch, go for a walk or even take a nap, then later on go back and complete the rest of the work you want to get done for that day.
Doing anything to get your eyes and mind off of school work for a period of time will help you come back rejuvenated and sharper then you would be by trying to power through it all at once.
- Exercise
There is science backed behind the idea that physical exercise helps reduce anxiety, depression and overall quality of moods. Exercise can also help squash self-esteem issues as well as limit stress.
From my experience, working out in the morning is a great way to start your day off from a mental perspective. It allows your mind to start off in a higher place and gives you a sense of accomplishment. To acquire this positive energy at the start of your day is more important to have now than ever given current circumstances.
With gyms hardly being open it can be difficult to workout, but lack of equipment is definitely no reason to not exercise. There are plenty of ways to work out using just your own body weight including running, push ups, squats etc. Yoga is also a great way to burn energy if traditional exercise is not your thing.
You may want to think about adding these three tips into your daily routine if they aren’t in it already. Everyone wants to be productive in school but it should not be at the expense of your happiness. If there are ever times where things get too difficult and it feels like they aren’t getting any better, you should take a step back, take a deep breath and find the people in your life that help you see things clearly.
This new way of life is different for everyone and remember that when things get tough you’re not alone. The pandemic has negatively affected so many lives, but the bright side is that everyone is in it together.
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Story by:
Luke Garcia, junior music industry major
Video Game Live Streaming During a Global Pandemic
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an ongoing issue that introduced several changes to the way in which society lives their day-to-day lives. One of these major changes were the quarantine and stay-at-home measures that took place during a majority of the spring of 2020 (Nielson Global Media, 2020).
By being forced to stay at home, many people experienced feelings of isolation. As a way to combat these feelings, there was an increase in the number of people either playing video games or live streaming them to others (Nielson Global Media, 2020).
Video game live streaming is an activity in which an individual is able to record themselves playing a video game for an audience of viewers to watch and engage with. According to Li, Wang and Liu (2020), some of the most commonly used video game streaming websites are Twitch and YouTube.
There are several mental health benefits that have allowed for streaming to become popular during the global pandemic. For one, live streaming allows streamers and viewers to communicate and interact with each other through real time methods (Li, Wang and Liu, 2020). A streamer may even encourage their viewers to participate in their stream by inviting them to play a video game together or allowing the viewer to have input on the decisions a streamer makes in certain games. This interactivity is really beneficial because it allows for a streamer to make a community with their viewers and potentially make new friends.
Second, Li, Wang and Liu (2020) suggest streaming can offer moments of suspense and excitement for both the streamer and the viewer. Unlike watching pre-recorded television shows, a viewer is unable to skip to a specific time in the stream to see whether or not the streamer successfully completed a goal or challenge. A viewer is given an opportunity to share in the streamer’s success or failure in real time, which can provide a greater sense of enjoyment from watching a stream in comparison to a television series.
Last, another benefit that streaming allows for is the creation of a routine through a streamer’s consistent streaming schedule. The streamer will have a specific time and day to look forward to releasing new content, while a viewer can look forward to watching and interacting with this content. Having these days to look forward to is important because it can make up for some of the disappointment people experience as the result of other major social and in person events during the pandemic.
Overall, video game live streaming has become increasingly more popular during the months of the global pandemic. Part of this popularity is a result of the various mental health benefits that video game live streaming allows for. Specifically, video game live streaming allows a streamer and viewer to communicate and interact with each other, allows for moments
of suspense and excitement, and allows for the creation of a routine.
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Story by:
Allison Niemiec, Rowan Global student in the M.A. of Higher Education program, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, public relations graduate
References
Li, Y., Wang, C., and Liu, J. (2020). A systematic review of literature on user behavior in video game live streaming. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), 3328. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.rowan.edu/10.3390/ijerph17093328
Nielson Global Media. (2020, March 06). 3, 2, 1 Go! Video Gaming is at an All-Time High During COVID-19. Retrieved September 15, 2020, from
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/3-2-1-go-video-gaming-is-at-an-all-time-high-during-covid-19/
Fear of Failure and How to Move On
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
As Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Of course, failure to accomplish a certain goal in our life is a common fear that we all experience. Some say fear can be so paralyzing for certain individuals that they “freeze” instead of “fighting” in response to the anxiety and stress of completing that specific goal. In other words, fear of failure can evolve into an obstacle in our lives and sometimes prevents us from becoming successful.
According to neuropsychologist Dr. Theo Tsaousides (2017), there are several reasons why people are generally afraid to try to fulfill their goals, which include a setback to one’s self-worth, emotions of shame, loss of social connections, disappointing important people in one’s life and the dread of an uncertain future.
Moreover, fear of failure could potentially impact our mental and physical health should we allow ourselves to be consumed by it. Typically, those who are afraid of attaining a goal can eventually suffer from fatigue, emotional exhaustion, hopelessness, and/or chronic worry as well as become more unhappy with their lives and perform worse in their particular fields (Tsaousides, 2017).
Despite these possible reasons and consequences for being scared to fail, it is crucial for us to realize that failure is what makes us human and is an essential part of our lives. Ultimately, nobody is perfect; we all make mistakes and fail endlessly. Failure does not make us a loser or any less successful than we were before. Rather, it gives us an opportunity to learn new challenges and build our confidence when we bounce back from a difficult situation.
Overall, just as the entrepreneur Courtney Johnson emphasized in his TedTalk (2018), we shouldn’t let the fear of failure prevent us from pursuing our goals, desires and dreams; it is the fear of not trying that we should be afraid of instead. Additionally, we should keep in mind that we are all strong in our own ways and can overcome our individual fears of failing to reach our full potential. Because, in the end, anything is possible if we continue to take our journey of discovering ourselves.
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Story by:
Jennifer Necsutu, junior biochemistry major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
References:
Johnson, C. (2018, October). Failure is necessary [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/courtney_johnson_failure_is_necessary
Tsaousides, T. (2017, December 27). Why Fear of Failure Can Keep You Stuck. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smashing-the-brainblocks/201712/why-fear-failure-can-keep-you-stuck
RAINN and Sexual Assault Prevention
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Hey everyone, McCarly Thompson here from Healthy Campus Initiatives! According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), “Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. And every 9 minutes, that victim is a child. Meanwhile, only 5 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison” (RAINN, 2020).
I’m sure I can speak for everyone reading this when I say these are very disturbing stats that definitely trigger a response for change.
Fortunately for us, change has been on the way. Did you know that the rate of sexual assault and rape has decreased 63% since 1993? This trend is due to the increase of sexual assault awareness spreading across the nation. RAINN is the largest anti-sexual violence organization amongst these groups, partenering with over 1,000 local service providers nationwide.
One of their main resources is the National Sexual Assault Hotline, where people can call in for a number of reasons. By either getting help from trained staff members, locating health centers that provide a number of health care services, or obtaining long term sexual assault support in their area, RAINN offers a number of free services to everyone. Get this: the National Assault Hotline has helped more than 3,000,000 who have suffered from sexual violence since its commencement in 1994!
There are even other ways RAINN promotes sexual assault awareness/prevention aside from a victim reaching out. Even if you haven’t personally been a victim to sexual violence, you can call the hotline in order to find out ways you can get someone else the help they need. RAINN also promotes the idea of C.A.R.E., which stands for creating a distraction (from the victim), asking directly (to the perpetrator), referring to authority (against the perpetrator) and enlisting others (to help). These four scenarios are taken by a bystander and can effectively decrease the chances of a sexually violent act occurring, putting victims in the hands of safety.
The main message of spreading sexual awareness/prevention is standing up and speaking out. If you see something, say something. Most sexual assaults go unreported due to the fear of misbelief of retaliation; however, third-party bystanders are able to intervene either directly or completely anonymously. Putting an end to sexual violence may seem like a far-reaching goal, but if we all do our parts as actively-caring citizens, we can put a stop to this epidemic in significant ways.
Be safe and be smart, MC out.
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Story by:
McCarly Thompson, junior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
The following URL is a link to RAINN’s official website where you can find more information on sexual awareness/assault prevention: https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline
Unplug
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Turning on the TV or opening up the News app nowadays can feel like a chore. Or the opposite could be true — it may bring a sense of control.
Developing obsessive news checking behaviors is a common phenomenon, moreso now than ever. People want to remain informed as often as possible. Nobody wants to be the “last to know” or be seen as “uneducated.” However, constantly having a stream of news media, oftentimes not good news, can be anxiety inducing.
According to a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital, Jacqueline Bullis, Ph.D., “staying glued to the television or constantly refreshing our social media feeds may help us feel slightly less anxious in the short term. These behaviors ultimately have the opposite effect.” (Bullus, J. (2020, April 21).
While it’s important to stay up to date in order to continuously be aware of how to protect yourselves and others, it’s not necessary to stay plugged in all hours of the day. It may be beneficial to designate an amount of time it’s okay to check the news per day, or set aside a specific time slot when reading the news is acceptable.
Limiting exposure to news media outlets may be a key component to self preserving mental health. Not engaging in news-related conversation or viewing all hours of the day does not make someone uneducated, but rather is vital to self preservation. It’s important to set boundaries with friends, family and peers when it comes to these discussions since they can be incredibly emotionally draining.
While it is tempting to be up to date all day, the news will be there at the end of the day, or early the next morning if one wishes to consume it. The amazing aspect of technology is that things online don’t disappear: people aren’t missing out if they don’t click the notification on their phone for the newest Covid-19 update right away.
Put the phone on Do Not Disturb and take a break.
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Story by:
Angela Colo, junior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
2020: A Year To Remember
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
2020 … a year of missing stars, murder hornets, Kobe Bryant’s passing, Chadwick Boseman’s (Black Panther) passing and many, many more.
This year has been filled with so many ups and downs that it has easily become one of the hardest years for a lot of people. According to the CDC, COVID 19 has infected 6.9 million people so far and has taken the lives of 216,000* people in the United States alone.
My first experience with the virus was one night in mid-February; my friends and I were all sitting around talking and laughing about basketball, unaware of what was to come. Days prior, whispers of schools shutting down were quickly moving through university, but since we were not affected yet we did not really understand what was going on.
Until we got the news that the NBA (National Basketball League) had suspended its season indefinitely. I know it might not seem like it was a big issue, but for sophomores in college who played and watched basketball almost every day, this was BIG news. We did not really understand that this was just the beginning of what was to come.
Everything else happened so fast that I could not really catch my breath. All I knew was that one day I was back home taking Organic Chem 2 in the living room of my home while my mom was making food in the kitchen.
As a student, having your life change so drastically in the midst of all that was happening was one of the most stressful things to ever happen to me. Having to stay home and do nothing for hours except eat, sleep, watch TV and maybe go get groceries — then repeat the same thing the next day —was a big struggle, a struggle that millions of students all over the world have been going through. I was left with thoughts, decisions and problems that I had avoided for months and now, I had to face them head-on before they ate me alive. Waking up in the morning, getting out of bed, finding something productive to do became a struggle.
But we all got through it, we pushed on and made the impossible possible.
Even though this pandemic lifestyle is starting to become normal, the struggles of one’s life changing so drastically, almost losing one’s identity and not knowing who we are anymore are still very real struggles that we all deal with in our everyday lives. But we will push on; this is the time that we use to grow and discover new things about ourselves. This is the time when we grow closer to our families and fix relational mistakes that were made years ago. This is the time when we grow as brothers, sisters, friends and good people. This is the time that we rediscover picnics and taking walks in the park and taking the time in our day to just breath and fully live in the moment.
According to an article from John Hopkins Medicine, mindfulness can reduce stress and you do this by sitting quietly and just focusing on your breathing and enjoying the moment.
We as a generation are a different breed, we are not like those before us, we do things differently and that is OK. We have been through a lot, but we are still here, fighting and causing change in our everyday lives. And as long as we do not give up or quit on ourselves, we will continue to grow stronger each and every day.
* as of publishing date
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Story by:
David Malomo, junior biological sciences major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Stephanie Batista, sophomore music industry major
Citation:
McGuire, Joseph F. “Stressed About COVID-19? Here’s What Can Help.” Stressed About COVID-19? Here’s What Can Help | Johns Hopkins Medicine, John Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/stressed-about-covid19-heres-what-can-help.
You Vape Bro? Big Tobacco is Still Targeting You!
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Mariana Cardenas, senior Psychology major from Dumont, NJ (Bergen County). She shares: “People know the harmful effects of cigarettes [but] do not realize that vape companies are using the same tactics. Companies like Juul market their products by claiming that their products are the healthier alternative.”
We are the generation that grew up knowing the dangers of cigarettes. We were shown the pictures of tarred lungs and videos of people talking like robots because they lost their voice box. We grew up knowing that the cigarette companies are evil. Well, the same CEOs who targeted at-risk populations now have their hands in vapes and e-cigarettes.
K.C. Crosthwaite replaced the former chief executive of JUUL Labs. He was a top official at Altria, which is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco and cigarettes. Crosthwaite is taking the same tactics that cigarette companies use to profit off of people without regard to their well-being to the vape world.
Cigarette companies had fruity-flavored products that targeted young people until 2009, when they were made illegal. Who do we know now that has fruity-flavored products?
There were celebrities who were paid by cigarette companies to endorse their products in magazine ads. These ads were a way to glamorize cigarettes in the same way artists are seen hitting vapes in music videos.
There is a current epidemic of underage people smoking and dying of lung disease. The blame is put on the kids who don’t know what they are putting into their bodies and not on the vape companies that know exactly what is going into their products. People put the fault on kids for being addicted and not on vape CEOs who advertise their products to a population that is proven to be impulsive and at risk of addiction.
Like what you see, come visit us!
Story by:
Mariana Cardenas, senior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/health/juul-vaping.htmlhttps://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/tobacco/reports-resources/sotc/by-the-numbers/10-really-bad-things-the.html (paywall)
Coping with Grief as a College Student
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Allison Niemiec, a first year graduate student in the Higher Education Administrative Track program, from Cedar Grove, NJ (Essex County). She shares, “I wanted to write about coping with grief in response to a lot of the current events that surround mental health in higher education. There was a lot of conversation about these topics in my graduate classes, and I was able to see the impact that these events have on college students.”
Death is a sensitive topic and unexpected event that can cause an individual to experience a variety of different emotions and reactions. The emotions or reactions an individual has in response to loss is often referred to as grief (Thai and Moore, 2018). In college, students already deal with multiple stresses such as with academics, finances, friendships, adjusting to campus, and many more, which can be amplified when dealing with loss and grief.
A Residential Assistant named Meghan Auer (2019) explains her experience of coping with grief after receiving the shocking news of the death of a dormitory resident that she used to work with. Meghan provides some insight as to what potential steps are toward coping with grief as a college student and student leader. For one, Meghan discusses the importance of processing and taking time to breathe immediately after hearing the news about death (Auer, 2019). She suggests that at this moment an individual will be faced with a variety of emotions at once such as frustration, denial, or feeling overwhelmed. Taking deep breaths helps to clear your mind from feeling these emotions as intensely and calling a close friend can provide positive support (Auer, 2019).
Second, it will be important to let employers or professors know about your loss so that they are aware of the situation and can provide accommodations (Auer, 2019). For example, informing a professor about your loss may be important in the event that you need to travel for services or need an extension on an assignment.
Third, the most important part of the healing process is engaging in self-care. Self-care can appear in a variety of different ways, but can include activities such as creating a routine that provides structure to your day, surrounding yourself with positive people, participating in hobbies that bring forth joy, exercising, and many more (Auer, 2019). In some cases, wellness resources such as group or individual counseling can also help an individual have another environment to talk about their experience with loss and learn more tips on how to cope with grief (Auer, 2019).
Overall, dealing with loss can cause a range of different emotions and reactions in an individual and is most commonly referred to as grief. As a college student the feeling of grief can seem overwhelming especially when dealing with other stressors such as finances, relationships, academics, and getting used to the college environment. Giving yourself time to process the news of the death, informing professors and employers about your loss, and participating in self-care are all beneficial steps towards coping with grief as a college student.
Like what you see, learn more about our healthy-campus iniatives!
Story by:
Allison Niemiec, first year graduate student in the Higher Education Administrative Track program, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References
Auer, M. (2019, November 8). Coping with Grief and Loss as a College Student. Retrieved from
https://psychcentral.com/lib/coping-with-grief-and-loss-as-a-college-student/
Thai, C. L., & Moore, J. F. (2018). Grief and bereavement in young adult college students: A review of the literature and implications for practice and research. Communication Research Trends, 37(4), 4-29. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2167696443?accountid=13605
Volunteer for Your Well-being
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Roxy Urso, junior Biology major from Barnegat, NJ (Ocean County). Roxy felt inspired by her love of volunteering to write this article. She shares: “There is more to it than just getting hours for school or to look good on applications. It can be very beneficial for a person’s mental health as well. I hope this article will involve more people in the programs Rowan has to offer that are centered around volunteering after they see the value it can have.”
Giving a small piece of a day to help someone — whether it is a friend or someone new — can make a huge difference in how people view themselves. There is something about giving time to others that gives a sense of love and appreciation that is hard to find through any other means.
Being college students, we often get lost in the dizzying cycle of school, friends, and oftentimes work. It feels like there is often not much else out there besides the college campus we reside in, however there is a huge community of people surrounding the local campus, as well as the area.
A great way college students can refocus their sense of purpose and learn more about who they are is through volunteering. By volunteering with true intentions to genuinely help someone, studies have shown that people who chose to volunteer have less stress and anxiety, helps fight depressions, and stay more physically healthy (Segal 2019).
Volunteering allows people to make meaningful connections with people, either bonding while volunteering, or making connections with the people being helped. There has even been multiple studies to show that volunteering will help lower blood pressure as people age (Segal 2019).
There are so many resources to find volunteering sites, on campus and in the community. A great resource is the Office of Volunteerism, Community Engagement and Commuter Services. They offer multiple trips and events weekly that can allow a student to volunteer, even if it’s just for an hour during the week.
Any opportunity to volunteer will prove tremendous benefits for mental, as well as physical, health. There are multiple opportunities around campus, as well as in the community, that will help reap those benefits.
Like what you see, learn more about our healthy campus initiatives!
Story by:
Roxy Urso, junior biology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References
Segal, J., & Robinson, L. (2019, November 26). Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits.
Grit & Greatness
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Jessica Hassell, a second-year Higher Education Administration graduate student from Owings Mills, Md. Jess wrote this article to help the Rowan community. She shares: “Fear can be paralyzing. I was inspired to write this article because I was so worried about success that it was stopping me from being my best self. I hope that this article will help other Rowan University students not be afraid to fail and to persevere.”
Failure is a scary word. In the collegiate environment, failure is associated with under-achievement, incompetence or a lack of trying. As college students, there is a tendency to get stuck in the dichotomy of success or failure. This manner of thinking can result in every nonsuccess: raising stress levels, being demotivating, or even debilitating (Shelton, 2017). Therefore, students must reorient their thinking to understand each “failure” as a growth experience.
When success is determined by grades, deadlines, expectations and a long list of involvements, it is difficult for college students to manage coursework, jobs, clubs and a social life with health and emotional well-being. If an individual finds themselves incapacitated by a nonsuccess, employing mindfulness can help manage the stresses being experienced (Shelton, 2017). Having an awareness of oneself, challenges and support systems can cultivate an internal shift wherein growth from failure is acceptable.
That being said, there exists no person who sets out to undertake a task and enjoys it when their efforts lead to a lack of success. The result of an unexpected outcome can leave individuals questioning their abilities, but this should not be the case. Mistakes or unexpected outcomes are necessary for experimentation, problem-solving and increasing efficiency (Driscoll, 1989; Shelton, 2017). As such, it can be helpful to remember that success is only the expected or desired outcome. Understanding what does not work can only help when developing strategies to inform future courses of action. Without unexpected results, there is no push for innovation, so the opportunity to fail should be embraced (Driscoll, 1989).
Grit is a better word. To have grit means to have the courage and ability to overcome obstacles and challenges. Recognizing one’s capacity for psychological grit, wherein an individual has the passion and perseverance to achieve their long-term goals, can ease the stress of a failure (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007; Vonderheyde, 2017). Moreover, each nonsuccess and subsequent attempt to continue teach us a greater lesson about our capacity to persevere.
Like what you see, learn more about our healthy campus initiatives!
Story by:
Jessica Hassell, second-year higher education administration graduate student, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References
Driscoll, D. (1989). The Benefits Of Failure. Sales and Marketing Management, 141(5), 46. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211806229/
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Muenks, K., Wigfield, A., Yang, J. S., & O’Neal, C. R. (2017). How true is grit? assessing its relations to high school and college students’ personality characteristics, self-regulation, engagement, and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(5), 599-620. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.rowan.edu/10.1037/edu0000153
Shelton, I. G., Jr. (2017). A generic qualitative investigation of academic stress in college students in the 21st century (Order No. 10608475). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; Social Science Premium Collection. (1947584353). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/docview/1947584353?accountid=13605
Vonderheyde, E. (2017). The relationship between mindfulness and stress among college students.
Why It’s Okay To Be Emotionally Vulnerable
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Marco Imperiale, freshman psychology major, from Toms River, NJ (Ocean County). He hopes his article, “Encourages the Rowan community to know it’s okay to be vulnerable. Everyone at one stage in life was placed in a situation that they had felt vulnerable and it may seem uncomfortable to let your guard down, but if you do so there is the only chance for growth
in one’s self or in a relationship.”
According to Google, “vulnerability is the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed emotionally”. For as long as we know it, the stigma of emotional vulnerability has been associated with unprotectedness, defenselessness, or essentially anything that can make a person seem weak. However, research says otherwise, In Brené Brown’s TedTalk “The power of vulnerability” she goes onto explain how being vulnerable actually leads to a life of “meaningful human experiences”. Then goes on to say “It opens us up to love, joy, creativity, and empathy.”
It is acknowledged that to become emotionally vulnerable one must let down their guard, which can be mortifying due to the consequence of no guarantee, but the act of being emotionally vulnerable is more than just spilling out feelings. It allows us to say “ I love you” with the chance for someone to say it back, it allows a child to come out as gay to their parents with the opportunity for acceptance, and it allows the ability to liberate one’s self from a toxic relationship. What these situations have in common is the ability to portray strength, courage, and fortitude, all characteristics that encourage growth.
In a sense, vulnerability is the essence of emotions, a passageway to a more intrinsic way of life because “to feel is to be vulnerable” – Brené Brown.
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives!
Story by:
Marco Imperiale, freshmen psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Reference Page
Tartakovsky, M. (2018, July 8). 3 Myths about Vulnerability. Retrieved from
https://psychcentral.com/blog/3-myths-about-vulnerability/
Brown, B. (n.d.). Transcript of “The power of vulnerability”. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability/transcript?language=en
As We Evolve, So Does Our Music
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Allegra Giannini, junior English major, from South Brunswick, NJ (Middlesex County.) Allegra wrote this article to connect the Rowan community. She shares, “I wrote this piece on music because I feel that music is a universal thing that connects humans together. From the meme in Bee Movie where he asks, “Ya like jazz?” music never fails to be a talking point. I’ve met countless people who have said music has saved their lives or impacted them in an equally large way. Ask practically anyone who their favorite musical artist is, and you see their eyes light up. It’s one of my favorite things because it makes me happy to see people talk so passionately about something. My article talks about how normal it is to let music have an impact on you. How it’s been clinically proven that the right music can decrease anxiety and simultaneously elevate your mood. It’s an important, yet overlooked part of our lives. But it’s a discussion worth having.”
Music has been around since the dawn of time. It began most likely with a rhythmic beating of rocks against a hard surface, and humming, to downloading a music program and mixing sounds with a keyboard. One easy way to study societal evolution is by exploring the wide range of music. Most people on this planet have a type in music. The answers often heard range from rock, indie, rap, R&B, the list is endless. One interesting question though, is what makes people have a taste? Do people tend to enjoy music they’ve grown up on? Or is it scientifically speaking people’s neurological reactions to the aesthetic sounds created. Perhaps both answers are true, but maybe there is one more. The other answer would be where one is developmentally influences the kind of music they listen to. Not just because of rhythm or melody, but perhaps because of the lyrics.
What do people most remember about songs? Everyone has done that thing where they try to look up a song in Google, but can’t remember the title so they either type in the rhythm which looks something like, “that song that goes dum da dee dum.” Or they Google a snippet of the lyrics, they may Google, “Same as it ever was” and learn the song they were looking for is “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads. Whatever the case may be, they Google the lyrics that stuck out to them the most, the ones they resonate with. Maybe the lyric “same as it ever was” perfectly describes how they feel on the inside. Those lyrics hit home, they mean something to them.
If people correlate how their lives are going with songs, they may find that they gravitate towards artists, albums or songs they feel perfectly encapsulates how they are mentally feeling, or brings up a memory. An article written by Nancy Shute for NPR from September 2013 said, “Music is a powerful cue for retrieving strong personal memories — when you kissed that girl at summer camp; the blue polka-dot dress you wore to prom; how lonely you were freshman year.” (Shute, npr.org)
That article may be from 7 years ago, but the message still stands. Music is a lot more powerful than some give it credit. Hearing a song can change someone’s mood instantaneously. It is important that it’s power is embraced. So, when the going gets tough, it’s a good idea to put on a song. Make a “Happy Times” playlist, or even a “Rad and Sad” playlist. Sometimes listening to the songs that bring on the tears is just as healthy. What’s most important is embracing the effect music has on one’s personality.
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives!
Story by:
Allegra Giannini, junior English major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Me Time
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Autumn Gittinger, senior communication studies major, from Gibbstown, NJ (Gloucester County). She wrote this article in hopes to encourage a student to take a break and feel less guilty for wanting time for themselves.
In today’s society especially within college campuses, we make taking time for ourselves to be on the back burner. We often feel like “me time” is a waste of time and we constantly remind ourselves of the other hundred things we should be doing instead of doing nothing.
Though often we make people feel guilty for focusing on themselves. As a result many think finding time for themselves is not worth it (Carter, 2012.) But taking time for yourself is important, it gives your brain a chance to reboot, increases your productivity, concentration and helps you solve problems more effectively (Carter, 2012.) It also increases your self-awareness and helps you discover or rediscover your own voice (Carter, 2012.) Guilt is a big part of why “me time” is often thrown to the side, but how do we work to overcome the guilt? There are some things to remind ourselves to help lessen the guiltiness of self-care.
First, is to remember that spending time alone will benefit those around you, because it will leave you in a better state of mind to take care and help those you care about. Secondly, taking “me time” will be time well spent because it will improve our happiness and ultimately make us happier people to be around. Lastly, spending time alone will prevent and combat burnout (Carter, 2012.) Which majority of people in college can relate to since we all have so many things to think and worry about on a daily basis.
As college students we may understand how important it is to take time for oneself, but we may not know how. In a Psychology Today article titled, “Why You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About Stealing a Little Time for Yourself” by Dr. Sherrie Bourg Carter. Carter suggests things such as waking up a little earlier, or using some of lunch time, and temporarily disconnecting from our devices. If these tricks don’t work then we could focus on our schedules. We can look at what time can be consolidated or what can be postponed in order to make time for ourselves (Carter, 2012.) Something that is important to remember is that when it comes to taking alone time, it does not mean you need hours and hours of time. We can all start off small and see how it works in our own lives.
Like what you see, learn more about our healthy campus initiatives!
Story by:
Autumn Gittinger, senior communication studies major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Sources:
Carter Bourg, Sherrie (2012). “Why You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About Stealing a Little Time for Yourself”. Psychology Today. Retrieved from:
Perseverance
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Abby Broschard, junior Nutrition & Dietetics major from Ocean City, NJ (Cape May County). Abby hopes after reading the article,”The reader feels a bit of hope that the struggles they face and handle are not in vain. Instead, I hope it can feel reassuring to know our struggles are rather a fundamental process for character growth and development.”
“No matter what circumstances, when faced with disappointment, pain or hardship, our response ultimately comes down to one of two choices: to open, or close. The things we experience are often out of our control, but we regain our autonomy in whether we allow ourselves to be pried open to the world around us, or if we, in quite understandable fear, close. I made a promise to myself that afternoon that no matter the unknowns that headed my way, I would be someone who opened.”
This quote is from a letter written as a parting gift from a high school English teacher. She was one of the first who helped me understand how to perceive my circumstances and take on challenges within my life. Referring to our natural responses to circumstances as ‘to open or close’ resembles closely to research conducted by Carol Dweck, who has introduced the concept of identifying the traits of a “fixed or growth” mindset. In “Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives,” Maria Popova explains Dweck’s research:
“A ‘fixed mindset’ assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static givens which we can’t change in any meaningful way, and success is the affirmation of that inherent intelligence, an assessment of how those givens measure up against an equally fixed standard; striving for success and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled. A ‘growth mindset,’ on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities,” (Dweck, Popova, 2014).
We are all amid one of the greatest unknowns in our lives thus far, and navigating our lives everyday is an incredible feat within itself. We must take ownership in our direction, even if it means dancing along in the shadows of our uncertainties. Further, in order to heal, grow and thrive under any circumstances, we must acknowledge our hardships, learn from these experiences and go on to try again. By trusting the process and honoring the progression of our lives, it is certain that we will be able to foresee light. ♡
Like what you see, learn more about our healthy campus initiatives!
Story by:
Abby Broschard, junior nutrition & dietetics major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Reference:
Dweck, C., Popova, M. Fixed vs. growth: the two basic mindsets that shape our lives. January 2014. Retrieved from www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/
Why It’s Important to Say No
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Autumn Vilches-Cruz, junior psychology major from Cherry Hill, NJ (Camden County.) She shares, “I think this article will help the Rowan community because everyone has the power to put themselves first, and it all starts with saying no!”
In every individual’s life, there is a struggle to say “no.” When our plates are piled with things to do, and places to be, there is a standard we all hold ourselves to, where we want to commit to as much as we can.
However, there comes a point in everyone’s lives when the schedules we make for ourselves become overwhelming and taxing on the body. As humans, there is only so much we can do in a day. Committing too many things in a day can have harmful effects on your mind and body, so why put more on your plate than you can handle? Here are some benefits to saying “no.”
- More time can be dedicated toward getting rest. If your schedule is piled up with commitments, your body will pay for it! By using the power of saying “no,” a door is opened up to more time for rest and recovery.
- Other people’s priorities will not take precedence over yours. According to Michael Hyatt’s article “5 Reasons You Need to Get Better at Saying No,” if a person doesn’t offer rejection, then their life is then piled up with another person’s life. If a person piles too much on their plate, other people’s priorities become our own. Everyone has their own schedule and personal priorities to take care of. We cannot take care of other people if we can’t take care of ourselves.
- We will be able to say yes to the really important things. Think about it. If a person’s schedule is too full, they won’t be able to commit to things they really need time for. This would mean less time for family, friends, school work and social engagements, to name a few. When your schedule is piled up, there won’t be time to dedicate towards these things. By saying no, a person’s schedule is more cleared up to say yes to more important things!
By saying no now, this can mean a better yes later! If anyone is having trouble saying no, consider thinking about, or using these tips before thinking about what your “yes” is needed for.
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives.
Story by:
Autumn Vilches-Cruz, junior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Michael Hyatt. “5 Reasons Why You Need to Get Better at Saying ‘No.’” Michael Hyatt, 29 Nov. 2019
The SHOP: On-Campus Food Pantry and Resource Center [VIDEO]
The SHOP (Students Helping Other Profs) is Rowan University’s first ever on-campus food pantry and resource center available to students in need. With a particular focus on addressing issues of food insecurity, The SHOP offers a range of free and confidential support services that can connect students with appropriate campus and community resources.
Video by:
Iridian Gonzalez, senior journalism major
Dean Powers, sophomore radio/TV/film major
Music by:
Louis Testa, junior jazz studies major
The Five Aspects, Not Stages, of Grief
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Allegra Giannini, junior English major, who wrote this article about grief because it is a common, yet misunderstood, process.
Grieving is something human beings must encounter at some point in their lives. It is inevitable; however, it can be manageable. 
There seem to be many misconceptions about grief. Often times people tend to think grieving is only applicable when someone dies, like a family member, friend or pet.
In reality, people grieve a variety of things all the time. Grief can be defined as the immense pain accompanied with loss — it does not always accompany death.
The five stages of the grieving process are practically universally known. They are taught in school. “Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance” — that is the Kübler-Ross model introduced in the late 1960s. Since then, it has remained in textbooks and been regarded as accurate, but what if it isn’t per se?
Sometimes it’s easy to apply those five stages, to have that formula. It can be easy for anyone to think, “I’m in the depression phase now, next will be acceptance in a few months.” It’d be nice if it worked like that.
Help Guide, a nonprofit mental health and wellness organization, published an article in June 2019 by Melinda Smith, Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal. In the article it states loud and clear, “You do not have to go through each stage in order to heal” (Robinson, Smith, Segal, 2019). Grief can be a rollercoaster, with peaks and valleys. Some times can be easier than others, and that is perfectly common. It can be argued that while the five stages make sense, instead of stages, they are merely aspects. They can be a guideline for grief, but not set in stone.
If it’s been years, months, weeks, days … even if it has been three seconds, there may often be an aching and heart-wrenching feeling, and it’s okay. The idea that grief is a linear process that will one day be over is simply not true, and that’s also okay. The worst thing a grieving person can do is push themselves into feeling better, it takes time. It takes introspection and guidance from peers, family and possibly professionals.
Grief does not always accompany death. It accompanies loss — loss of a friendship, loss of a house, a car, etc. Whatever loss it may be, it is valid and real. The most important thing is that a grieving person takes the time to heal, however their individual process is.
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives!
Story by:
Allegra Giannini, junior English major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References:
Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2019, June 17). Coping with Grief and Loss. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm#
Period Shame
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Autumn Bowman, senior Communication Studies major, who 
wrote this article to start a health discussion.
She shares: “There are a lot of topics that we avoid talking about because of stigma, and stigma breeds secrecy. Stigmas can only be broken by creating open spaces for communication. As someone who studies communication, I think creating open spaces for sexual and reproductive health can help explore these health topics in a more open and honest way.”
wrote this article to start a health discussion.She shares: “There are a lot of topics that we avoid talking about because of stigma, and stigma breeds secrecy. Stigmas can only be broken by creating open spaces for communication. As someone who studies communication, I think creating open spaces for sexual and reproductive health can help explore these health topics in a more open and honest way.”
“You’re becoming a woman.” As wonderful as this sounds, this is the first introduction to period shame young people with uteruses experience. Even in America, a more period-tolerant country, our language surrounding periods barely ever includes the word ‘period’, or —God forbid — ‘blood.’ Advertisements for period products had never even shown blood on their products until 2011 and even now, even mentioning periods can get met with a groan of disgust, or an accusation of oversharing. But why are they so taboo?
Period shame is the social stigma surrounding menstruation created by misconceptions and misunderstandings. One study conducted with backing from THINX, a menstrual product company, concluded that its effects have an incredible reach. For example, the research survey showed that 58% of women have felt embarrassed simply for being on their period and 44% refer to their period by different, ‘more palatable’ names. By being made to feel ashamed, people with uteruses are less likely to have fact seeking behaviors surrounding their period. And, since not many people speak freely about them it can be hard, especially for young people, to get real information about what is happening with their bodies.
Later in life, these same people continue to experience ridicule over their periods. Almost half, 44%, of men have admitted to making comments about their partner’s mood while they were on their period. These stereotypes reinforce a need to keep periods a secret. However, periods also come with a lot of pain — which is expected to be masked by those enduring it. If it isn’t spoken about and it’s supposed to be a secret when it’s happening, how can it be fully understood and accepted as a healthy and normal?
In a society where people with uteruses make up half of the population, it doesn’t quite make sense why something the vast majority experience is seen as something to be ashamed of. There is no reason to be ashamed of a healthy body performing its natural functions. Without periods and uteruses, humankind would not exist. Conversations had about periods are not inappropriate — they are vital to providing factual, empowering information, to counteract the societal shame we have instilled in people with uteruses.
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives.
Story by:
Autumn Bowman, senior communications studies major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Reference
Siebert, V. (2018). Nearly half of women have experienced ‘period shaming’ . Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2018/01/03/nearly-half-of-women-have-experienced-period-shaming/
The Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Autumn Vilches-Cruz, junior Psychology major, who finds receiving an adequate amount of sleep is super important for college students. She explains how busy schedules require enough energy that life demands.
She hopes this article will help the Rowan community by making students understand that without a good amount of sleep each day, there can be harmful effects that impact your physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Sleep is a fundamental part of our everyday lives. It’s what helps humans 
function, grow and recharge within just hours. When students decide to go into the next step in their lives and go to college, one of the things students lose is sleep. Most college students get an average of six hours of sleep each night, while the recommended amount of sleep for young adults is 7-9 hours a night (MayoClinic). When a person doesn’t get enough sleep each night, it can come with consequences.
Why do we need sleep? Not getting enough sleep can result in things like feeling physically, mentally and emotionally drained, along with weight gain, lower academic performance and more. All of these things can be detrimental to the mind and body, and here’s why. When people don’t get enough sleep, there is a lack of focus and alertness. This can cause things like lower academic performance and car accidents. Someone who doesn’t get enough sleep is more likely to gain weight because it causes changes to hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. The hormone leptin helps to regulate energy balance by restraining hunger. When there is a lack of sleep, this causes leptin to encourage the body to eat more, which leads to weight gain. Overall, getting a good night’s sleep can help humans function and live an overall better life.
Here are some tips on how to get a good night’s rest!
- Reduce daytime naps: While naps feel great and assist in recharging when an individual hasn’t had enough sleep, it actually causes a decrease in the amount of sleep individuals receive each night. A power nap of up to 30 minutes is not totally detrimental to sleep, but longer nap periods can throw off a person’s normal sleep schedule.
- Wake up earlier, and go to bed early: Waking up an hour earlier before the normal school day begins can help individuals wake up and start the day right. Waking up an hour early can make it easier to fall asleep at night because the hour a person woke up is one hour of sleep lost. This makes it easier to fall asleep because then people come to bed ready to sleep.
- Crack the window open or sleep with a fan: It is proven that lower temperatures aid in sleeping! This means a fan or overall cold air can help put people to sleep faster.
- Limit electronic usage: Limiting phone use before bed can help individuals fall asleep. If a person turns off the lights and immediately plays on a phone/tablet/computer, this is exposing them to blue light, which limits the melatonin hormone from doing its job of making people fall asleep!
For a college student, perfect sleep can be hard to achieve, but there are many ways to help aid in getting a good night’s sleep!
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives.
Story by:
Autumn Vilches-Cruz, junior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References
“How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Need?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 6 June 2019, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/faq-20057898
Quit Vaping
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Mariana Cardenas, senior Psychology major, who wrote this article because of what she’s observed around her. She explains, “I have seen my friends go from saying that they vape because it is just water vapor (it’s not) to then being worried from seeing others in hospitals over vaping and wanting to quit so badly. But many struggle with quitting because they don’t know how to start or they have attempted many times but it being too difficult to deal with the nicotine withdrawals.”
Know it is time to quit vaping, but don’t know where to start?
At this point, we have all seen the social media posts of friends in hospitals vowing to quit vaping. It may have been unclear in the past of the effects that these devices could have on our bodies. Older people talking about the effects just seemed ridiculous. But the research is out now, and it has become apparent that the stuff coming out of vapes should not be going anywhere in our bodies.
Along with all too well known physical effects the chemicals in vapes have on our bodies, there are also several behavioral effects. This includes anxiety and permanently lowered impulse control (thetruth.com).
You may be in a mindset where you know you should ditch the vape, but not know how to start. For some, quitting can feel overwhelming. It may be difficult to imagine yourself without your vape (teen.smokefree.gov).
First, set up a plan and take on your quit journey one step at a time. Most importantly, establish a support system, which can be as simple as letting your friends know about your plans to quit.
Do not be discouraged by slip-ups; instead, celebrate the progress you have made.
Identify triggers and try to avoid them if possible — feelings, things, people or places that give you the urge to vape.
Get ready for withdrawals. Mood changes due to nicotine withdrawal are typically temporary while your body adjusts to being nicotine-free. Keep in mind that the longer you go without nicotine, the better you will feel. When you are having an especially tough day, think back to why you chose to quit in the first place.
Create a simple phrase of your reason for quitting. Write it down somewhere you will constantly see, like your phone’s lock screen, to remind you of your goals.
These are all suggestions. Some of these steps may work well for you and others may not. Do not compare your quit journey to others because all our bodies work differently.
Best of wishes to you in your future healthier life.
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Story by:
Mariana Cardenas, senior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Eat More, It’s Good for You
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Grace Van Cleef, senior Psychology and Communication Studies double major, who wrote this article because she recently started consistently meal prepping. She shares, “My meals are more consistent and healthy now, and I think about my diet in a way I never did before. I know a lot of college students who skip meals simply because they don’t have the time or money to eat, and I wanted to write something addressing that.”
We’ve all been there. It’s 8 p.m., you just got home after a long day 
of classes, and a complaint from your stomach reminds you that you haven’t eaten a meal since last night. Sometimes class schedules cut straight through normal meal times. Sometimes homework that’s due in a few hours takes priority over finding time to eat. Sometimes the 10-a-week meal plan just doesn’t cut it. But one way or another, sometimes we fill up on our morning coffee and don’t eat a meal for 18 hours or more. Perhaps the meals were replaced with snacks: a granola bar, goldfish, maybe a banana. Oh, well. It can’t be that unhealthy, right? Our culture is always pushing diets that rely on intermittent fasting and calorie cutting. Using this logic, it’s easy to justify skipping meals as healthy.
But how does skipping meals truly influence your health? According to the Health Sciences Center at the University of Louisville, skipping meals is not a good tactic for weight management. In fact, it can have several negative impacts on overall health, both physically and mentally. Skipping meals means the body has less energy to run on, because bodies get their fuel from food. This can cause headaches and feelings of fatigue, sluggishness, weakness, or shakiness. Then, skipping meals can lead to getting — so hungry that all the brain can think about is food. However, this means that once eating is finally an option, our bodies and brains push us to overeat or choose whatever is fast and easy, which usually isn’t very healthy. Finally, as a response to not eating for long periods of time, the body lowers its metabolism and conserves energy by burning fewer calories. This means that eating a large, unhealthy, meal at the end of a day of involuntary fasting will retain more of those calories and actually cause weight gain, contrary to the goal of popular diets such as intermittent fasting. Skipping meals can lead to all sorts of health detriments, and worst of all, it feels terrible.
As a busy, broke college student, skipping meals might feel necessary just to get through the week. However, there are a number of ways to manage a busy schedule while still eating well. First, it is important to understand what to eat in order to stay satisfied longer. A good meal will have a combination of protein, carbs and fats, and will satisfy hunger for 4-6 hours. Fruits and vegetables are important for the vitamins and fiber they contain as well. Bodies need all of these components to create blood sugar, and when blood sugar drops too low, it contributes to feelings of hunger. If meals or snacks lack one of these components, blood sugar will drop sooner and our bodies won’t be satisfied for as long. For example, eating a banana alone will only satisfy hunger for an hour or two, while eating a banana on toast (a carb) with peanut butter (which contains protein and fat) will satisfy hunger for much longer. In order to stay satisfied on a busy schedule, make sure every meal contains these components.
Plan classes around meal times so there’s time to use Tapingo. Alternatively, plan meals and snacks in advance to take to class or work. Having a well fed, well fueled body means more energy and strength to make it through a long day of running from class to class. Eating consistently is healthier and feels better than skipping meals.
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives.
Story by:
Grace Van Cleef, senior psychology and communication studies major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References
University of Louisville Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine. (2005). Perils of Skipping Meals [Pamphlet]. Retrieved from https://louisville.edu/medicine/departments/familymedicine/files/L081611.pdf
The Importance Of Recognizing Disordered Eating Behaviors
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Meet Caleb Jones, junior Psychology major, who wrote this article to bring awareness to an issue not often talked about. He shares, “There is increased recognition and desti
gmatization of eating disorders, but still little discussion about disordered eating behaviors that may not seem so obvious or extreme.”
At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S. (Hudson, Hiripi, Pope & Kessler, 2007). In recent years, various groups have been working to end the stigma associated with eating disorders. Many of us are aware of the types of eating disorders there are and their symptoms. However, we rarely discuss disordered eating behaviors. Those who partake in disordered eating behaviors may not fit all criteria necessary to be diagnosed with an eating disorder, but this does not mean that these behaviors should be ignored.
It is also possible that individuals may not even recognize their disordered eating behaviors, especially if these practices have been a part of their lives for a long period of time. This is why it is important for us all to check in with ourselves when it comes to how we think about food. What are our attitudes, opinions and feelings about what we put in our bodies? How does this relate to how we feel about ourselves?
Disordered eating behaviors may include but are not limited to: restricting, excessive calorie and macronutrient counting, rigid rituals and routines surrounding food and exercise, shame and guilt associated with eating, and hyperfixation on weight and appearance. It is important to note these patterns in ourselves as they may be a sign that we have the potential for developing a full-blown eating disorder.
Recognizing these behaviors before they get worse gives us the opportunity to protect our mental and physical health from declining before things spiral out of control. There is no shame in struggling with an eating disorder, nor disordered eating behaviors, and everybody deserves the support or treatment they need in regards to bettering their relationship with food.
Like what you see? Learn more about our healthy campus initiatives.
Story by:
Caleb Jones, junior psychology major, Wellness Center intern
Photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
References
Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope, H. G., & Kessler, R.C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication. Biological Psychiatry, 61(3), 348–358.
The Mental Health Benefits of Cosplay
This article is part of a running series with Rowan University’s Wellness Center. This collaboration aims to educate students about personal well-being options. For further updates, follow @RowanUWellness on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Meet Allison Niemiec, a first year graduate student in the Higher Education Administrative Track program, who wrote this article because cosplay has been […]
Faculty PROFile: College of Education’s Angela Beale-Tawfeeq
Meet Dr. Angela Beale-Tawfeeq, Associate Professor of Health and Physical Education Teacher Education within the College of Education.
What is your area of expertise? My area of expertise is program 
development and evaluation for minority communities, drowning prevention and aquatic safety among African American and Hispanic/Latino populations, youth development and culturally responsive teaching.
I currently serve as a member of the American Red Cross, Scientific Advisory Council, Aquatic Sub Council, and the director of education and research for Diversity in Aquatics, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization whose mission is to save lives and reduce the incidence of drowning through global efforts.
Share an “aha!” moment you’ve had within your discipline that made you feel passionate about your field? When I came to realize that I could transform the perception of the field of health and physical education by showing how physical education can have a positive effect on public health. The perception of physical education and health education often times has been limited to stereotypical images of the “coach” with a whistle using their “outside voice” to encourage students to participate in physical education classes, hence physical activity. When I came to understand that I could become a “change agent” in my community, combining my love of family, culturally relevant pedagogy, social justice, to encourage youth through physical education/health and wellness, I strive to teach my students to view themselves as agents of change who will teach in classrooms with more than walls and balls.
Share with us one aspect of student engagement that you enjoy most, and why? The opportunity to empower communities and students to empower themselves with relevant and inspiring educational experiences that will enable them to take control of their lives, shape their career goals, imagine future endeavors and become active participants in their scholastic journey.
Describe an experience you’ve had with a student that made you feel excited about educating the next generation in your field? One of the most challenging aspects of academia is finding out how you will be able to add to the body of literature in one’s professional field in the areas of research, service and teaching. At times, I have struggled with finding my voice among the structured parameters of research which defines worth by one’s ability to “conduct a systematic investigation of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.” It is my belief that as an educator one must have or be willing to gain a true knowledge of the students and their world to present content that can evoke an intrinsic response.
From 2008 – 2013, I developed Project Guard: Make A Splash E.N.D.N.Y, an aquatic and water safety initiative developed for schools and community organizations to foster respect, responsibility and relevance. Project Guard: Make A Splash E.N.D.N.Y was a collaborative venture among the (ARC) American Red Cross of Long Island, USA Olympic Swimming: Make A Splash Initiative, Adelphi University, the Teaching for Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) Alliance and a neighboring local school district. It was this collaborative opportunity with students, at both the university and K-12 levels, that I believe that whether we are teaching in the local public schools or in an institution of higher education that we are supposed to provide students with relevant curriculum that will be meaningful and not dehumanizing to them. I believe we should design programs and opportunities because we believe that if we do not lead by example, we cannot expect our students to follow and model what they have learned and been taught.
I believe we teach because we believe that students are supposed to be researchers, problem solvers, critical thinkers, learners and much more. I believe we teach because we believe that students should be able to believe that goals in life are always achievable as long as they do not give in. I believe we teach because we believe that 
providing relevant physical education and physical activity may require collaborations beyond school. We do it because we know that students must be “global citizens” and culturally aware and be prepared to use strategies that will sustain them whether in the classroom and in life, for “a new world order is in the making, and it is up to us to prepare ourselves that we may take our rightful place in it” (el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, Malcolm X, 1963).
What is one thing you wish people knew about your academic discipline or your research focus? One of the things that I wish people knew about the field? It is more than a field of play. One purpose of health education physical education methods courses is to help preservice teachers develop an understanding of, and acquire, the pedagogical skills needed to facilitate learning through movement. As a professional, I strive to engage stakeholders in the K-12 experience. I believe that through the creation of innovative programs, embedded in the richness of the culture, curricula, and communities, that we are all a part of, we will begin to create the next generation of effective teachers who are truly reflective of the students and communities they serve.
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Story and photography by:
Alyssa Bauer, senior public relations major
Pre-College Institute Alumna Shares Her Story
Meet Pre-College Institute (PCI) alumna Yaniris Patton-Cintron, a 2016 graduate from The Department of Health and Exercise Science. She is from Mullica Hill, NJ (Gloucester County) and works for Inspira. Today, she will share with us how PCI helped shape her Rowan experience.
What inspired you to choose your major? “I have always been in health care, so I came to Rowan wanting to do Physical Therapy (PT), but Rowan did not have the program. So, I switched and stayed with Psychology. After my first semester, I went into Athletic Training. Then I was like ‘No, I don’t want do just [work with] athletes, I want [to work with] special populations, so then — health and wellness.”
What do you do at Inspira?
“I’m a patient engagement specialist for Population Health, where I facilitate transition care from emergency room visit follow-ups to preventative care outreach. Inspira likes to make sure that our patients are not left behind or alone with their next steps in health care.”
How did the PCI program help you prepare for the Rowan experience? “They do a lot of outreach with their students. I’m almost considered a first-generation college student, and I still wanted to do something that was not too broad. I wanted to work with special populations. Health care in my family was a little bit different, so I felt, well, ‘What special populations can I reach out to?’ And that is what Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) did.”
How did EOF help you? “I’m a William Myers scholarship recipient through EOF, [which] had a lot of specialized things. They had a lot of workshops that were tailored to what you wanted to do and honed in on what your skills are. EOF allowed you to be your own person. A lot of programs have a set thing they want you to follow and they mold you into something, while EOF allowed you to mold yourself with their resources.”
What advice would you give for today’s future freshmen? Keep going. I’m actually still in college, I’m in nursing school. I finished my bachelor of science and now I’m tackling [my nursing degree] at Rowan College of South Jersey. One good thing is that Rowan is diverse, so there are a lot of things you can do. You’re not [restricted] to one major or one program.”
Like what you see, come visit us!
Story by:
Iridian Gonzalez, senior journalism major
MBA Alumnus and Medical Student Nathan Carroll
This is Nathan Carroll, a 38-year-old recent Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate from Washington, NJ (Warren County). Carroll is a prime example of using Rowan’s MBA program to its fullest potential.
After studying counseling and graduating from Rutgers University, Carroll worked for the Department of Child Protection and Permanency for nearly a decade. He then decided he wanted to have a greater impact on the medical field. In order to do so, he needed to study medicine. After extensive research on the medical schools in New Jersey, he fell in love with the one offered right here at Rowan University. On top of a medical degree, Carroll believed it was in his best interest to take on the Master of Business Administration as well. Although it was traditionally unconventional to pair an MBA with a medical degree, he knew it would be easier to understand the healthcare system. The MBA program looks at business systems and examines them from all disciplines of business — accounting, finance, marketing, management and statistical analysis. The business degree gives him a new perspective on the financial implications.
“Medicine is an Art, but Healthcare is a Business”
According to Carroll, “The better you know how to use business as a tool, the better you’re able to serve your patients. The better you’re able to understand the financial implications in the decisions that you’re making, the better you can serve your patients.”
Luckily, through Rowan’s accommodating facilities, Carroll was able to get 
his MBA at an accelerated rate and complete it within a year. In between attending classes at Rowan, he used his free time to start up businesses and charities in the medical field. The classes that had the most impact on Carroll’s career moving forward were Organizational Theory, International Business in Society, Statistical Methods and Marketing. Dr. Dominik, a Rowan professor, gave Carroll a worldly perspective and kept him engaged throughout his time at Rowan.
In the future, Carroll wants to go into psychiatry and start his own practice. With this MBA and medical degree he hopes to increase access of care to populations who might not be getting the mental health care they need, due to financial reasons.
He is currently in his third year of medical school and hopes to graduate in the next year.
Not only should you work for the program, you have to make the program work for you! Follow in Carroll’s footsteps and see just how far the Rowan MBA can do for you!
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VISIT CAMPUS
Story and photography by:
Chad Wittmann, senior journalism major
Juggling Two Internships To Prep For Graduate School
Emily Acton holds not just one internship but two – acting as a research assistant in the Health & Exercise Science Department here on campus and shadowing professional therapists at Woodstown Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab. Emily’s time at the rehab clinic, located close to her Pennsville (Salem County) home allows her to experience the professional life a […]
Green Dot: The Change That Starts with You
“If you see something, say something.” While this slogan was not created for the Green Dot program, it emphasizes the core idea behind it. Green Dot is a bystander intervention training program aimed to reduce power-based personal violence on Rowan campus. In 2014, a CDC funded study found a 50% reduction in sexual violence perpetration in […]