By: Fajr Zahid, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Well-being Leader
The month of February is often seen as a month dedicated towards spreading love, whether it be towards a romantic partner, friends, or even oneself. Having a healthy relationship with yourself and your mind, as well as others, is an essential part of life and overall well-being. Below are 10 important tips that can help to improve self-love and self-care habits!
1. Try your best not to compare yourself to others – we are all unique in our own ways, and it is important to embrace our differences rather than conceal them.
2. Do not be afraid to be your true, authentic self regardless of how you may be perceived by others.
3. Look out for yourself and give your body the proper rest, nutrients, and care that it needs.
4. Surround yourself with uplifting, genuine people, and distance yourself from those who bring negativity into your life.
5. Never give others the power to make you doubt yourself or your worth – always reassure yourself of your importance and value.
6. Do not settle for less than what you deserve – this goes for all aspects of life whether it be a friendship, romantic relationship, or a future goal that you have.
7. Listen to your intuition! – this can often save you from harmful or toxic situations.
8. Make time for yourself throughout the day or week to engage in activities that bring you peace and happiness.
9. Reflect on your habits, attitudes and behaviors and actively work on the parts of yourself that you would like to improve on.
10. Stand up for yourself in situations where you are being mistreated or disrespected – but also remember to forgive yourself for the times when you were unable to do so.
I hope that you are able to implement all or even just a few of these 10 self-love and self-care tips into your life! If you’re ever struggling with showing yourself the love and care you deserve, or any other aspect of your life, come visit me during my office hours and I’ll do my best to help you 🙂
By: Medi Woldemichael, Manning School of Business Well-being Leader
Keeping warm during the winter is important for us college students for health, productivity, safety, and comfort reasons. Taking steps to stay warm and prepared for the weather can help you stay healthy, productive, and happy throughout the winter. Here are some tips on how to keep up with the cold weather:
Keep your living space warm: Check that your living space is well-insulated and has a good heating system. Close your windows to allow the heater to function. If you’re still cold, think about getting a space heater or a heated blanket. Keeping your living place warm will help you in avoiding cold-related health issues. If you live on campus, be sure to connect with your RA if there are any heating-related issues in your residence hall.
Stay active: Winter weather can be challenging for college students who are used to a more active lifestyle. Try to stay active by going to the gym or walking to class on warmer days to avoid cabin fever. This can help you feel better physically and mentally and have more energy.
Take care of yourself: Cold weather can affect your mental and physical health. To keep yourself feeling well, make sure that you’re eating a well-balanced diet and getting enough sleep. Stay organized and reduce
Taking care of yourself and being proactive about winter weather can help you avoid potential problems and stay healthy and happy throughout the colder months. I hope these tips can help you keep up with the cold weather and stay warm!
by Casey Tiernan, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Well-being Leader
February is Boost your Self-Esteem Month. Self-esteem is defined as the confidence in one’s own worth or abilities.
It is important to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself, because it influences your choices and decisions and your overall well-being. Self-esteem also influences your motivation because when you have a positive view of yourself, you have a better understanding of your potential and feel inspired to take on new challenges. Another term for self-esteem is self-worth. On the contrary, low self-esteem is linked to feelings of insecurity within one’s skills and leads to doubts with decision making. It can also result in low motivation to try new challenges. Individuals who experience this may have issues forming healthy relationships with themselves and others, making them feel unworthy.
I struggle to this day with my own self-esteem. However, this year has led me to step out of my comfort zone and learn more about myself. I have gained confidence in my skills within my major and it allows me to be my best self. The smallest thing I did to change my low self-esteem was to be aware of my thoughts and to be kind to myself. I stopped telling myself negative thoughts and had a new outlook about myself. I also recommend expressing your needs. It allows you to be open and honest with yourself. It is also key to know you are allowed to say “no” when you want to. This skill took me time to master because I always felt bad, but once I started saying “no,” I felt in control of myself again. The last thing I did was accept my strengths and weaknesses. I originally picked a major that was heavy in math and sciences (which yes, is my weakness), so I switched to Public Health which allowed me to see my strengths in a new light.
Having a healthy self-esteem can motivate you to reach your goals and accomplish anything you put your mind to because it allows for setting appropriate boundaries within relationships. “When you find yourself engaging in negative thinking, try countering these thoughts with more realistic ones (Cherry, 2022)”. With February being Boost your Self-Esteem Month, every morning when you wake up, search for a daily affirmation. It allows you to start your day off with a positive mindset.
By: Fahad Alden, College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Well-being Leader
“Public speaking is America’s biggest fear right after getting lit on fire.” My professor Shallon told me this, and it amazes me. Being set on fire seems undesirable, painful, and plain scary, just to think about it. But to many people, public speaking brings out those same dreaded emotions. However, public speaking is vital, whether in the classroom setting for presentations or being asked to speak at your best friend’s wedding. So how do we overcome our fears?
I spoke to two experts to see if I could get pointers from them about how to master the art of public speaking. Wayne Braverman is currently the managing editor of Bedford Citizen and hosts the Bedford TV program called “Celebrate Life.” He has also won a distinguished toastmaster award and has taught a public speaking course for Education Unlimited. Mellissa Allen is a theater professor at UMass Lowell and a high school theater teacher in Haverhill.
The first step would be drill practice. Practice, practice, practice this sentiment is often echoed by coaches and teachers when an individual is trying to learn a new task. Whether the mission is basketball, learning French, or learning how to drive, those learning journeys tend to have narrow paths, but when it comes to practicing public speaking, there seems less of a protocol of how to go about it.
What do our experts believe is the best philosophy regarding public speaking?
Mellisa Allen recommends reciting lines while doing tasks, as it will become ingrained as a memory. She suggests doing kinetic movements while practicing, such as walking your dog, playing catch, or going for a morning stroll.
Both Allen and Braverman recommended changing your location when practicing a speech. Braverman suggests practicing at places such as parking lots, graveyards, and parks because these areas tend to be secluded. You can rehearse the movement aspect of speech, which is crucial to making your speech more natural and captivating to the audience. Secondly, these places tend to be good places to rehearse because you can practice eye contact, which is an integral part of public speaking. It is vital to look at the audience when you speak, which can be unsettling, so practicing looking at cars or other items can be great practice.
Allen also recommends that her students take notes and analyze theater performances, remarking, “As an actor, I am always interested in what someone else brings to the table. Watching these performances can often spark ideas and questions that can help you.”
Sometimes, the most stressful part of giving a speech is not giving the address; it is the moment before, which is why the second step is managing anxiety. Despite what many may believe, feeling nervous is quite common and, surprisingly, can sometimes be beneficial. Allen says nervousness is a sign that you are taking the opportunity to speak publicly seriously. Nervous tension takes hold of people before they take college exams, driver’s license tests, or ask someone out—all are things most people value.
But as Allen said earlier, you can get flustered, misspeak, or sometimes just freeze when it becomes an issue. What are the best ways to combat this? First, be prepared. Practice long in advance and ensure you are where you need to be and have everything you need.
Secondly, an excellent way to ease that sense of anxiety over time is to say yes to every opportunity. Audition for the play, speak up more in class or do an oral presentation for a project. Making mistakes is inevitable, but it’s part of the growth process.
Even if you make a blunder under the worst circumstances, learn to roll with it; Braverman said he always laughs it off and moves on from the mistake. Once, Braverman was assisting an instructor of a seminar program about childhood trauma. The instructor told the students to take a deep breath and immerse themselves in an imaginative experience of their mom entering the house. Calm, healing music was supposed to come on, but Braverman, the sound designer at the time, accidentally played the song, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” The instructor made a joke instead of getting flustered and said, “Mom has a sense of humor!” The students for the seminar ended up laughing and went along with the experience. The instructor later told Braverman “to try to make a mistake each time.”
The last step is to be willing to take some form of feedback or coaching to improve. Accepting advice is often much easier said than done, especially if the work is personal. When seeking feedback, it is best not to go to the extreme of taking on too much constructive criticism. Sometimes one can deal with too much input and lose direction in your work.
They may end up suppressing their individuality and creativity to suit the norm. Braverman said he often knew people who would win speech competitions but not cherish their wins as their speeches changed so much to fit others’ standards. The best indicator, he said, to trust feedback given by others is to rely on your intuition.
Another problem is if you are unable to take constructive criticism; this can be just as detrimental to having a successful speech. Having a second eye that can offer a neutral perspective is essential in determining the quality of work. That professor, friend, or boss can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses that we may overlook.
Learning anything and opening yourself to acquiring knowledge requires a great deal of courage. As we get older, the reward for that courageousness is that we often gain feelings of pride.
by: Fahad Alden, Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Well-being Leader
Selena Gomez’s long-anticipated documentary “My Mind & Me,” which has been in the works since 2016, is finally out on Apple TV. Gomez was initially known for her breakout role as a Disney star beginning with “Barney” and then “Wizards of Waverly Place,” Not only that, she has starred in several films such as Monte Carlo, Spring Breakers, Romana and Beezus, and Princess Protection Program.
She has also become a more mature actress and an award-winning singer with three albums under her belt. The albums are Stars Dance, Revival, and Rare. With her first album, her singles “Come & Get it” and “Slow Down” did so spectacularly that they both ended up getting RIAA (music certification for greatly played music)gold certified. She then built off that momentum and excitement and went on a world tour with her next album, Revival. However, her health concerns, including lupus and depression soon took over. Her PR representatives cited they were greatly concerned that she checked herself into rehab.
In today’s “me” culture, when everyone is always sharing everything, Gomez has kept her lips sealed on a wide range of events surrounding her. Even through her turmoil, breakups, AMA award show disaster, or falling outs with friends, she rarely gave us glimpses into her life, which is why this documentary was heavily anticipated. One reason is that the director is Alek Keshishian, renowned for directing Madonna’s truth or dare documentary, smart water commercials, coca cola, and even directing one of Gomez’s most viewed music videos, “Hands To Myself.” What made this documentary even more appealing was that he mentioned that Gomez’s documentary was shelled in 2016 due to her not being in the best place, but it will be revisited. But this documentary was hinted at through Gomez’s interviews and close sources within the span of six years.
The viewer can see Gomez’s career progression highlighted throughout the documentary, as well assee her performing during the revival tour, doing interviews for her rare album, and hearing the soundtrack for upcoming songs.
In the beginning, a critical moment was Gomez’s mental breakdown. The mental breakdown ended up occurring during her revival tour. This breakdown was one of great volume and intensity, and her friends and her mother were worried for Gomez’s life.
The documentary gave the viewer a big clue as to the state of her mind during this time. As we can see in the first scene, Gomez is seen at first discussing how she felt defeated over messing up her choreography while dancing. But this complaint then caused a big unraveling of a box of seemingly suppressed emotions. She began to make self-deprecating comments about her body, singing, and dancing. Then she even aimed her public persona, saying, “When am I going to be good enough — just me by myself, not needing anybody to be associated with?”
This could be seen as an emotionally impactful moment in the documentary. To the public, she seems so independent and fearless on stage; in reality, that is not the case. This scene was powerful because it was not just a simple shot of her tearing up. We got to see her frustration, her hand waving, and the hugging from her manager to console her.
The humanization of Gomez as a person and then as a product fights against the perception of the notion that fame and money can not insulate her from these emotions. We see her high heel tapping, her sarcastic comment towards the reporter, her crying, and her need for a consultation when distraught. What may confuse a viewer is Gomez’s decision of what she chooses to tell and what she does not. The general focus on her hard past, her broken relationship with her father, working at the age of 7, and dealing with the press were points she lightly touched on.
She also gives us the illusion that she shares much of herself, but everything is vague. That is why even though the documentary is 90 minutes long, it still felt too short, as a great deal of time showed her getting ready for places or the car rides and not diving deeper into her personality and history.
Viewers finishing the documentary could possibly be left with more questions than they started with,such as what were things she did in a state of rage, as her ever coming wrath caused her to do reckless things? What caused the fracturing of her relationship with her dad? Were headlines shown in the video about possible drug use true?
I would say the strong foundation of the documentary was its cinematography. There are beautiful shots of her looking out of a car window, giving speeches, and a creative shot of her in a rose-petaled bath with some audio of her poetry being recited in the background. There is also videography highlighting the beauty of South Africa through the natural environment and animals, with wide and close-up shots galore. The videos also demonstrated a sense of imprisonment for her fame. She was seen leaving restaurants and parties, and with every shot, the paparazzi’s comments about her weight, relationship, and more were echoed in the background. As well, some pictures of cutthroat headlines were put on the video. Sporadically thrown throughout the documentary, these shots demonstrated where some of her self-loathing could stem from.
I did enjoy her inclusion of some short poetry in the documentary. Specifically, an audio recitation of her talking about how she has everything she has ever wanted to achieve, but how there is always “Selena .” Referring to her name, not as her name but more of a burden. She says so slowly and so quietly that it makes you feel as if you are being told a secret. It is a great artistic choice, but I wish there were more of these audios, and it was spread out more than strictly in the start. That is exactly what I loved about what they did with her song, also titled “My Mind & Me,” the snippets of her music were placed throughout the documentary. The snippets were long for us to enjoy but not long enough for the song to be spoiled.
Overall, this documentary shows that perception is not always what we believe. To many, Gomez embodied the American dream- fame, beauty, and money- yet as she shares the stories of her struggles with bipolar disorder and lupus and being haunted by her past, we see that what seems simple is not. The documentary is, in many ways, a teaser to the next chapter of her journey.
By: Alejandra Malaga Walters, Francis College of Engineering Well-being Leader
Although there’s no way to eliminate life’s challenges completely, humor can be a great mechanism for dealing with stress. A sense of humor can help you build resilience to stress and improve your overall physical and emotional health.
Research has shown that laughter therapy reduces stress, and it can enhance the overall quality of life. Humor can distract you from difficult situations and allow you to look at the same situation in different ways. Most college students face immense stress during presentations, projects, deadlines, and homework. For instance, being stressed during a group project because a member of your group was not doing their job. This can be very stressful and make you angry because your grade depends on their work. But what if you try to make the experience more fun with your other group members? By working together with the other members of the group so you don’t focus on all the work you have to do just by yourself, you can laugh and joke and enjoy working on the project. There are different ways to try to make light of a situation depending on your sense of humor. Do you really want to be over-stressed? Besides, being stressed doesn’t help you do your job better, in fact, you can’t put in your 100% when you are stressed.
But how can we add in humor and remain serious about our work? Sometimes, it’s very hard to make something funny when you are upset or overwhelmed. For that reason, you can start by cultivating your sense of humor in a few easy ways, and the more often you practice them, the more automatic they’ll become. First, you start with a smile. Even just faking a smile can increase happiness and not just the appearance of it. This is because the act of smiling, whether real or fake, causes your body to release feel-good chemicals known as endorphins. Another thing you can do when you’re in the middle of a difficult situation is take a step back and view your situation as an objective observer. This can help you find some potential absurdities in the little things l, and you may end up laughing. Finally, recruit funny friends. Social support is a crucial part of stress management.Find a friend or group of friends with whom you can share your frustrations and challenges and laugh about them in the process. Using humor in stressful situations can help you realize that situation is only a moment in your life, not your entire life.
If you need someone to make you laugh or smile, visit me in my office hours next semester!
By: Haiya Patel, Kennedy College of Sciences Well-being Leader
2023 is just a few weeks away, and as the new year approaches, the biggest trend is to create new resolutions for the coming year. In the excitement of new beginnings, everyone often makes big goals, of which some are achievable, and others are too drastic of a transition that leads to disappointment. Some reasons that lead to failure and should be avoided are a lack of accountability, lack of a method to track the progress, and lack of planning. However, setting a goal with a plan that has been broken down along with timelines, as well as having the measures to track the progress oftentimes leads to successful outcomes.
To start, aim for the final outcome you would want to obtain at the end of the year. Write out the final goal in present tense as the first statement, as if you have already achieved that goal. Next, set a date of achievement – it can be at the end of the year, 6 months, or as you would prefer. However, oftentimes people make drastic timelines, and forget to account for the transition time. Hence, taking few extra months but having the progression as a constant increase rather than drastic change allows for the journey to be much more enjoyable, and pleasant. It also ensures that the feeling of being overwhelming is avoided because feeing overwhelming can eventually lead to burnout and lack of motivation for the journey ahead.
For the action phase of the goals, one tip is to have the big goal broken down into mini plans so that the big goal does not become too overwhelming for you to take a shot at. However, when there are realistic mini goals that are much more achievable, it is easier to continue progressing as you can see the mini achievements being accomplished. Lastly, having a tracking record of how your journey is progressing is crucial to visualize how far you have come since you started the journey. To track the progress as you go, you can either write out the mini goals in order and check them off as you progress, or you can step up the game and implement some rewards of your choice, so the journey becomes enjoyable as you collect all the rewards. You can have rewards such as $100 shopping spree, a new pair of shoes, a trip with your loved ones, or anything that will motivate you to continue working towards the goal.
As the new year approaches, everyone gets excited to create new goals and starting off the year strong. However, unplanned, and drastic goals can cause a decline in the motivation and the desire to achieve those goals when the big goals become overwhelming. In retrospect, if the goals are broken down into mini-achievable goals, are tracked, and you have a system to reward yourself for the mini achievements, it leads to the journey being much more enjoyable.
by: Medi Woldemichael, Manning School of Business Well-being Leader
Habits can drastically change your life. It all starts with one little routine that you exercise regularly until your mind becomes used to it. It does not happen overnight. It would help if you changed your mindset; after you have mastered your mind and established good habits, success and happiness will be yours.
These five little habits have helped me achieve my goals and will likely benefit those who try them as well.
Exercise
It doesn’t matter if it’s a strenuous weight-training session or a relaxing walk around the park; exercise makes you more alert and energetic and improves your attitude about everything—at work and elsewhere. Your physical health and self-confidence can both improve with regular exercise.
Live in the present
Today is a gift. Appreciate everything you have:
– Your family
– Your health
– Your experiences
You feel more blessed, happier, and joyful when you realize everything you have.
Plan your day
Planning has power because it gives you perspective and control over your life. It enables you to handle the tiny tasks essential to achieving your long-term goals and offers you a broad view of the maze that must be navigated.
Learn to embrace discomfort
To enhance your life, you must step outside of your comfort zone. It would be best if you broke fresh ground. Make it a habit to push yourself outside your comfort zone.
Ex:
– Read more books
– Start working out
– Choose healthier foods
Daily affirmations
Affirmations are an effective tool to help us remember our values.
They begin to appear in your life when you repeat them frequently.
Positive words of Affirmation:
-I am in command of my life
– Today will be a fantastic day!
– I can achieve anything I want
-I am capable of anything
Because of these five habits, I have become a healthier and happier person. If you need help implementing these, please come to my office hours (Wednesdays 11:00am-3:00pm), and I would gladly help you.
By: Doa Jamal, Francis College of Engineering Well-being Leader
Sometimes it feels like life or death: must drink coffee or die. Coffee is the number one drink for college students and many have an unhealthy addiction. Throughout the years there has been much research done on coffee and there have been mixed findings. Coffee has been found to have many benefits as well as several drawbacks.
A moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups per day has several benefits (1):
1. Coffee contains caffeine which is a stimulant. Caffeine increases energy levels by blocking the receptors of a neurotransmitter which therefore increases levels of other neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate energy levels.
2. Some research suggests that regular coffee consumption could be associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
3. Some studies have found that drinking coffee could be associated with a lower risk of depression and a lower risk of death by suicide.
4. There is research that suggests that coffee could support liver health and protect against liver disease (2).
Coffee can, however, be harmful to specific populations. In addition, a high intake of coffee is harmful to everyone:
1. The biggest danger of coffee is becoming addicted to it. Having a coffee addiction makes it really difficult to rely on the body’s natural energy source. Often people replace healthy good meals with coffee because it is more convenient. The body becomes dependent on coffee for energy and the person gets withdrawal symptoms if they do not get their daily caffeine. This reduces the person’s quality of life.
2. Coffee can be harmful to pregnant women and their babies. One study suggested that preconception caffeine consumption could be a risk to pregnancy, with pre-pregnancy consumption of >400 mg of caffeine/day increasing the risk of spontaneous abortion by 11%. Additionally, caffeine can cause developmental damage to the fetus.
3. Coffee and caffeine can be dangerous for those with mental illnesses. For other mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, caffeine may increase psychotic symptoms (3). Also, too much caffeine can induce anxiety in people with panic or anxiety disorders (1)
4. Caffeine increases catecholamines, cortisol, and insulin which elicits stress hormones.
5. The acidity of coffee is associated with digestive discomfort, indigestion, heartburn, GERD, and dysbiosis.
6. Lastly, increased urinary excretion of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium has been observed in coffee drinkers. Electrolyte imbalance can lead to serious systemic complications and health issues (4).
In conclusion, although coffee has a negative reputation, it also has many benefits which are not widely known. These benefits only exist if coffee is consumed in moderation, and a high intake of coffee is still harmful. However, even a moderate amount of coffee can be detrimental for some and it is always best to discuss with a doctor if you think coffee is affecting you in any way. Coffee should not feel like life or death, it should be a pleasant treat that occasionally gives you a temporary burst of energy. Everyone, especially college students, should be aware of their coffee consumption and the effects of coffee on their bodies and well-being.
References:
1. Is coffee good or bad for your health? (2021, April 9). News. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-your-health/
2. Link, M. R. S. (2022, January 11). 9 Unique Benefits of Coffee. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee
3. Temple, J. L., Bernard, C., Lipshultz, S. E., Czachor, J. D., Westphal, J. A., & Mestre, M. A. (2017). The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 8, 80. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00080
4. 10 Reasons To Quit Coffee (Plus Healthy Alternatives) | HUNGRY FOR CHANGE. (n.d.). Hungry for Change. https://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/10-reasons-to-quit-coffee-plus-healthy-alternatives
By: Ashley Asuncion, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Well-being Leader
The Fall semester is close to the end! This is the time of the year to make all efforts we can as students to ensure we pass the semester to secure our future studies. Now, students start to think about their next steps in their academic journey. Perhaps I can give you a suggestion! Try exploring but think big- exploring the world. Studying abroad may be just the thing for you!
Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity to enhance one’s college experience. It is startling how different travels as a student are compared to an average adult on the international scale. As a student, you will be provided support systems and frameworks revolving around critically engaging yourself in the host country/community. Therefore, taking the leap to become a well-rounded World Class citizen is an opportunity studying abroad can provide.
At UMass Lowell, we have a study abroad office dedicated to support and facilitate the study abroad application process and travel preparations. UML’s study abroad office has a website which describes where to start the exploration of this unique academic choice, in a “Getting Started” page. The pages entail forms to connect with a study abroad advisor, questions to consider when thinking of studying abroad, forms that would be considered like financial aid, approval forms and travel documents. The sooner a student starts their search of the right study abroad program it will facilitate more options and a pleasant experience. Between making decisions, fulfilling paperwork, receiving documents, purchasing flights, paying fees, preparing for travel, approving classes and funds, obtaining student information from host, etc.; it can take weeks to complete all the necessary ins and outs of study abroad
Needless to say, there is plenty to look forward to when making the choice to see a different part of the world. I, myself am studying abroad to the Dominican Republic in Santiago De Los Caballeros from CIEE Liberal Arts Spring Semester Program. It has been quite a process to go through but I’m glad to begin my journey in the islands for Spring 2023. The excitement to being able to enjoy in a different culture instead of focusing just on hardcore academics with responsibilities socially, financially, etc.; is my main focus. I am lucky to have UML support through each step as I create an experience to live for.
It has been an honor to be one of your Well-being Leaders for the Fall Semester. I will see you when I return!
