Attainable wellness habits for students
By Miller Rogers
November 20, 2024
As the midterm season comes to an end and the final weeks of the semester approach, it is easy to fall behind in your wellness habits. Here are some attainable wellness habits that can fit into your busy life as a college student.
Chetan Joshi, Ph.D director of the Counseling Center, recommends students participate in The Healthy Mind Platter developed by Dr. Dan Siegel. Everything on this health platter is what your brain needs on a daily basis to thrive, Joshi said.
The Healthy Mind Platter consists of seven essential habits: sleep time, physical time, focus time, downtime, playtime and connection time.
Focus time will involve close focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way as you take on challenges that make a deep connection in the brain.
With playtime, allow yourself to be spontaneous or creative. By playingfully enjoying novel experiences, you can help make new connections in the brain.
During connecting time, connect with other people, ideally in person. When you appreciate your connection to the world, you activate and reinforce the brain's relational circuitry.
Physical time should involve aerobic movement, if possible, as it can strengthen the brain in many ways.
With time in, you can quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, which help to better integrate the brain.
During downtime, be unfocused and let the mind wander, or simply relax to help the brain recharge.
Sleep time will give the brain the longer rest it needs, consolidating learning and recovering from the day's experiences.
Joshi recommends to all students to “Pick as many activities as possible from this platter and imbue them into your daily life in whatever big and small way possible.” The key idea is to imbue the habits into your daily lives in big and small ways, Joshi said.
For instance, Joshi explains that the platter calls for connecting time: "In between classes, go grab a coffee with your friend or go to lunch together."
He also notes that the platter calls for playtime: "You can combine connecting time and playtime by bringing your friends together for a game of soccer or Diablo or whatever game you like to engage with."
However, Joshi emphasizes, "Absolutely DO get away from social media. There is so much research out there now that clearly shows that engaging with social media contributes to mental health issues. Social media engagement comes with a lot of cost for very little benefit!"
If participating in The Healthy Mind Platter isn’t for you, here are other ways to create Attainable Wellness Habits.
Meditation through the University Health Center is offered every Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. The university offers Wind Down for the Weekend with instructors. Sessions will explore breathing practices and various meditation styles, along with time for guided reflection via Zoom.
The university’s RecWell Center also offers services for students who want to implement wellness habits into their routine, such as group fitness classes and other activities.
Chetan Joshi, Ph.D director of the Counseling Center, recommends students participate in The Healthy Mind Platter developed by Dr. Dan Siegel. Everything on this health platter is what your brain needs on a daily basis to thrive, Joshi said.
The Healthy Mind Platter consists of seven essential habits: sleep time, physical time, focus time, downtime, playtime and connection time.
Focus time will involve close focus on tasks in a goal-oriented way as you take on challenges that make a deep connection in the brain.
With playtime, allow yourself to be spontaneous or creative. By playingfully enjoying novel experiences, you can help make new connections in the brain.
During connecting time, connect with other people, ideally in person. When you appreciate your connection to the world, you activate and reinforce the brain's relational circuitry.
Physical time should involve aerobic movement, if possible, as it can strengthen the brain in many ways.
With time in, you can quietly reflect internally, focusing on sensations, images, feelings and thoughts, which help to better integrate the brain.
During downtime, be unfocused and let the mind wander, or simply relax to help the brain recharge.
Sleep time will give the brain the longer rest it needs, consolidating learning and recovering from the day's experiences.
Joshi recommends to all students to “Pick as many activities as possible from this platter and imbue them into your daily life in whatever big and small way possible.” The key idea is to imbue the habits into your daily lives in big and small ways, Joshi said.
For instance, Joshi explains that the platter calls for connecting time: "In between classes, go grab a coffee with your friend or go to lunch together."
He also notes that the platter calls for playtime: "You can combine connecting time and playtime by bringing your friends together for a game of soccer or Diablo or whatever game you like to engage with."
However, Joshi emphasizes, "Absolutely DO get away from social media. There is so much research out there now that clearly shows that engaging with social media contributes to mental health issues. Social media engagement comes with a lot of cost for very little benefit!"
If participating in The Healthy Mind Platter isn’t for you, here are other ways to create Attainable Wellness Habits.
Meditation through the University Health Center is offered every Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. The university offers Wind Down for the Weekend with instructors. Sessions will explore breathing practices and various meditation styles, along with time for guided reflection via Zoom.
The university’s RecWell Center also offers services for students who want to implement wellness habits into their routine, such as group fitness classes and other activities.