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Triage: Learning to Prioritize And Reduce Stress

Saturday, July 29th, 2017

tri·age

trēˈäZH

noun

1.

(in medical use) the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses to decide the order of treatment of a large number of patients or casualties.

verb

1.

assign degrees of urgency to (wounded or ill patients).

A few years ago, a nurse told me, “You need to learn how to triage.” She was referring to my schoolwork and life balance using terminology from the hospital. Triage is the process of determining the urgency of a patient’s condition and prioritizing all patients by immediacy of need for transportation and care. For example, someone with an injury to their vital organs will obviously be prioritized above someone with a broken wrist. The nurse was the mother of someone close to me, and I was insulted because I thought she was criticizing my priorities and goals as being wrong. In retrospect, I realize what she saw: a stressed out college student who had no time for anything but school, starved of any fun and relaxation.

https://indulgy.com/

https://indulgy.com/

Ever since, I’ve been experimenting with how I prioritize time and goals. Sometimes I’m still not certain I’ve got it “right,” but I think this is true for everyone: balance is not a tidy endpoint with a bow on it. Life is always throwing us curve balls, and even when we see them coming we’re not always prepared for the blow. Priorities change, circumstances change, and our goals and estimations of what will make us happy change. And finding the right balance between the many facets of wellness, from exercise and diet to confidence and self presentation, relationships, sleep hygiene, and mental health—on top of the rest of life  (family, chores, school, work, and other responsibilities) is a process and a challenge. But there’s also no feeling like equilibrium. You will genuinely feel healthier, happier, more energetic, and more peaceful when you find it, whatever that equilibrium looks like for you.

In this eternal pursuit of balance, I’ve been learning how to triage. It seems simple and obvious in the context of a hospital and physical injuries, but it can be harder to do with school. Some instances are easy: Say you have a chemistry exam and a French quiz on the same day. The chemistry exam is worth 30 percent of your grade for the course, while the French quiz is 10 percent. You have a limited amount of time to study. Which one do you prioritize? For high-aiming achievers, making these kinds of judgments is inherently stressful because everything feels like a #1 priority. I’ve learned a few effective steps for prioritization that have helped me be a calmer, happier, healthier person, and I hope they help you too!

https://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk

https://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk

1. Write down all the tasks you need to get done

The list might look overwhelming at first, but having a physical copy of your tasks allows you to sort through them visually. In your brain, they’re all floating around with equal weight. On paper, they become concrete things that can be ordered and reordered.

2. Triage!

Which obligation is going to metaphorically bleed out and die if you don’t see to it immediately? Which one is an extremity that needs stitches, but not urgent? Assess which tasks need to be completed sooner than others based on time constraints.

3. Consider tasks based on value

If your long term goal is to get a certain grade in a class, then in general it makes sense to do the reading for that class consistently instead of hitting the gym every single day. But now and then you might really need a sweat sesh or an endorphin boost, and if that’s going to be more valuable by upping your mood and energy, it might be worth it to skim through that night’s reading.

4. Consider tasks based on effort

With tasks that have comparable value, estimate how much effort each task will require. Start with the more difficult task first. That way, when you’re losing steam, you’ll still be able to make it through the easier tasks leftover.

5. Accept the limitations of reality

There will be instances where you simply won’t be able to do everything on the list and something needs to go. After you’ve made your time and value estimates for your task list, eliminate the ones you know you can’t get to that day and give your all to the things you can.

I hope these prioritization tips help bring you balance and peace of mind in your pursuit of wellness, success, and happiness! Please share this chapter and these pointers with anyone you think might benefit from them. Though heavily modified from any canonical origin of the Buddha’s teachings, I do appreciate the popular quote, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the single candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” So it is with wellness. Sharing will never decrease your own. Go forth, share, flourish, and delight in your life!

http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Equilibrium_Manipulation

http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Equilibrium_Manipulation

By Sofia Lerner

Sofia Lerner is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is studying English as a senior at NYU. Passionate about literature, dance, and wellness, Sofia aspires to help the arts thrive and help others pursue healthy lifestyles. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services. 

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Posted in onCollege, onHealth, onLife | No Comments »

Encouraging Positive Talk and Confidence in Your Friend Group

Sunday, July 23rd, 2017

“Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.” There’s been a fair amount of research on how people are affected by their environments, and that largely means how they’re affected by the people with whom they interact. Have you ever noticed a friend of yours start using a phrase you use? Have you picked up certain habits from your friends? You’ll probably be hyper-aware of it after reading this! Some even argue that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Much of what I’ve read on this subject warns about the influence of toxic people and emotional vampires, like this cautionary article from https://medium.com. A lot of these self-help articles advise readers to rid themselves of friends and acquaintances who just aren’t feeding their lives in a positive way. I’m not disputing that advice. Cutting ties with draining people is important for your overall wellbeing. But if you’re influenced by the people around you, there’s also a lot you can do in turn to be a positive influence on them—and ultimately that’s beneficial for everyone.

https://twitter.com/mathsnsw

https://twitter.com/mathsnsw

Negativity doesn’t just come in the form of explicit rudeness or friends who deliberately put you down. Some of our most supportive, funny, valuable friends can unintentionally and indirectly propagate feelings of self-criticism and negativity by the way they talk to and about themselves. Author Mark Manson writes a lot about how we measure worth. Take this article for instance (it’s a short read): https://markmanson.net/how-we-judge-others. His logic is that the way we judge others is also how we judge ourselves. In his words, the yardstick by which we measure our own worth is also the yardstick by which we measure the worth of others. Often we aren’t conscious of how exactly we measure worth, but Manson points out that we can choose to be conscious, and from there we can choose our yardsticks. So if you obsess over your grades, chances are you also judge your friends by how high their GPAs are. If you have a friend who is constantly worrying about her appearance, you can deduce that her primary measuring stick is attractiveness. Most likely without meaning to, that friend then judges other people by their attractiveness. By “judging,” I mean ascribing worth or value.

https://me.me/

https://me.me/

These behaviors can wear on us. If someone close to you obsesses over their physique and level of fitness, it’s hard not to wonder how they view and judge your body too. I urge you to point our negative behaviors that you see in your friends and encourage them to be kinder to themselves. For example, I used to have a hard time taking compliments; I always felt like accepting them meant I was cocky. In response, I would make self-deprecating comments, finding faults in myself to counteract anything positive. Eventually, when I would make these comments one of my friends started scolding me, “Don’t be self-deprecating.” And it wasn’t a playful admonishment either. There was a bit of annoyance and a real sense of chastisement in her tone. I didn’t take offense. On the contrary, her criticism of my own self-criticism brought me to see my comments about myself in a more accurate light: not as politeness, but as an unhealthy habit. I learned to catch myself in those thought patterns, and I learned to accept compliments. And you know what? Compliments feel good! That’s how they’re supposed to feel!

So when you see your friend poking their stomach and saying they feel fat, ask them, “What’s something you like about your body?” When your friend does poorly on a test and says they are stupid, tell them, “You know, you’re really good at ______. Be an example; be gentle with yourself and gentle with your friends. Compliment them, and accept their compliments graciously too. If you admire something, say so. When you’re proud of them, show it. It’s often easier to hold on to the negatives, but you have the power to highlight the positives. If what Business Insider says is true—that you’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with—then your positivity has the power to make them more positive. And in the end, that positive energy will feed you too.

 

https://www.theworkher.com

https://www.theworkher.com

By Sofia Lerner

Sofia Lerner is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is studying English as a senior at NYU. Passionate about literature, dance, and wellness, Sofia aspires to help the arts thrive and help others pursue healthy lifestyles. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services. 

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Posted in Friendship, onCollege, onHealth, onLife, onLove, onValues, Relationships, Roommates | No Comments »

Putting Effort into Your Appearance: It’s About Confidence, Not Vanity

Sunday, July 16th, 2017

Picture this: you’re having a rough day. Maybe your physics exam went horribly; maybe you and your significant other split up; maybe you struggle with anxiety or depression and it’s just worse than usual today. Self doubt and insecurity start to creep in, and your confidence sky dives. Cue sweat pants and a trip to the nearest bodega to check out the ice cream selection, and soon you’re a pile of distress, feeling… let’s just say not your most attractive.

https://twitter.com/ohh_deer

https://twitter.com/ohh_deer

Does this sound familiar? I think we’ve all been here. But even though your impulse is to crawl into a hole, and the last thing you want to do is put on nice clothes and style your hair, that’s exactly what you should do. Putting effort into your appearance makes you look more confident, which makes you feel more confident and act it too. Scientists Adam Hajo and Adam D. Galinsky research the effect that your style and clothing choices have on your mood, health, and overall confidence. This is the result of a phenomenon called “enclothed cognition.” In an article for the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Hajo and Galinsky explain that enclothed cognition “involves the co-occurrence of two independent factors — the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical experience of wearing them.” That means what you choose to put on has a real affect on how you feel and what your style and clothing are saying to the world.

https://twitter.com/fpjsprobinsyano

https://twitter.com/fpjsprobinsyano

In a Huffington Post article, “How Clothing Choices Affect and Reflect Your Self-Image,” Jill L. Ferguson quotes Karen J. Pine, a professor at the University of Hertfordshire (U.K.) and author of the book Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion. Pine maintains, “When we put on a piece of clothing we cannot help but adopt some of the characteristics associated with it, even if we are unaware of it.” Think about it: how do you feel and act in your favorite outfit? In sweatpants? After a haircut? What about wearing loafers? Heels? Gents, wearing a nice aftershave? I know that when I wear a fancy dress for a night out, I stand up straighter, walk with more intention, and probably project more confidence as a result. This isn’t to say you need to be dressed to the nines all the time. I love my flannel shirts and combat boots, and sometimes I feel more confident wearing that than wearing a form fitting dress (especially on a full stomach). Just a touch of something that spruces up your appearance can make a difference in how you feel, look, and present yourself. Often on days when I have to share my work in front of a group or have a difficult conversation, I’ll put on some lipstick, or as I call it, war paint.

https://www.redbubble.com

https://www.redbubble.com

I particularly like red, since it’s the color of confidence. I’ve always thought there’s just something about the classic red bottom on a pair of Louboutins that projects elegance and confidence. But that doesn’t mean you need to run around in heels on the daily. A few days a week I’ll spritz on some perfume, or wear a noticeable pair of earrings, style my hair differently, or brush on some mascara. These efforts don’t need to be head-to-toe 24/7. In the event of a break up, sometimes a dramatic change like a totally different haircut can do wonders to make you feel fresh and attractive; I just got a chop this weekend! But day-to-day, it’s just about putting in the effort to make yourself feel confident—and that’s inextricably linked to feeling attractive. So shine your shoes, try a new hair style, pull out that little black dress, and start wearing red!

By Sofia Lerner

Sofia Lerner is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is studying English as a senior at NYU. Passionate about literature, dance, and wellness, Sofia aspires to help the arts thrive and help others pursue healthy lifestyles. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services. 

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

 

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Posted in Fashion, onBeauty, onCollege, onHealth, onLife, onStyle, onValues | No Comments »

How To Lose a Roommate in 4 Months

Wednesday, July 5th, 2017

College roommates are tricky, especially in New York where space is limited, buildings are old, and once you’re off campus you’re living in a real world environment with real adults. As I approach 2 years in New York, I look back on all 4 of my roommates and wonder where it went wrong and where it went right.

 

1. Rooms Don’t Clean Themselves

As cool as it would be to sing a little tune and watch the cockroaches scattered about your apartment team up to tidy up à la Enchanted, this has yet to happen to me and boy have I tried. Freshman year, the cleaning in my suite was wistful thinking. Piles of dishes in the sink and beyond sported food remnants caked on like it had grown there. The stench was rivaled only by the trash, which filled every empty trash-looking container we had. A pile of unclaimed broken glass lasted over a week in a corner. The K-Mart Brand Swiffer was the only thing not dirty, it stood untouched next to the kitchen as a woeful reminder. I don’t really blame our suite of six girls – we were busier than ever, more independent than ever, and I guess more content to live in filth than I ever will be again. Early on we all claimed ourselves as clean people and concluded that there was no further need to discuss how we were going to keep each other honest and it spiraled from there. So my advice to you? Set up expectations and a cleaning schedule. Go buy cleaning supplies before you need them. And though we all have that laundry chair, just make sure there isn’t rotting food under all those clothes.

 

2. Talk in Person

The digital age makes communication much more accessible, but when it come to the person sleeping in the same room as you, it’s best to address things about your shared living space in your shared living space. Sure the occasional “Can you make sure my straightener is off?” isn’t going to do you any harm. But when you are sitting 12 feet from each other all afternoon, you shouldn’t receive a text about how they would prefer if you didn’t have people over on Wednesdays 2 minutes after you walk out the door. As someone who spent a semester living with that person, I would find myself falling into a trap of replying to these long texts about things that made her uncomfortable instead of bringing it up face to face. Learning to stand up for yourself or addressing a situation in person can be hard, but it’s always the best route to go. Otherwise, four months into living with someone you’ll get a text as you walk out the door saying that this living situation is no longer working for them, and you never see them again.

 

3. You Deserve Your Space Too

Maybe you’ve been graced with the perfect roommate whose schedule and friends fit perfectly with yours. I was not that lucky. One of my roommates was so adamant about never having people over to our apartment that on the occasional Saturday I did, she’d shut herself in her room despite my attempts to be friendly and socialize. There’s a difference between being a good roommate and a huge pushover. As much as I wanted to respect her space, I also felt I deserved to hang out in my own apartment every once in a while. Of course, there are times where it’s okay to request space from your roommate and all their friends, as long as this isn’t 100% of the time. It would have been unrealistic for me to be paying for an apartment that I was never in because my roommate didn’t allow people over. Living the early 20s adult life is all about learning to compromise and respect peoples living spaces on both sides.

 

4. Make a Friend

After you’ve sorted through the kinks of living with someone, it’s important to think about how you get along as people. A roommate can be just some person you share a living space with, or they can be someone you think of as a part of your home. Despite your own busy life, don’t forget to take a moment to talk to your roommate at the end of the day or even make plans with them every once in a while. The person you’re living with can have a drastic effect on how comfortable you are in your own home, and friendly conversation can bring things to a whole different level.

 

Looking for a way to get to know your new roomie? Have a Spa Day at IL Girasole! Whether it’s mani pedis before brunch or facials before a Friday night out, with your Campus Clipper coupon and Student ID you can get 15% all the time on any of their services.

Image Credit: campusclipper.com

Image Credit: campusclipper.com

 

By Caroline Flynn

Caroline Flynn is a Sales and Publishing Intern at the Campus Clipper studying Theatre at NYU Tisch. Caroline is passionate about the arts and dedicated to using her voice to make other people smile. As she heads into her Junior year, she is excited to be writing about how relationships have shaped her life while she takes on summer in the city for the first time. Check out her Instagram for more witty and heartfelt content on her life. 

We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015. 

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Posted in Friendship, Housing spaces, onCollege, onLove, onValues, Relationships, Roommates | No Comments »

5 Daily Ways to Check in with Yourself and Mentally Reset

Sunday, June 25th, 2017

Long days and frustrations at school or work can often leave us wishing we had a “reset” button in our brains. Whether we’re over-worked, stressed, annoyed, or just tired, a mental reboot is often much-needed, and while we don’t have an actual button for this, taking a few minutes to check in with yourself can go a long way. Here are a few things you can do to metaphorically hit your “reset” button.

https://be-nefit.co.uk/

https://be-nefit.co.uk/

1. Affect Labeling

Ask yourself how you’re feeling. Distracted? Anxious? Jittery? Insecure? The act of naming your emotions is called affect labeling, and it’s more powerful than you think. According to a 2007 study in the journal Psychological Science, “Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli.” That’s a mouthful. In normal-speak, here’s what researchers found: labeling emotions diminished the subjects’ responses to negative emotional images. Psychologists and wellness experts have long held that recognizing and naming our feelings diminishes their hold on us; this study simply provides the concrete evidence in the from neuroimaging—that is, images of brain activity.

Affect labeling reduces the passion and intensity of an emotion, returning us to a more rational state by allowing us to observe it instead of being overcome by it. So notice what you’re feeling. Maybe someone cut you off getting into the subway. Maybe you’re worried about a project. Are you over-caffeinated?Are you irritable because you’re hungry or didn’t sleep enough? Think beyond the basic categories of angry, sad, and happy, and try to label what you’re feeling as specifically as you can. I find this wheel of emotions very helpful:

http://inkwellideas.com/

http://inkwellideas.com/

2. Check in with your needs

When was the last time you ate? Washed your hair? Laughed? How’s your energy level? Last moment of physical contact with another human being? When you’re really deep into a project, an essay, or studying for an exam, it can be easy to forget your most basic needs. If you find yourself getting mentally fatigued, ask yourself if your baseline needs are in check. Maybe you need a walk around the block, a snack to boost glucose in your brain (i.e. fueling your study-power), or just a hug.

3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This technique is a winner for reducing anxiety and hitting the mental reset button. Using guided mental imagery, you methodically relax each muscle in your body. One of my teachers suggests visualizing a glowing light gliding along inside each part of your body. Follow these steps from The University of Rochester’s Medical Center to reset your mind with progressive muscle relaxation.

4. Come Back to Your Breath

For the duration of our stay here on Earth, the breath is always there. You don’t have to make an effort to breathe; it happens naturally. Take five minutes out of your day— especially if you’re having a tough one—and sit quietly with your breath. Notice your chest rising and falling, your belly expanding and deflating. The air entering your nostrils. Your tongue resting against the backs of your upper teeth. I like to imagine the shore of the ocean: The inhale is the sound of the water sliding back from the sand after each wave breaks, gathering and building up the next wave. The exhale is the wave breaking on the shore. Even just a few minutes of concentrated awareness of your breath will allow you to reset and return to your day refreshed. Try out this 5 minute guided breathing meditation from www.mindful.org.

http://www.betsymccallworks.com/

http://www.betsymccallworks.com/

5. Alone Time

There’s a difference between being alone due to circumstance, like when you’re walking to the subway, and actually scheduling alone time with yourself. It can be hard to get an accurate pulse on your mental state in the company of other people, so it’s highly valuable to spend some time alone every day. It provides a space to notice where your mind really is, and from there you can recenter it. Even the busiest student has ten minutes to tuck into their day for sitting and reflecting, taking a walk, writing in a journal, or engaging in any activity that allows your internal state to become a little clearer.

Use these tips to stay in tune with yourself and hit the mental reset button when you need to!

By Sofia Lerner

Sofia Lerner is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is studying English as a senior at NYU. Passionate about literature, dance, and wellness, Sofia aspires to help the arts thrive and help others pursue healthy lifestyles. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services. 

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Posted in onHealth, onLife, onValues | No Comments »

From New York to…Stockholm

Wednesday, June 21st, 2017

It’s hard not to feel fed up in a city. Your apartment has roaches the size of rats, you step in a mysterious liquid almost every day, and the F train is late again. Worst of all, people seem to be everywhere when you don’t want to be near them, but nowhere when you need them. The isolation is a lot to handle.

New York’s not the only city in the world that can make you feel isolated. Stockholm, in its cold, distant beauty is also like this in that it can be a fairly lonely city, even after you’ve lived there for a while.

But maybe isolation isn’t such a bad thing—think of it as solitude instead. For one, you have friends, but you just don’t want to be around them at the moment and that’s okay. Everyone feels this way at one point or another in New York and in Stockholm and here are a few ways to spend your time in solitude to get you loving your city again:

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/

https://c1.staticflickr.com/

https://c1.staticflickr.com/

 

Be Productive.

I’m not joking. Without the need to be around friends to distract you, you can get a lot of work done. Though the sight of people isn’t great when you want to be alone, a quiet coffee shop might help you stay focused. In Stockholm, a good place to do this might be in Gamla Stan’s Chokladkoppen, or if you’re not in the mood to deal with the tourists of Gamla Stan, maybe just go to your local Espresso House instead. In New York, finding a quiet coffee shop is can require quite the hike. If you’re up for it, the Little Chair in Two Bridges is worth the journey. Or maybe just stick to a Think Coffee in the Village. Either way, a coffee shop is a great way to be productive and get away from most people you know.

 

Treat Yourself.

Not in the mood to see anyone? Great! This is the perfect time to take a page out of Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle’s book: Treat yourself. New York and Stockholm are both great cities to do so. Need a new work outfit? Treat yourself. Want to dye your hair? Treat yourself. Want that thousand calorie dessert? No one’s there to judge you. Treat. Your. Self. Even so, sometimes you want to treat yourself without breaking the bank and the Campus Clipper has great deals for gelato places like Unico or relaxing spas like the Lilac Spa on 1st Ave. In NYC, when you want to go shopping, you go to 5th Ave. In Stockholm, you go to Södermalm where you can find anything from desserts at Casja Warg to unique clothes at Beyond Retro.

 

Scenic Self-Reflection.

So every time you want to go see something cool outside of Gamla Stan or Soho, your friends are always there to bog you down. Well, now’s the time for your vision journey. It’s time to leave your neighborhood and go see the sights of your beautiful city. In Stockholm, why not take an archipelago tour and see the breathtaking islands that surround Stockholm (bring a jacket) or go to the Moderna Museet and see that exhibition you’ve been wanting to check out? In New York, go up to Inwood and to view the Hudson from the Cloister’s Museum or head to the Brooklyn or Bronx Botanical Gardens. These places are great to take a step back and think while you’re alone.

.

View from the Cloisters https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/

View from the Cloisters
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/

 

The archipelago. Taken by Jainita Patel.

The archipelago.
Taken by Jainita Patel.

Do that One Thing You’ve Been Putting Off.

What’s the one thing you’ve wanted to do or have been meaning to do and just never got around to it? Is it nerding out at Science Fiction Bokhandlen in Gamla Stan or wandering the Strand for hours? Is it going to a certain museum or to see a certain site? Is it taking an MMA Bootcamp class at Nimble Fitness (coupon in the Campus Clipper)? Well now’s your shot. Do it.

The Strand. https://i1.wp.com/

The Strand.
https://i1.wp.com/

 

Gamla Stan. Taken by Jainita Patel.

Gamla Stan.
Taken by Jainita Patel.

Cities can be a pain when you’re feeling a little alone, but there’s always a way to embrace it and make the most of the amazing place you live in. Whether it’s Stockholm or New York, being alone sometimes can be beneficial to your mental health and give you a moment to reflect. And who knows? If you like the idea of exploring NYC or Stockholm alone, maybe you’ll get to explore the other city some day as well.

__________________________________________________________________________________

By Jainita Patel

Jainita is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is double majoring in English and Environmental Studies at NYU. Though writing fiction and painting are her two main passions, she also has a love of travel and adventure that has taken her across the globe.  Jainita writes under the pseudonym Jordan C. Rider. If you like her posts, you can find more of her work here or follow her on Twitter. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015. 

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Posted in Budget Traveler, Cheap Eats, onFun, onLife, onTravel, Out On The Town, Outside Manhattan, Uniqueness in NYC | No Comments »

Finding a Meditative Practice that Works for You

Saturday, June 17th, 2017

Zillions of studies have been done on the benefits of mediation, from reducing stress and anxiety, to improving focus and mental performance, as well as decreasing the risk of some diseases and improving physical health. If you need a reason to try meditation, here’s a whopping list of 76 reasons. But… what if you hate meditating? For a lot of people, meditation is frustrating, difficult, or simply boring. If you’ve tried it and given up, or find the whole thing too “hippy dippy,” I have good news for you.

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https://brunch.co.kr

The heart of meditation is mindfulness, defined by https://www.mindful.org as “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” Often a mindfulness meditation may focus on the breath, for example, creating a deepened awareness of each inhalation and exhalation. But you can be “fully present, aware of where [you] are and what [you’re] doing with just about any activity, whether that activity is sitting and breathing, or running a 10k, or even just washing the dishes.

Do you have an activity where you get so absorbed in the present moment that you forget about everything else? Time, stress, to-do lists and other thoughts melt away? When I was a ballet dancer, the time spent at the ballet barre was a form of meditation to me. For that hour or so, nothing else in the world existed—often not even the other people in the room. There was only my body, my breath, and the steps I was executing, an awareness of every fiber in my body. Mindfulness is all about intention and really noticing rather than going through the motions. I had a postmodern dance teacher at NYU who introduced me to walking meditation, which has become one of my favorite meditative practices. It consists of focusing all your attention deeply on the supposedly simple act of walking. With eyes cast downward, about where the wall meets the floor, feet bare, and hands clasped gently behind your lower back, you walk. You notice how the weight shifts from your heel to the outer edge of your foot, to the ball of your foot with each step. The shift in your hips. Your spine. How you are holding your hands. The same kind of awareness might be achieved while taking a shower; really notice the sensation of warm water running over you, the scents of soap or shampoo.

http://www.ayurvedaplusworld.com/

http://www.ayurvedaplusworld.com/

If you are open to traditional meditation, but in small doses, try 5 minutes a day. Like anything else, you will at get better with practice! Ph.D. Emma M. Seppälä points out, in an article from Psychology Today, that there is a range of types of meditation, and one may work better for you than another. Dr. Seppälä includes in this range: Mindfulness Meditation, Effortless Meditation, Breathing Exercises, and Loving-Kindness Meditation. Mindfulness Meditation is based on “paying attention to sensations, feelings and thoughts in a non-judgmental way.” More “Effortless” forms of meditation might involve repeating mantras or being more unfocused to relax the mind. Breathing Exercises as a form of meditation have a wonderful impact on the nervous system, and Loving-Kindness meditation “focuses on developing feelings of goodwill, kindness and warmth towards others,” according to Seppälä.

Finally, if meditation is daunting or challenging, you may prefer a guided meditation. There are some wonderful apps out there to help guide you through a meditative practice. Experiment with Sattva, Calm, Headspace, The Mindfulness App, and Buddify to make your way toward a calmer, happier, healthier you!

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ww.gauraastro.com

By Sofia Lerner

Sofia Lerner is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is studying English as a senior at NYU. Passionate about literature, dance, and wellness, Sofia aspires to help the arts thrive and help others pursue healthy lifestyles. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services. 

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

 

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Self-Love and Your Job

Friday, May 26th, 2017

“Never continue in a job you don’t enjoy.

If you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll like yourself, you’ll have inner peace.

And if you have that, along with physical health,

you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.”

-Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson-talk show host and comedian. Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carson

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carson

Self-love and your career. What an intriguing thought. How does what you do for a living impact the way you love yourself?

There are tons and tons of inspirational quotes on self-love and the career you lead! Take some time to check out a few of them! Definitely worth it! Image Credit: https://www.linkedin.com/topic/self-esteem

Image Credit: https://www.linkedin.com/topic/self-esteem

Well, are you doing what you’re doing because you love it, or because it is easy, convenient, or pays the bills? I think many of us, myself included, get caught in the ease and convenience of complacency in life. It is too easy to get comfortable wherever we are and not want to leave, to remain complacent because your job provides you with (maybe even just barely) financial stability. Personally though, I’ve always said that if I start to feel too comfortable, it is time to move on to something else-there’s no opportunity for growth where we are overly comfortable. We are simply stagnant here. This space is useless when it comes to personal growth.

An interesting thought is also that loving your job can actually impact your health. As is goes, if you love what you are doing, they say you’ll live longer! Inc. explains that happy equals healthy, good jobs fuel community, good work allows for fulfillment, enjoying your job means less stress and anxiety, and being challenged means less boredom.

No one wants to feel like this guy! Find what you love and do it the best you can! Relax and take a deep breath. Stop rushing and let go of any unnecessary stress, depression, or anxiety! Image Credit: https://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/5-reasons-loving-your-job-helps-you-live-longer.html

Image Credit: https://www.inc.com/laura-garnett/5-reasons-loving-your-job-helps-you-live-longer.html

Further explained…one study found that older people who are overall happier and in better moods are 35% less likely to die within five years, people who are more social live an average of 3.7 years longer than their less-social counterparts, psychologists say living with a purpose is the most important key to living a long and healthy life, stress is the top proxy killer disease today, and mental alertness keeps your brain sharp as you age.

To wrap that all up, a fruitful and fulfilling career will lead you straight to a place of greater self-love!! A job where you are enjoying your work, surrounding yourself with kindness and support, and being appreciated and respected will give you greater confidence and appreciation for yourself and what you are doing.

I believe that each of us, whether we want to admit it or not, truly desires to be successful and to do so by finding something that we love to do and thriving at it. How many people still say that there is no such thing as loving your job so much it feels like you never have to work a day in your life, though? Too many! Do you believe this? Share your comments on this with us! I truly believe that the idea of loving your career so that it is a fruitful and satisfying part of your life is an idea that is entirely possible to turn into a reality. Perhaps I am naive, but I really don’t think so.

You try it! If you hate your job, maybe it is time to move on to bigger and better places. If you love your job, think about how that relates to the way you feel about yourself. Are you happy? Would you be less happy with a less satisfying career? Probably. Love yourself and find a career that feeds your soul! You’ll only thank yourself.

By Chanelle Surphlis

Chanelle Surphlis is a Campus Clipper publishing intern, who is graduating from FIT this May. Passionate about giving back and pursuing volunteer opportunities, Chanelle aspires to work for a fashion or beauty company that includes philanthropy in its core values. If you like Chanelle’s writing, check out her blogs here and here. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015. 

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The History Behind Self-Love

Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

“love of self.

you belong to you

sometimes your soulmate

is yourself

and everything

you’ve been searching for

can be found

deep within your soul”

– R.H. Sin

 

Image Credit: http://life-happens.co.uk/self-love-podcast/

Image Credit: http://life-happens.co.uk/self-love-podcast/

It’s February, and love is in the air, but often times what people forget or completely overlook, is the idea of self-love and how important it is to love ourselves. Each one of us has something unique within us, something that is not to be wasted and without utilizing those unique and special qualities that make us individuals, we are, in fact, doing those around us a disservice. Maybe you’ve heard this before, but truly believing it and feeling it is crucial to our well-being.

The journey of self-love is one that has always sat in the back of my mind, but it has more recently come to the forefront to play a large role in my life. I was raised to be strong and independent, to work hard to achieve my goals and to obtain a life where I don’t have to, or even want to, rely on anyone else for anything, whether it be physical or emotional. This ideal has always played a huge part in my life, and it is probably why the ease of falling in love caught me off guard, yet why I also made decisions that were best for me even when I was in a relationship that I thought was bulletproof. Maybe this is a bit of an oxymoron, but I was so invested in my relationship, while also focusing on my own agenda, such as: doing well in school, studying abroad, and planning my upcoming job search and career. Naturally, when my three-year relationship came to an end against my will four months ago, I was at a complete loss.

I realized that while I always had the mentality of an independent, Chanelle and not Chanelle and her significant other, and that I could do anything I set my mind to, I had to actually feel this independence again and move forward as the dynamic of my life, my daily routine and emotional state, all changed. This felt like the most difficult obstacle I had ever needed to overcome, but it didn’t take me too long to realize that I am an array of amazing qualities and I do not need to be accepted or loved by anyone who does not appreciate all of the amazing elements that make me who I am. And the same goes for you.

Nathaniel Branden Image Credit: http://mylifebook.com/blog/dr-nathaniel-branden-explores-romantic-love-and-effective-communication/

Nathaniel Branden
Image Credit: http://mylifebook.com/blog/dr-nathaniel-branden-explores-romantic-love-and-effective-communication/

So began my true journey of self-love. As a term, “self-esteem” was first introduced by William James in 1890. It is one of the oldest concepts in psychology. I personally identify more with Nathaniel Branden’s definition from 1969, stating that self-esteem is a relationship between one’s competence and one’s worthiness. Branden is considered the father of the self-esteem movement, and this definition sees self-esteem as the result of dealing with challenges of living in a worthy or respectable way and doing so consistently over time. There is no doubt in my mind that self-esteem and self-love go hand-in-hand and together take a journey to achieve. It is here where I find myself today, in the early stages of a, what I presume to be life-long, journey toward increasingly powerful self-love. The self-esteem movement really began in the 1960’s, when self-esteem first became an attractive and influential idea. 

Taking a look at Psychology Today, you’ll find that self-love is appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. It is dynamic, and it grows by actions that mature us. When we act in ways that expand our self-love, we begin to accept our weaknesses and our strengths, we have less need to explain our shortcomings, we have compassion for ourselves, we are more centered in our life purpose and values, and we expect living fulfillment through our own efforts.

It is important to understand that you cannot obtain self-love from an outside source. Self-love must be obtained by you and for you. Again, we often turn to outside sources for encouragement, reassurance, or a confidence boost, but we need to find our own reasons within ourselves to feel encouraged, reassured, and confident. Also, understand that you will not reach a full state of self-love overnight. Self-love takes time, so be patient with yourself as you walk through this journey. Understand that everyone is capable of obtaining a state of self-love, as long as they put forth the effort and give it time. Join me on this journey and together we will begin to truly seek a state of love for ourselves.

By Chanelle Surphlis

Chanelle Surphlis is a Campus Clipper publishing intern, who is graduating from FIT this May. Passionate about giving back and pursuing volunteer opportunities, Chanelle aspires to work for a fashion or beauty company that includes philanthropy in its core values. If you like Chanelle’s writing, check out her blogs here and here. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015. 

Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

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How Not to Do Anything: An Expert Guide – How Not to Be Relied On

Saturday, November 5th, 2016
Image Credit: http://www.moores.com.au/news/unreliable-employee

Image Credit: http://www.moores.com.au/news/unreliable-employee

Despite all of your finest efforts to shirk responsibility and lead a duty-free life, if you have any friends or family, you are constantly at risk of having someone try to foist some of their own well-earned obligations on you. Even if you diligently avoid the serious commitment of having a pet or a child, an aunt, neighbor, or friend can swoop in at any moment and ask you to be a good nephew/neighbor/friend and take care of their poodle or their daughter for anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. Such a request might appear perfectly reasonable to a “busy” person, since you seem to have so much time on your hands, but who are they to presume that you can act as their butler on a moment’s notice? You had some big, um, plans for this week.

Like most of the advice in this tome, the solution to this problem is rather obvious: if you don’t want to be relied on, simply be as unreliable as possible. Assure (“yeah, sure”) your neighbor that you’ll feed his fish each day that he’s away, but don’t worry too much about the details; fish don’t need to eat every day, and a week’s worth of food can be supplied at one time. If, God forbid, your neighbor’s fish tank were to turn into a noxious wastebowl, or an unlucky fish were to die, then you could rest easy knowing that you’d never again be asked to take care of anything for your neighbor.

At times when you can’t exactly blow off an inherited task, for instance, when you’re expected to watch a child, tardiness can be an excellent way of saying “don’t count on me” without doing anything really heinous or taking out your frustration on the child, who is of course not responsible for his or her own existence. Most parents will go so far as to give up on free babysitting if they can’t be sure that the babysitter (you) will show up even remotely on time. The really essential thing is not (necessarily) to do a terrible job whenever asked to do something for someone else, but to plant a sweet little seed of doubt in the minds of those who may try to foist a task on you. It shouldn’t be too hard to find someone who’s more reliable than you are.

By Aaron Brown

Aaron Brown was one of the Campus Clipper’s publishing interns, who wrote an e-book “How Not To Do Anything: An Expert Guide.” If you like Aaron’s writing, follow our blog for more chapters from his e-book. We have the most talented interns ever and we’re so proud of them! For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during last year’s Welcome Week.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

 

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