Wellness tips

It’s no surprise that, in the 21st century, humans spend far more time indoors than we ever have in the past. In fact, some reports estimate that the average person in the Western World spends about 22 hours of their day indoors. Remote work, online classes, online shopping, social media, and telehealth have made it possible, but is it healthy? Research suggests, it may not be. In fact, multiple studies have found that insufficient time outdoors can have negative effects on your body’s basic functioning and lead to problems with mood, anxiety, insomnia, appetite, and energy levels. Regular time outdoors, on the other hand, can contribute significantly to mental and physical well-being and resiliency and protect against mental and physical health problems.

Intrigued? Here are some key benefits of spending time in nature:

• Stress Reduction: Mental stress is one of the biggest global health challenges in modern societies. Although some stress is healthy and can even be life-saving (for example, the stress that makes you jump out of the way when an object is flying at you), our bodies are not designed for constant or chronic stress. Research at the Center for Disease Control has shown that prolonged exposure to cortisol, a stress hormone, can be linked to multiple mental and physical health risks including depression, suicide, cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other health disorders. One way we can try to reduce our cortisol levels is by spending time outside. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that participants who walked in a forest environment had, on average, a 16% decrease in cortisol levels compared to those who walked in a city environment.
• Improved Mental Health: Spending time in nature can be a mindful experience which helps us connect with ourselves and our surroundings in a non-judgemental way. Mindful presence can help us better understand ourselves and our emotions, reduce mood swings, help us better cope with difficult thoughts and feelings, and help us build empathy for others. Being outside also stimulates the release of endorphins as well as dopamine and serotonin which are feel-good chemicals that help us feel happy and content. Some people report that spending time in nature increases feelings of gratitude and helps them feel better connected to something bigger than themselves.  
• Enhanced Cognitive Functioning: Nature can improve cognitive functioning by providing a supportive environment for attention restoration, reduced mental fatigue, lower stress levels, greater creativity, improved mental clarity and enhanced problem-solving. Spending time outdoors on a daily basis can have significant benefits for cognitive health across the lifespan and may even help you perform better academically while you study at Edmonds.
• Physical Health Benefits: Green spaces allow us to engage in physical activities such as walking, gardening, mountain biking, skiing, swimming, backpacking, playing outdoor sports and so much more. Regular exercise improves immune function and sleep quality and can help prevent or manage many health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and some types of cancer. Exercising outdoors can both extend your lifespan and improve the quality of your life. 
• Restoration and Relaxation: Nature provides a natural setting for restoration and relaxation. It offers a break from the demands of daily life, allowing individuals to recharge mentally and emotionally. Some research suggests that just 20-30 min per day of time outdoors can have a significant restorative effect.
• Connection to the Natural World: When we connect with nature, we start to learn and adapt to the different environments that we are surrounded by. We begin to inform ourselves about the potential recreational spaces that we can visit and those that we need to conserve. Evidence suggests that spending time outdoors can help us form stronger connections to our community and the natural world, develop a sense of humility and appreciation for biodiversity, and take responsibility for environmental stewardship and conservation.

Nature offers a myriad of benefits that are crucial for our overall well-being. It provides a natural antidote to the stresses of modern life by reducing cortisol levels and promoting relaxation. Time spent in natural environments has been linked to improved mental health, alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression while boosting mood and psychological resilience. Furthermore, nature enhances cognitive function, sharpening attention and creativity. Physically, outdoor activities in natural settings encourage exercise, contributing to better cardiovascular health and immune function. Beyond its tangible effects, nature offers a sense of restoration and connection, fostering a deeper appreciation for the world around us and nurturing a vital bond between humans and the natural environment. What benefits of nature have you noticed in your own life? How can you make spending time outdoors a more regular part of your routine? Check us out in person at the Wellness Center in LYN 236 to learn more about the benefits of nature, get ideas for fun outdoor activities, and discover tips for keeping yourself safe in the great outdoors. 

How many times have you tried to start a healthy habit (or break a bad habit) and didn’t succeed? If your answer is “more than once,” you’re not alone! The saying, “old habits die hard,” is actually supported by research. In fact, research suggests that when it comes to new habits, intention only leads to action about 50% of the time. So why is it so hard and how can you beat the odds? Keep reading to find out!

First, what is a habit? A habit is a repeated action you take that has become automatic. The automatic part is key because it means that these patterns involve memory systems that are relatively separate from those that are involved in people’s conscious goals and intentions. In other words, trying to form new habits requires conscious thought, intention, and effort (one part of your brain), while old habits require little-to-no conscious thought, intention, and effort (a different part of your brain). 

So how do you form a new habit? Repeat your desired behavior over and over again until it has become automatic and no longer requires much intentional thought or effort. We know it’s easier said than done, but here are some tips and tricks for increasing your likelihood of success:

1. Don’t bite off more than you can chew: If your goal is too difficult to attain, you will set yourself up for failure, and when you fail, you might be discouraged from trying again. For example, if you try to teach math to a kindergartener by making them do algebra, they will think math is impossible and will not want to try it again. Start small with your goals. If you don’t exercise now, but want to start, don’t tell yourself you will from now on exercise every day twice a day. Instead, challenge yourself to exercise one time per week. Once you’ve mastered that and feel awesome about your accomplishment, add another day.
   
   
2. Expect to NOT do it perfectly the first time around: Even if your goal is realistic, you will run into challenges that make it difficult to stick with your new habit. Maybe your dog decided to swallow a chew toy and now you have to go to the vet instead of going on your planned run. Or maybe your bus got a flat tire and you missed your hot yoga class even though you actually woke up on time today. Life happens. Have a backup plan. If you can’t get a run in on your usual day, what other day could work? If hot yoga just isn’t happening on a particular morning, maybe have a go-to YouTube yoga workout you can do instead. Make a plan B before things go wrong because it can be really hard to make one while things are going wrong. And if it’s just been a rough week and you need a  break, totally fine - just make sure you try again next week.
   
   
3. Piggyback a new habit onto an existing one: If you are already rocking one habit, you’re more likely to stick with a new one if you attach it to the one that’s already automatic. For example, if you want to be better about taking your vitamins and you drink tea every morning with your breakfast, put your vitamins next to your tea, so you remember to take them every time you have your tea.
   
   
4. Get a buddy on board: Having accountability makes it more likely that we’ll follow through on something. So, if you want to procrastinate less and study more, find a study buddy and agree to a regular study schedule. Or tell someone you’re working on studying more and have them check in with you every week to see how you did that week (try the HabitShare app to help you with this).
   
   
5. Celebrate your success: Every time you reach a goal, reward yourself in some way (or have someone else do it). This is really important because research shows that positive reinforcement (rewarding desired behavior) is much more effective in creating change than punishing negative behavior. In other words, treating yourself when you succeed is going to produce better results than beating yourself up when you don’t. So if you’re trying to get more sleep, treat yourself to some chocolate every time you get 8 hours. Or have a friend, roommate, family member, or partner do it.
   
   
6. Reduce barriers: When you’re trying to make a change that’s difficult, it helps if you make it easier for yourself ahead of time. For example, if you’re trying to exercise more in the morning, having your workout clothes laid out and ready to go before you go to bed will make it much more likely that you’ll actually put them on and hit the gym when you wake up.
   
   
7. Meet the need: Often, our undesired habits meet a real need. For example, drinking alcohol might help some people feel less anxious in social situations. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel more relaxed! Who doesn’t want that? But relying on alcohol too much can lead to physical health, mental health, relational, academic, and other challenges. So, if you want to cut down on your drinking, but you still want to feel more relaxed in social situations, it’ll be important to find other ways to reduce your anxiety (like doing some breathing exercises or taking breaks).
   
   
8. Acknowledge the ambivalence: It’s normal to have reservations about making a change! Change almost always requires some kind of sacrifice. Pretending like it won’t be hard, won’t get you very far. Instead, acknowledge what this change will cost you and then remind yourself why it’s worth it to you and that you have what it takes to do it anyway (see tip #9).
   
   
9. Try some “change talk”: Change talk is talk that reminds you of why the change you are trying to make is important to you, how it aligns with your values, and that you can be successful. For example, if you’re trying to eat more home-cooked meals, change talk might look something like this: “It’s important to me to take good care of my body so I can have plenty of energy to play with my pup. Plus, I’ll save money by not eating out today and I can cook a simple meal so it’ll actually be faster than going to pick up food.” The more you use change talk with yourself and others, the more motivated you’ll be to make the change despite the challenges.
   
   
10. And finally, make your goal SMART:
    
    Specific - Be as specific as you can about your goal. For example, if you want to read more, make a plan for what book(s) you will read and when.
    
    Measurable - Make goals that allow you to measure your success. For example, be specific about the number of pages you want to read each day or the number of books you want to read per month or per year.
    
    Achievable - This goes back to tip #1. Make sure your goal is realistic and that you are not setting yourself up for failure. If you have a busy life, telling yourself you’re going to read 100 books in the next year is probably not realistic. Five or ten may be a more achievable goal.
    
    Relevant - This is similar to tip #9. Make sure the habit or change you’re working on aligns with your values or larger goals. What’s your why? Maybe you want to read more because you find it fun and relaxing and it improves your mental health. Maybe it’s because you want your mind to stay sharp and your vocabulary and writing to improve. Maybe it’s because you enjoy being exposed to different worldviews and perspectives and it helps you build empathy for people who are different from you. Maybe you just enjoy learning new things. Whatever your why is, make sure you know it.
    
    Time-bound - When you first start working on a goal, it helps to limit it to a particular time frame. For example, if you haven’t read for fun in a long time, maybe set a goal to read at least 10 pages a day for 2 weeks. Once you’ve reached that goal, you can try another two weeks, or maybe a month. 

What’s one daily habit you’re working on? Come to the Wellness Center (LYN 236) in person to track your progress! 

Want to make some changes, but not sure where to start? Complete our self-care assessment to get some ideas. 

Feeling stuck and need more support? Reach out to us at wellness@edmonds.edu or schedule an appointment with one of our counselors by contacting the Counseling and Resource Center at 425.640.1358 or counseling@edmonds.edu.

Do you know what naloxone (Narcan) does? It’s a potentially life-saving medication for treating opioid overdose.

Consider having some available just in case, in these situations:

• If you use or know people who use opioids (even if medically prescribed)
• If you use or know people who use any type of illegal drugs (because these can be contaminated with fentanyl or other opioids)
• If you want to be prepared to help in an overdose emergency situation until the emergency medical responders arrive

You can request naloxone for free through the People’s Harm Reduction Alliance (PHRA). They also have more information and FAQs about naloxone on their website.

And if you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available.

• For physical emergencies or danger (including overdose), call or text 911
• For mental and emotional health concerns: Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat
• And on-campus or virtually, our confidential counseling services at Edmonds College are also available for you to talk through situations in your life. You are not alone.

Mental Health Awareness Month was created to raise awareness about mental health, fight stigma, and provide support and education.

It’s important for everyone to feel supported in their mental health, and there are many factors that can impact this. Take this opportunity to check in with yourself and consider how your mental and emotional health are doing.

Here are some questions to think about, from Chester County Hospital's Health e-Living Blog:

1. How am I feeling today?
2. What's been worrying me lately?
3. What am I doing that is bringing me joy?
4. Who do I have in my corner?
5. Am I providing my body with what it needs? (i.e. food, water, sleep)

988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. That could be:

• thoughts of suicide,
• mental health or substance use crisis, or
• any other kind of emotional distress

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at  988lifeline.org/chat

And on-campus or virtually, our counseling services at Edmonds College are also available for you.

Healthy eyes can make life and studying easier, but too often, studying and screen use makes eye health more difficult.

It’s all too easy to experience eye strain in college. Here are some tips to help reduce this issue.

• Increase text size on devices - it should be comfortable to view from a distance of at least your elbow to your hand (not too close to your face)
• Adjust the screen brightness and room lighting - the brightness of your screen and the overall light level in the room should match to prevent eye strain
• Filter blue light, which can cause eye strain - use a special blue light filter glasses, an add-on screen filter, or change settings on your device to reduce the blue light that comes from your screens
• Remind yourself to blink and consider eye drops if needed - this keeps the eye from drying out
• Take regular breaks from the screen - this gives your eyes the chance to adjust to looking at different things. You can try the 20-20-20 pattern: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds
• Try a screen-free hobby - this reduces total screen time and gives your eyes a break while you’re having fun

Sometimes, “positive thinking” can sound like “magical thinking,” where we’re expected to think only positive thoughts at all times in hopes of happy outcomes. However, this is not the case.

Positive thinking is a skill anyone can learn. It can be done even in difficult or uncomfortable situations, without denying them. Benefits include less stress, longer life, better wellbeing, and better resistance to getting sick.

It usually starts with changing your self-talk (your thoughts that you may or may not say aloud). Here are some examples from the Mayo Clinic:

• Instead of: “I'm too lazy to get this done,” try something like: “I couldn't fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities.”
• Instead of: “It's too complicated,” experiment with: “I'll tackle it from a different angle.”
• Instead of: “I'm not going to get any better at this,” consider something like: “I'll give it another try.”

Check out the article by the Mayo Clinic for more examples, to see whether your self-talk is positive or negative, and to get tips on thinking and acting in a more positive and optimistic way.

You can also make a free appointment with the Counseling team to learn more about how to apply this information in your particular situation.

Did you know that doing something nice for someone else makes you healthier, happier, and less stressed?

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) is a nonprofit that encourages kindness. They report scientific research about kindness, including:

• increased positive feelings (like strength, energy, calmness, self-esteem, happiness, and optimism)
• longer life with less aches and pains, reduced blood pressure, and better heart health
• decreased stress and less social anxiety

If you want to try a random act of kindness, here are ten ideas from the RAK:

• thank a teacher
• read with a child
• share a snack
• open doors for others
• put away your phone and listen with your heart
• donate blood
• adopt a grandparent: go to a nearby nursing home and find out who does not get visitors or gifts
• write a positive comment online
• say something positive about yourself
• write positive messages on sticky notes and leave for others to find

Want to do something simple to motivate you toward your goals, with less stress? Try self-compassion!

Self-compassion, according to the researcher Dr. Neff, has three parts:

• Being kind to ourselves like we would to another person
• Knowing that we’re part of the shared human experience
• Being mindfully aware of our emotions and experiences

One way to practice self-compassion is to ask yourself this question: “How would I talk with my best friend if they were in the same situation?” Then, use that same compassion and kindness to talk to yourself.

To test your level of self-compassion, you can get a free self-compassion assessment.

For personal help with self-compassion in your life, check out the Counseling Resource Center.

Nothing replaces sleep, but resting when you're awake is important too. Rest helps us decrease stress and increase health, happiness, and productivity.

Rest doesn’t have to be big. We can all add moments of rest into our daily lives. The important thing is to focus on what feels restful for you.

Here are some ideas you can try for more rest in your life:

• Deep breathing - take a deep breath that feels like it fills your whole body. As you let that breath out, relax all the muscles in your body. Do this three times, or until you feel relaxed
• Sensory break - take a break from screens, loud music or noise, bright or flashing lights, strong scents, etc
• Do something fun
• Take a mental break
• Spend time by yourself
• Be with friends who you can be yourself around
• Think about things that inspire you and give you hope - quotes, ideas, prayers, etc
• Look at your schedule to make sure you’re leaving free time to rest

November is National Career Development Month! 

• Trying to figure out what career path is best for you?
• Unsure about how much certain jobs in the area pay?
• Wondering how many jobs are actually out there in the career of your choice?

Career and professional well-being is about using your skills, talents, and gifts to increase purpose and enjoyment in your professional life. It’s a part of a whole-person life that’s satisfying and rewarding.

Career Coach is the perfect tool to explore your ideal career and the education and training necessary to help you reach your goals. Additionally, it’s tailored to our region and provides employment trends, job opportunities, earnings potential, and the education available in our area.

The Career Action Center and the Wellness Center work collaboratively to help you find your most enjoyable career.

October is Emotional Wellness Month. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), “Emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.”

The NIH lists six main areas to focus on so you can grow your emotional wellness:

• Build resilience
• Reduce stress
• Get quality sleep
• Strengthen social connections
• Cope with loss
• Be mindful

For many ideas to level up in each of these areas, look at the Emotional Wellness Checklist and the interactive Emotional Wellness Toolkit.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s a chance to raise awareness, decrease the stigma of asking for help, and share resources to support you and those who care for you if you are struggling.

If you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis or emergency, you can call 988 or text "NAMI" to 741741 to connect with a trained counselor at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Our counseling services at Edmonds College are also available for you.

If you are in crisis or have an urgent need to speak with someone please use the following:

Medical Emergencies: 911
24/7 Mental Health Crisis / Resources: 988
Care Crisis Line: 
Text: 741 741 
Call: 425.258.4357 or 1.800.584.3578 for support 24 hours per day, 365 days per year (interpreter services available).
Campus security: 425.754.0154