By Tiffany Huang, Class of 2026
What’s up Everyone, it is me again! I hope all has been well and that you all are thriving! As we wind down to the end of the first semester and start thinking about our New Year’s Resolutions, I thought we would discuss stress management to help you wind down for the holidays or think about some stress management tips for the upcoming semester.
According to Mayo Clinic:
1. “Eat a healthy diet”
Remember to eat a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and protein. Fresh fruits are a great snack, but for people who often let their fruit rot away, dried or frozen fruit is also a fantastic long-lasting option. A delicious snack a D1 classmate had recently shared with me was gouda cheese with green grapes. This snack is sweet, salty, and delicious! To get your vegetable fix, Salad & Go offers salads for under $10 for those of you who don’t feel like bringing lunch (the kid’s salad is only $3 for a whole lot of lettuce) and need some leafy greens.
2. “Get enough sleep”
This one is a struggle, but sometimes passing up on a night out or a morning breakfast will allow you to catch up on some sleep and allow your body to compensate for that sleep deficit you’ve created over the week. The Sleep Foundation suggests for healthy adults, getting “between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night” is crucial in powering the mind, restoring the body, and fortifying the body systems. Napping in the middle of the day would not suffice as they typically do not allow REM sleep to occur. The REM phase is crucial in allowing the body's natural healing processes to transpire. So, make sure you give yourself some time to rest up, especially over the holidays/weekends!
3. “Meditate”/ “Get active”/ “Try Yoga”
Whichever activity you prefer to relax or get your body moving, these three things can help ground you and boost your mood. Sometimes the most challenging step is getting started- it may help to enlist a buddy to do these activities with you or sign up for a class that you pay for, so it is more difficult to skip the session. If you are motivated by free activities, the YMCA offers a variety of classes to sign up for on their website (https://valleyymca.org/ross-farnsworth-east-valley/).
4. “Seek counseling”
Asking for help is not always easy, but talking to someone detached from our close circles who will not judge us can be very beneficial. Trained counselors that help navigate you through difficult situations or a judgment-free space for you to share all those thoughts and feelings. Some services that ATSU offers are listed here for your viewing:
Remember to pay attention to your needs and allow yourself self-care days. Enjoy the rest of the year, I hope your 2022 resolutions are coming true!
Thank you for reading & Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Sources:
How much sleep do we really need? Sleep Foundation. (2022, August 29). Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
Huang, T. (n.d.). Mr. Bagel Sleeping in Christmas Outfit.
Michel, C. (2022, November 1). Ready to plan Thanksgiving? here are 31 delicious menus to choose from. Country Living. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g637/thanksgiving-menus/
Staff, M. C. (2021, March 18). Stress relievers: Tips to tame stress. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relievers/art-20047257
USDA. (n.d.). Learn how to eat healthy with MyPlate. MyPlate. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://myplate-prod.azureedge.us/
Zoldan, R. J. (2022, January 17). 7 beginner yoga poses to get through your First class. Life by Daily Burn. Retrieved November 22, 2022, from https://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/beginner-yoga-poses-positions/
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