Month: October 2018

Have you ever found yourself unable to focus- where it feels like no matter what you do, you just can’t stand to sit yourself down and be productive?

Perhaps you feel too restless, or have too many thoughts racing through your head. Sometimes when stress builds up to a breaking point, it’s hard to think about anything other than what you’re worrying about. An important presentation, a midterm, a fight with a friend, a loss of a relationship or loved one. These can all be stressors that, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t stop thinking about. No matter how engrossed you try to get into your chemistry or math homework, there remains that sense of dread which feels like it only develops the more you try to ignore the problem. Try not to think about it, you tell yourself and, in doing so, you only end up thinking about it more.

So, in a situation such as this, what can you really do? Do you accept that the problem will just simply pervade your life? Or could there be another way?

According to studies, exercise might be the solution.

Of course, we all know of the physical benefits of a workout routine, however it has been proven to heighten mood and brain function as well. A study composed of adults suffering from depression showed that regular exercise was more likely to produce a lasting effect. While subjects who were only given antidepressants did show signs of improvement, they were found to be more likely to relapse (Siegfried).

Exercise was also found to produce similar positive effects with memory. In an experiment with mice, it was noted that those with inactive lifestyles performed poorly on intelligence tests, displayed depressed behavior, and lost brain mass. However, those which spent more time on the mouse wheel showed the complete opposite characteristics. Interestingly, it was also found that once the sedentary mice began to undertake a more active routine their brain mass eventually grew back (Siegfried).

How can this be? Well, scientifically speaking, exercise tends to increase blood flow to your brain, leading bursts of endorphins and other hormones to be released. Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine all tend to be present during and after physical activity, and leave you feeling happy and peaceful. This heightened brain activity also leads to neurogenesis, which creates neurons in the hippocampus, which deals with memory storage in your brain. This enables you to think more clearly after a work out, and causes you to feel more in control of your feelings.

However, there are some other theories as to why those who exercise tend to lead an overall happier life. One proposition is that those who incorporate exercise into their weekly routine live more structured and therefore less hectic lives. By planning when to exercise, people also tend to organize when they will eat, maintain themselves, and get their work done. Being more grounded in these habits decreases the stress involved with work and school, because you have the opportunity to focus on other things as well.

It is important to note that while getting started with an exercise routine is beneficial overall, that one must take the proper precautions to ensure that this will turn into a long term habit. To do so, try to set realistic goals. For most, it is best to have at least three 30-minute workouts spread throughout the week. If this is too hard to accomplish at first, try for 10-15 minute intervals whenever you can. Begin with moderate exercises, such as walking or jogging, and incorporate new aspects whenever you feel more comfortable. If you can, go with a workout buddy to hold you accountable for sticking to plans.

 

“Each new day is an opportunity to improve yourself.

Take it. And make the most of it.”

– Anonymous

With Homecoming week coming to an end, many students are scrambling to prepare for parents weekend. Although the streets and local businesses of University Park and State College will be filled to the brim with reunited families for the next few days, there will remain plenty of students who may feel left out. Whether due to conflicting schedules or distance, some parents just won’t be able to join the festivities, which may lead students to develop increased feelings of homesickness over the next few weeks, especially first years or transferring students.

What is Homesickness?

Currently, about 7% of US college students experience some form of homesickness, totaling to approximately 1 million young adults. However, the statistic for first year students alone is drastically more concerning at 69% according to a UCLA survey, and only heightens the further the student is from home.

Of course, this trend is mainly due to the stress which comes with acclimating to a new environment. Students are pushed out of their comfort zone and must adapt to living on their own for the first times in their lives. However, if they don’t adapt quickly enough, they may become vulnerable. As Kirsten Wong from NBC News explains, homesickness at its core is about a student’s lack of security. Many experiencing homesickness often feel as if they have little control, and develop a negative outlook towards their situation.

Homesickness is often mistaken for depression, for the two share many of the same symptoms. They each lead to a decrease in motivation and can cause students to develop unhealthy coping deficits, such as over- or under- eating and sleeping. Homesickness also leads to seclusion and anxiety, which only worsens a student’s situation. However, the effects of homesickness will go away whenever the student is home or around family, whereas depression’s symptoms will stay.

How to Cope

The effects described above can cause lasting harm to a student’s confidence, and have led homesickness to become one of the top ten reasons for dropping out of school. Because of this, it is imperative for students to learn the following positive coping strategies.

The first strategy involves ways of making the new environment feel more like home. The best way to do this is to first form a new support network at school, a “friend family.” These people will be able to relate to new problems and provide a safe space to vent distressed feelings. Adding decorations from home into a dorm room may also be beneficial. These can be pictures of family or friends, posters, anything that a student may be used to seeing. This will add familiarity to living spaces and may make students feel more comfortable.

It may also be beneficial to take some time to simply explore the campus. By now, students will probably know their hometown like the back of their hand, so it may be off-putting to live in an area they know very little about. They must take some time to learn about the area they’re now living in- including the off campus areas. Exploring now will also decrease the likelihood of getting lost on the way to class later, something their future self could be eternally grateful for.

The other possible route focuses more on communication with home. As mentioned above, negative effects usually fade when the student returns home, which may lead him or her to make an excessive amount of visits. While these may offer short-term relief, they will only prolong the student’s insecure feelings and prevent them from becoming fully acclimated to their new home. In order to combat this, a student and their parents should set strict dates for the student to visit home. This plan allows students to still have visits to look forward to, but because these visits will be limited and spread out, the student will have enough time to adapt to their new home. This can be done with phone calls to friends and family as well.

 

Adapting to a new environment is never easy, especially when it’s a student’s first time living alone. There are a lot of tasks to juggle which can be overwhelming at times, and will leave many with a sense of longing for home. However, because homesickness is so common, students have no trouble finding someone who can relate to their situation.

 

“Change is not pleasant,

But change is constant.

Only when we change and grow,

We’ll see a world we never know.”

-Wisdom of the Orange Woodpecker

By this point in the semester, you have likely heard of the Counseling & Psychological Services (otherwise known as CAPS) offered here at Penn State. However, you may be underestimating the effectiveness of their services, since orientations tend to skim over what CAPS really provides. Below will provide some further information about the resources you may not yet know about.

Counseling Options

The best way to get started with the more serious end of CAPS is by scheduling a phone appointment with a counselor. This usually only lasts around 15 minutes, and will allow you to discuss your options for the next step. Typically, these appointments lead to a in-person encounter where you can make plans for further services, such as individual or group counseling. However, you may be referred to other campus resources, urgent appointments, or off-campus companies.

While the services offered at CAPS are beneficial to most students, the staff are committed to ensuring that each student receives the proper care he or she needs, and may direct students to off campus facilities if they believe they will need counseling over a long period of time. Although individual sessions are able to focus on a wide range of issues, such as couples counseling and eating disorders, they are solely intended as times to create a plan to help the student get better and to follow on their own. These services act as a guide towards better living, and while they will have check-ins to ensure that you are adhering to your plan, they are not meant to be used as long term therapeutic help. Although CAPS doesn’t provide long term therapy, they do have a Community Provider Database, which provides information on trusted services located near all Penn State Campuses.

Another option you have is CAPS Chat, which is more informal and requires no appointment. Some choose this over scheduling a phone appointment, because it can lead to further services as discussed above. These chats are offered in each of the living commons, LGBTQA center, in the Hub, as well as other locations. However, this service is only open two to four hours a week at each center, and is done on a first-come, first-served basis. This session will last approximately half an hour and may offer an opportunity for you to have any of your mental health questions asked. Many students also tend to use this time to get advice on stressful decisions or conflicts as well.

 

Informal Services

It’s important to realize that while CAPS does specialize in the areas mentioned above, they also provide more relaxed services such as outreach workshops. Their program “Life Hacks with CAPS” offers one hour seminars about two times a week on topics such as mindfulness, anxiety, and perfectionism. The next two sessions will focus on anger management and mindfulness this Tuesday and next Monday, respectively.

CAPS also provides educational outreach services which send faculty members to classes or student organizations. By request, these workshops can focus on topics ranging from stress management to relationship issues. Anyone can submit a request form for this event, however they prefer medium to large groups and will need the request at least two weeks in advance. These seminars are conducted based on faculty availability, so not every request may be fulfilled. To decrease your chances of having this happen to you, it is important that you submit a request as early as you can for an event, especially if it happens to be over midterms or finals.

 

Each service described above has been specifically designed with students’ best interest in mind. It’s important to understand that if one resource doesn’t work for you, others are readily available for you to try.

 

“Self help is the best help”

-Aesop