Mental Health & Self Care as Finals Approach
Welcome to the News Desk! This week, we'll be reflecting the Daily Eastern News print edition focused on mental health by discussing some self care practices that actually help- self care beyond the favorite food and bubble bath approach.
On the podcast this week, news editor Madelyn Kidd and editor-in-chief Corryn Brock will discuss mental health from a journalist's perspective; how do we respond as constant witnesses to some of the worst and saddest parts of life?
Mental health has come to the forefront time and time again over the last decade or so, but never before like it has since the beginning of the pandemic. Every single person I know had their lives uprooted by COVID-19 and that of course has had a profound effect on all of us. Once we started acknowledging this struggle, we started getting bombarded with the kinds of "self care" tips that anyone who has dealt with mental illness is tired of: Do a face mask! Take a walk! Watch your favorite show!
First of all, most adults are too busy to regularly do those things. Second, surface-level self care doesn't feel as effective when you're facing the reality of a pandemic, climate change, injustice, bad politicians, a war... or another of the many things that we could be upset about at any given moment. I can't solve any of those issues singlehandedly, but here's what I can do: research new, maybe better, suggestions and share them with you as something to try.
1. Schedule your friend time.
This sounds silly, but we all know the challenge: if I'm taking classes and Friend A has two jobs and Friend B is doing both, how can we coordinate our schedules to ever see each other again? Several of my friends and I have successfully managed to spend time together almost every single week in the last year by making Saturday evenings, starting between 5 and 8 p.m., our time to hop on a Zoom call and talk. (Specifically, we play Dungeons & Dragons, which I highly recommend, but a less nerdy group might go for other games, a movie night or just time to talk.) Making this a consistent part of your schedule means that it actually happens and you have some time to look forward to each week (or two weeks or month depending on your group) to maintain those connections with your favorite people.
2. Be quiet for a bit.
We are overwhelmed by content. Music, movies, games, whatever- there are hardly any places you can go where some kind of media isn't being streamed at you. It starts to blend together in the background, but it also kind of makes it hard to think. I know a lot of people who are really into meditation, and I have a lot of respect for that, but sitting down for ten minutes of silence just does not fit in to any part of my day. Personally, I get my quiet time when I drive; making the conscious choice to turn the radio off and revisit whatever has bothered me or made me happy on that specific day and take the time to really consider it often leaves me feeling much more calm and organized. Meal times work, too; turn off the TV and go sit by a window or outside to eat and just let yourself think for a while.
3. "Just Do It"... or don't.
It's time to recognize what social obligations aren't actually obligations- just suggestions. At an event and feeling tired or too focused on work you need to get done? The second your role there is finished, just excuse yourself. You can be honest about your social battery running out or just claim a headache. Be polite, but get out of there. On the other hand, if there's something you've been dreaming of doing "someday" it might be worth actually attempting to do so- or at least taking the first steps.
4. On that note, set boundaries!
This is probably the biggest form of self care. Saying "no," even when someone might feel hurt by it, has become culturally unacceptable in many places but it really is powerful. Refusing to help someone when you just don't have time, putting distance between yourself and people you find draining or just shutting people down when they say things you find upsetting can all improve your mental health significantly.
5. Talk to someone, for real.
It can be hard to access therapy or counseling, though that would be the most ideal option for most people. If you can't do that, start promoting openness about mental health within your social circles: make sure your friends know they can talk to you about anything and they'll likely return the favor.
If things get serious, it really is okay to talk to a doctor as well. Medical professionals' whole job is to keep you safe and healthy. Give them the tools to do so.
6. Do a "hard reset."
Sometimes I've heard people say, "if you feel angry, eat something; if you feel sad, sleep; if you feel hopeless, take a shower." On really bad days, combine that with the best tech advice, "just restart it": eat a high-protein snack, take a 15-20 minute nap and take a fast shower. The whole thing should only take about an hour out of your day and addressing those three basic needs really can reset your state of mind and make things better.
Catch up with the news!
More flyers containing hateful messaging were found on campus Wednesday.
The process to hire a new director for the MLK Jr. Union is underway! One of the candidates visited Eastern this week.
For the print edition, the News covered mental health by speaking with administrators about steps they're taking, trying to break down challenges at the counseling clinic, talking to students about their mental health since the beginning of the pandemic, and asking the athletic director about steps to support athlete mental health.
Eastern's baseball and softball teams are continuing to have overall successful seasons.
The opinions section featured great content this week, like this column about mental health in education, but my personal favorite was this column about Fleabag, my all time favorite TV show.