Posts Tagged ‘Health’

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Quarantine Contemplation: We’re all just doing.

Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

At the close of 2020, I promised myself that I would take a gap year. After four years of juggling my academics, extracurriculars, relationships, and well-being, and considering the tumultuousness of the past year, I figured that everyone could use a break. I started planning my summer. Wake up, eat, eat, eat, sleep, repeat—the closest that humans can get to hibernation.

Then came January, February, and March, and upon a string of fortunate events, from becoming a mentor, to landing my first part-time job, to applying to graduate school, to entering an internship, to volunteering with an organization, to landing my second part-time job, to becoming a mentor (again), to accepting a fellowship, to being invited to present at a research conference, I decided to accept an offer for a third part-time job. I thought I’m already wearing all these hats, might as well fill up the closet.       

You don’t have to be a nurse to appreciate these busy-bee nursing memes. You just have to be…busy.

The dominoes fell, and my mind whirl winded.

Advocate in more spaces. Volunteer with more organizations. Pursue a remote global internship. Apply to the Fulbright program. Enroll in a TEFL certification course. Learn a new language. Join a research lab. Run a virtual marathon. Look for a fourth part-time job.

By mid-March, I was the most involved I’ve ever been. Feeling like I not only was capable but obligated to take on every opportunity I was extended, I cast myself a vote of confidence. No doubt I could balance these responsibilities and achieve my quality (and quantity) standard all the while maintaining my physical and mental health.

Super-busy-girl memes can be very helpful when you’re too tired to express how tired you are.

Right!

Right?

Certainly!

Uncertainly.

With summer inching closer by the day, I’m filled with what I can only describe as a bidirectional spiral of invigorating uncertainty. Over these last three months, I have thought more about my future than I ever have before, and yet, I still feel like I have no idea why I’m doing what I’m doing or what it even is that I’m trying to accomplish. On top of the shakiness of simply being a graduating senior and young professional, the blow and the blur of the pandemic only exacerbate this uncertainty.

While I’m determined to bat at nearly every pitch, I have friends who are ready to build their careers in full-time positions with laser focus. Some friends are preparing for medical school and higher education, wracking their brains, and wrecking their sleeping schedules. Others are siphoning their resources into self-care, determined to dedicate their summer and immediate post-grad plans to self-development and nurturing their passions.

All of these plans and proposals, all of these actions and initiatives, and yet, the question persists in so many people’s heads—now what?

Through all the spaces that I’m involved in, I’ve come to two (One-and-a-half? One? I’m not sure, I’ve never really been good with numbers) revelatory realizations. I do my best to avoid blanket statements, but here’s a comforter for you—no one knows exactly what they want to do or what they’re doing.

We’re all just doing.

And that’s okay.

Thoughtful consumption and self-care have never been more important — try some clean eats at LifeThyme Natural Market

by Christianne Evasco

Christianne is a senior at New York Univerity, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies (CAMS) and Creative Writing. Christianne’s endeavors are fueled by her passion to use her voice to help others harness the power of their own voices through therapeutically-creative means and to connect people through language and cultural exchange. In her free time, you can find her catnapping with her cats.

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 encourages 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 Gift of Listening

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020

The gift of listening is a power that revolves among us human beings on this earth, it is vital to living and may be considered a scare trait. According to Merriam Webster the term “listen” points out specific keywords. Such as, “pay attention”, “give consideration”, and “be alert”. Listening is a skill and is often unexplored territory that despite our sense of hearing it requires wisdom. It requires wisdom because it involves concentration, effort and the ability to distinguish hearing and listening. Listening is more than a trait, it is a process that is filtered because we often choose what we want to hear and what we cancel out. We also forget that with listening comes feeling connected with one another, spiritually, physically and mentally because we are sharing a healthy space, that makes it important to understand each other. 

The Muse, “Improve Your Conversational Skills in 4 Easy Steps” https://www.inc.com/the-muse/4-ways-you-can-become-a-better-conversationalist.html Accessed 1 Dec 2020.

In spite of our noisy and distracting surroundings, it encourages us to be patient and silent. When you’re silent, you are able to grasp more information, be more observant, and it allows you to learn about who you are. Therefore, we should all want to improve our listening skills with some effort and practice. As it benefits you in the long run and possibly could strengthen your relationships with not only others but also with yourself. Listening is very crucial to being successful. For instance, during a job interview, you must listen closely to the questions in order to give effective answers or during a job training process. In 2019, I acquired my first retail job in the industry at Uniqlo. As a Sales Associate providing customer service, accomplishing floor layouts, also following and listening to instructions got me promoted to an Advanced Associate, after three months. A co-worker once advised me, “don’t work hard, work smart” which could be interpreted from different perspectives. In my understanding, I apply this to my work ethic and in my leadership skills. In other words, working hard is part of what got me promoted but it wasn’t entirely the reason for my promotion. The ability to listen to my manager’s delegation of tasks, listen to the feedback, and comprehend what was expected of my work allowed me to build confidence. Responding to constructive criticism and being assertive through engaging positively with my team members made me have a positive attitude. Listening plays a major role in creating a safe culture and environment because when your thoughts, opinions, and ideas are being taken into consideration it makes you feel involved. 

Furthermore, listening is far more than being a good leader but it is also about building worthy relationships and being a wise person. Being a good listener to a friend or your next-door neighbor may not be a big deal for you, but to the other party, it could mean healing and being valued. It may be known as venting but it creates a safe and welcoming atmosphere with someone else that could possibly be in the same shoes as you once were. When you listen to someone it creates a bond between you and the person, a special connection that engages just you and the other, out of the billions of people on this planet earth. Listening to your significant others helps with your own personal development, it doesn’t have to be career-wise but it can also help with your own healing, learning, and communication skills. Sometimes, this world needs more empathy, respect and to be more caring. It is important to be that change and to give your undivided attention as you’d like to be given. Are you a good listener? 

You can find all of our active coupons at this link. Redeem them here:

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By: Yadira Tellez

Yadira is currently enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, majoring in Fashion Business Management and minoring in English literature. She’s worked in retail and has had the opportunity to work behind the scenes during NYFW. Her dream is to be a Fashion Stylist but enjoys creative writing to relieve stress and express her mind.

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 encourages 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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Physical Wellness

Wednesday, November 11th, 2020

Listening to our mind, body, and soul promotes wellness. It means becoming aware of the choices we make to ensure a healthy lifestyle that will bring happiness and allow us to achieve our goals. Wellness is a life cycle that involves our emotions. It allows us to establish spiritual harmony and maintain a positive physical, mental, and emotional state. 

Wellness consists of eight dimensions of well being which include: physical, emotional, financial, social, occupational, purpose, intellectual, and environmental, (Lexi Slator, 4 Sep 2017. “Physical Wellness”). Chances are that you focus on all eight except for physical.

Ironically, our physical well-being is the element of wellness that we must listen to in order for other areas to be sufficient. Think about yourself like a flower you must water in order to flourish. Think of self-love as when you love a flower, you water it daily. Physical wellness makes a significant impact by encouraging self-growth and increasing the quality of your lifestyle. A couple of things you can do to achieve physical wellness is listening to your body, motivating yourself to be more active, managing your stress, and inspiring yourself to eat healthier.

It is important to push ourselves to be more active, when you don’t pursue an active lifestyle it can potentially affect your motivation, delay your goals, and it can hurt your self-esteem. Yoga is great for being active as it creates mental tranquility, helps with concentration, increases body awareness, and helps relieve stress. A Yoga professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Stephanie Bird, implements yoga in her day to day life to help build a strong bond between her physical and mental health. She defines yoga as “cultivating aliveness”, as yoga focuses on crucial areas that make a human being. Such as the body, mind, and emotions. Bird stresses one must start exploring themselves and start doing things differently especially during the year 2020. It is about thinking outside the box, and asking yourself, “what am I doing to keep these areas alive?”. 

The beauty of yoga is that it’s a physical exercise that embodies spiritual relaxation through self-discipline, strengthening your breathing, and restoring balance. Professor Bird conveys yoga as “a new way of life”, it means “to temporarily step back from the busyness of our lives, our activities, and obligations, it is very helpful to maintaining a balance, and calm”. Yoga has many benefits, it helps relieve stress, strengthen your muscles, and it is an experience that allows you to clear your mind, connect, and listen to your soul. This form of exercise is composed of various poses, each pose serves its purpose. 

The child pose is a calming pose that focuses on stretching your neck, spine, and hips. It helps release any tension in your body, also relieving any anxiety.

Henderson, Katy. “Yoganatomy: Find Your Inner Child’s Pose” 27 Nov 2017, https://www.thehealthjournals.com/yoga-childs-pose/. Accessed 9 Nov 2020.

The cobra pose helps increase flexibility amongst the chest, shoulders, and abdomen, it also helps with strengthening your back. It is a combination of meditation as well because it targets the mind and body.

TINT, “WHY DOES MY COBRA POSE CAUSE BACK PAIN?” 27 August 2019, https://tintyoga.com/magazine/why-does-my-cobra-pose-cause-back-pain/. Accessed 9 Nov 2020.

Pranayama is about having control of your breathing, breathing is essential to living. However, pranayama instills a variety of breathing techniques that helps reduce stress, encourage better sleep, and also decrease the risk of any illnesses. Bhastrika breath is a breathing exercise that entails forceful breathing through inhaling and exhaling, it is about carefully listening to your body during this practice.

Nectar, Tantra. “Tantra Breathing & Pranayama” https://tantranectar.com/tag/bhastrika-pranayama/. Accessed 9 Nov 2020.

Not to mention, it helps to transmit positive energy, and boost the metabolism system encouraging weight loss. The power of yoga is the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle and a longer life. 

Better yet for a healthy meal, Campus Clipper offers a 10% discount if you’re in the NYC area for students with NYU ID’s. Remember to have good nutrition! And what a better way than to do it with a delicious Just Salad.

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=3678

You can find all of our active coupons at this link. Redeem them here:

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By: Yadira Tellez

Yadira is currently enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, majoring in Fashion Business Management and minoring in English literature. She’s worked in retail and has had the opportunity to work behind the scenes during NYFW. Her dream is to be a Fashion Stylist, but enjoys creative writing to relieve stress and express her mind.

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 encourages 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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How to Become an Effective Listener

Tuesday, October 20th, 2020

Being a listener means paying attention not only to our five senses but with our hearts. Anyone can be blessed with the ability to hear sound, but being a gifted listener means being attentive. There are techniques, tips, and different approaches that one can take to enhance our listening skills through effort and desire.

According to study reports made by the Florida State University and Michigan State University stated, ” The average listener will remember only about 25% of what was said” (Nichols and Stevens, “Listening to people”) Conveying that listening isn’t naturally a strong element we possess already, it is a gift that is taught and learned. Julian treasure, a speaker and expert upon the mystery behind sound and communication skills describes this learning experience as a mental process of “extraction” and unconsciously “filtered” (Treasure, 2011, Ted talks). One of the reasons why we lack listening skills is because we generally filter what we prefer to hear versus what we rather not or unless there is a benefit behind it. In ” 5 ways to listen better” Treasure expresses the importance of understanding the value of time as we listen in order to be successful.

One technique to become an effective listener is learning to be “silent”. Society has built our minds to always be on the move creating a foggy scenery, Silence helps refresh our ears and minds allowing us to be both physically and mentally present in the room. Another technique called the “Mixer” is described as a mixing bowl of sounds from birds chirping to the different channels of sounds in a noisy environment. This technique requires being attentive to what sounds you’re listening to, how many sounds there are, how far, or how close are these sounds, enhancing your ability to listen. Treasure recommends two of his many techniques to help become more effective as a listener and to improve the quality of listening in your lifestyle.  

Cruse, Rose. “It is important to be a good listener. Why?”, 17 Oct 2017, https://medium.com/@cruserose95/it-is-important-to-be-a-good-listener-why-8823ffb8651d. Accessed 20 Oct 2020.

Oftentimes it feels good to have someone you can confide with, reveal your tears with, or share your biggest aspirations. By natural instinct as human beings, we have embodied emotions that are universal, allowing us to create empathy amongst us. Therefore, apart from how we may feel occasionally, we can also absorb other people’s emotions which depicts the connection between another living soul. One way to be an effective listener is to make eye contact with your significant other, it shows respect and encourages the other person to express themselves. Secondly, as Treasure mentioned silence is key to listening especially in this given situation, it will help you envision and concentrate on what the other person is communicating to you. It can be a lot of information to retain or analyze therefore, you want to listen thoroughly. Thirdly, clean your mind and be ready to be open-minded, without having any judgment or opinions. Most importantly, do not interrupt or try to relate to the conflict. Most of the time the speaker wants to be heard, don’t make it about you. Lastly, once the speaker has finished ask if they would like feedback or advice on any possible solutions rather than imposing your solutions as it can cause stress or tension. The goal is to be patient and to understand the point of the speaker.

Better yet, if the person needs some cheering up or a friend by their side. Campus Clipper provides a fun variety of in house or online coupons you can use to make conversation, and enjoy a lovely meal. In order to have access to these two, 20% off coupons, you must click on the links provided below. Stay tuned there are more to come!

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=3860

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=3861

You can find all of our active coupons at this link. Redeem them here:

click here

By: Yadira Tellez

Yadira is currently enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, majoring in Fashion Business Management and minoring in English literature. She’s worked in retail and has had the opportunity to work behind the scenes during NYFW. Her dream is to be a Fashion Stylist, but enjoys creative writing to relieve stress and express her mind.

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 encourages 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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Trying to figure out… When to Get Help

Friday, July 12th, 2019

I remember towards the end of this past semester I had one of those days, where all I wanted to do was to stay in bed and shut the world out. It was a Sunday. I woke up, stayed in bed and cried for an hour. After which, I sat up on my bed staring out the window. I blankly watched the cars drive down my street, trying to figure out what I was feeling. 

Clips of the days before started playing in my head. The day before I did something odd and had an email exchange calling into question the commentary a professor had made in a social media post. I got upset on Friday because of canceled plans to get ice cream. Stupid, I know, but it evoked feelings of loneliness and felt as if no one cared about me. The connection between canceled plans and abandonment didn’t make sense, but it was what I felt. Later that night, I cried again after a text exchange with a friend, who was speaking about her email conversations with individuals from her potential graduate schools. Overall, it was a weird two days.

It didn’t hit me why until the day after, on Monday. I was sitting in class and people were conversing about the future and plans after college. They were talking about the application process and possibly applying to NYU grad school. They asked me if I would include NYU as a place to do my graduate studies. I thought why would I want to continue to be at a place that holds memories of one of the worst periods of my life. There it was.

The subtle look back on my college experience the process of planning my future was hurting my heart. I can’t say college was hard because the coursework was hard or the people were difficult to get along with. The first two years of my college experience was a time where it took energy to just breathe, let alone think critically about the developmental stages of human life. I had a notion of what I wanted in my experience of college and within the first week, I realized that would never happen.

I readjusted my mindset of college, by working on myself. I first gave myself the allowance to feel and prioritize what I truly wanted. I had to connect to myself. I did the things that had always given me comfort, which was books and music. I started carving out times for myself to read and put it as an event on my calendar. I put in buffer hours in my day to just do nothing. But I didn’t just do it by myself. I took the first step in getting help from others but quickly found others joined in me in my journey. Especially in this academic world, it’s easy to feel alone, but that’s not true. If for nothing else advocate for yourself because you are paying for this education and experience with money, time, and work. Those investments mean nothing if you are not present emotionally and physically in your life. It doesn’t hurt to get support in your endeavors. Take care of yourself.

Resource List of Mental Health services (if you aren’t up to talking face to face with someone I’ve listed two resources that allow for call, text or chat online)

Additionally, if you want dedicated support for the transition of high school to college life visit the JED program: Set to Go site for tailored advice for you and your family. 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Call or Text: 1-800-273-8255

Call NYC Well Today: 

English: 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355), Press 2 

Call 711 (Relay Service for Deaf/Hard of Hearing)

Español: 1-888-692-9355, Press 3

中文: 1-888-692-9355, Press 4

_______________________________________________________________________

By Sanjidah Chowdhury

Sanjidah is a rising senior at NYU Steinhardt majoring in applied psychology. She aspires to become a mental health counselor to understand intergenerational dynamics and better serve the needs of women, Muslims, and the South Asian community. She currently works with NYU’s Office of Alumni Relations. Throughout the academic year, she works on a research team under Professor Niobe Way and volunteers for Nordoff -Robbins Center for Music Therapy. Most of the time you can find Sanjidah with her nose in a book and music blasting through her headphones. 

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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Trying to figure out… Food Situation

Friday, June 28th, 2019

Food becomes an afterthought real quick once you hit college. Without the reminder of someone providing food or carved out meal times, many college students don’t eat. When they do eat, it’s not even close to the realm of something healthy. This problem usually gets worse during midterms and finals seasons, when many deadlines pile up. It’s hard to keep up and usually, food is the first thing that gets skipped.

At NYU, I found that most students live off events with free food, especially freshmen. For commuters, if you don’t have a meal plan, figuring out what to eat is a struggle.

During my first semester of college, I would go an entire day without eating. I would come home after a long day of classes and just collapse on my bed. While laying in bed trying to muster the energy to start my homework, I would hear low rumblings. Then at times, there would be a loud churning sound. Only then would I register how hungry I was. I’d replay my day to figure what was the last thing I ate. The answer usually was an Eggo waffle with my morning coffee. I soon realized after many repeated moments the insidious nature of my eating habits and mindset. Not only is this practice unhealthy, but it also makes getting through school much harder.

Some things I’ve learned from commuting the past three years:

  • Bring lunch with you whenever you can. 
    • There are plenty of places on campus where you can use a microwave to warm up your food. Additionally, there are sinks and water dispensers if needed. (Commuter lounges are set up for that purpose)
  • Bring snacks on those days when bringing lunch isn’t necessary or takes up too much space in your bag.
  • Stay hydrated! 
    • Carry a water bottle. Maybe a collapsible one that will take up less space once you finish it. Flavor it with limes or fruit if drinking plain water isn’t working for you.
  • Build in reminders.
    • Check in on others and have them check in on you. Find a food buddy to keep you conscious of meals. It helps if they are a foodie or health conscious to keep you on that track.
    • Put reminders or alarms on your phone to eat. It forces you to think about your body and its need for sustenance.

From NYU Steinhardt Bio Page

Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at NYU. She teaches courses that range from food writing to food advocacy to topics in food sociology. She has written plenty of articles and books on the topic of nutrition and the dynamics of food in our society. Her philosophy when it comes to approaching food is that “Healthy diets are good for whatever ails you, including stress.”

Here are some points she suggests to keep in mind when thinking about food:

  • Most important fruits and vegetables. Eat the ones you like best, but it’s good to vary them as much as possible.
  • No easy way to say this, but eat less. Weight gain is about excessive energy intake. To keep your energy in balance, choose smaller portions and avoid snacking in between meals.
  • If you like coffee or soda, drink it, but recognize how much caffeine it has and how much is tolerated. I don’t generally view coffee as a problem except when it is excessively caffeinated. Shots are another matter; it’s best to avoid them.
  • Approach food with the mindset of it being life’s greatest pleasure. Eating healthy is so easy that the journalist Michael Pollan can explain how to do it in seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

————————————————————————————————————

By Sanjidah Chowdhury

Sanjidah is a rising senior at NYU Steinhardt majoring in applied psychology. She aspires to become a mental health counselor to understand intergenerational dynamics and better serve the needs of women, Muslims, and the South Asian community. She currently works with NYU’s Office of Alumni Relations. Throughout the academic year, she works on a research team under Professor Niobe Way and volunteers for Nordoff -Robbins Center for Music Therapy. Most of the time you can find Sanjidah with her nose in a book and music blasting through her headphones. 

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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Why You Should Exercise More

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019

Despite the stress of city life, it is surprisingly difficult to work up a sweat in New York. Exercise is something we often have to schedule time for, and whether hitting the gym, or running laps around Central Park. It isn’t always the most enjoyable part of our day.

But daily exercise is one of the most important habits in your daily routine, both for your physical and mental health. After all, even 15-30 minutes of moderate exercise per day can have drastic effects on your body, and mind, according to the Mayo Clinic. Exercising regularly can also introduce you to interesting new people in a city that is otherwise quite lonely at times. One of my best friends right now actually started off as my gym buddy. Though our schedules don’t match up enough for us to exercise together very often, we still compare statistics every now and then. (In case you were wondering, he can lift more than me.)

But it isn’t about how much weight you can carry or how far you can run. Good cardiovascular exercise 3-4 times a week decreases your risk of heart problems and extends your life expectancy drastically as a result. Furthermore, exercise is one of the best ways to cope with many mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

The rhythm of running, for example, is cited by many living with anxiety disorders as soothing. Meanwhile, whenever my ADHD kicks in, I go to my local gym and pump iron. Your brain releases dopamine and serotonin when you exercise, neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and joy. These not only improve focus, but also mood, and general life happiness. The Harvard Medical School has conducted studies that even practicing heavy breathing regimens can decrease your stress, though obviously with proper exercise, these results are more pronounced.

Finally, if those weren’t reasons enough for you to sign up at a nearby spin cycle class or challenge one of your buddies to a push-up contest, fitness affects a person’s body positivity and general attractiveness. The elevated mood, better sleep and focus, and increased physical prowess make you a better partner, friend, and person. Perhaps even more importantly though, the most attractive selection of people I have seen during my time in New York thus far have not been at clubs or bars in the middle of the night, nor Starbucks and diners at lunchtime. The hottest New Yorkers can be found in the gym at 6 AM.

By Victor Galov

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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Studying Survival: Why You Should Do Sleep

Tuesday, March 26th, 2019

In my junior year of high school, a brilliant yet dumb idea came over me. I would unlock the deepest, most evolutionarily repressed parts of my brain, and increase my academic performance immeasurably, by never, ever, sleeping. I made it four nights and five days before I started hollering at my cousin, who lives one thousand miles away, to stop scratching at my door at 3 in the morning. I discovered, then, that sleep may be more important than I thought.

In fact, I learned sleep isn’t just one state of mind or activity, either. It’s a cycle. There are three phases of sleep, four, if you count REM Sleep which is categorized on its own. Each subsequent phase is  “deeper” than the last.

Phase One

Most people call this “dozing off.” If you’ve ever partied all night and woken up early the next day for classes, then hit a snag in the middle of your 2 PM physics class where your head rocks back and forth, your eyes feel heavy as lead, and your sense of time gets distorted, you’ve experienced phase one. You are close to consciousness, but not quite fully there.

Phase Two

This is when you slip under, when you become truly unconscious. Here, your body loses its rigidity, and all your muscles relax. There’re myths about professional chefs being able to bake chocolate cakes while asleep, physiologically, they can’t. But, if you tapped them on the shoulder, they’d wake up and tell you the recipe for one without error.

Phase Three

This is known as “deep sleep.” Here, you are harder to wake up, and your brain releases fewer signals. The human brain at this time can almost be categorized as inactive, completely turned off. Here and there your body will tell your lungs to breathe and your heart to beat, but your frontal cortex, occipital lobe, hippocampus, and posterior cortex go almost silent.

Entering the REM stage

And then? Within the span of a couple of minutes, your brain comes to life during REM sleep. Neurotransmitters are flooding into the brain, with serotonin, epinephrine, and/or adrenaline bringing your brain to life. REM sleep is like the fan in your laptop pushed into overdrive as it clears out old junk and organizes all your files into folders. During REM sleep, your brain is like a city with all its lights turned on at once.

REM sleep happens roughly every 70 to 90 minutes. Your first REM cycle will last 10 minutes, your next one longer, and longer. After your REM cycles reach an hour or so in duration, it becomes almost impossible to fall back asleep. Your brain is sorted, and organized, and optimized, to its peak. Your body is healed, muscles strengthened, organs polished up. You are ready to go, performing at the highest level thanks to your brain and its natural reset button.

That is, of course, assuming you slept enough. Without enough REM sleep, you don’t retain memories as well. If you don’t get at least 3 to 4 full cycles, your brain will be messy and disorganized all day, as if caught in the middle of organizing its room, with half the trash on the bed and the other half swept under it. Maybe yesterday it knew where everything was. But now, when the chaos has been half-sorted, and half spread about, your brain won’t be able to find anything you need it to.

If you avoid sleep, your body will weaken, your organs more taxed and tired, and you will have higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, coursing through your veins. Without enough sleep, you are a ticking time bomb ready to explode. So next time, get your 7 hours, like the mom friend in your group tells you to, okay?

Additional Resources:

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/sleep/conditioninfo/rem-sleep
https://www.howsleepworks.com/how_neurological.html https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/sleep/healthy_sleep_atglance.pdf

By Victor Galov

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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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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What cooking is for me, and what it can be for you too

Tuesday, July 18th, 2017

As you have probably understood so far, I value my relationship with food more than the next person, but what I value even more is the time I spend preparing my food. While living at home I was lucky enough, in many ways, to have food ready for me waiting on the table as I got back from school. Though at the time it was the best way I could have imagined things, I had no idea how passionate I would become about preparing my own food daily.

cook2

It’s common to see cooking as a chore, and in many ways, it can be. I’m sure that after a day of very hard work when one gets home in time for dinner, the last thing one wants to do is actually have to spend a significant amount of time cooking. However, in my everyday life, I’ve found that instead of dreading the times of day when I have to cook, I actually look forward to them. Not only am I happy during the process of cooking but I’m also proud of what I’ve ended up creating. For me, cooking has become, an escape, a time to relax, and a way to feel a small sense of accomplishment throughout the day. You could even say that it has become a small way for me to meditate…

 

I definitely benefit from my small cooking ritual, and I think if you follow the following steps you might too:

 

  • The Environment

 

First things first, the most important factor is always the environment. Obviously, if we all had amazing, huge, well-lit, chef-worthy kitchens, we would probably all enjoy cooking more. Nonetheless, there are a few things you can do to make your dorm’s or small student apartment’s kitchen more enjoyable. For starters, lighting is key, so if you can, invest in making your kitchen well lit. Next, I’d suggest getting a few good basic appliances, pots and pans to make your cooking struggles easier. Lastly, the miscellaneous but -oh so- important things will make a world of difference: some plants (extra points if they are basil, coriander or mint), some cute kitchen towels as well as oven mitts, and some fun fridge magnets or maybe some pictures on the wall. After you’ve set up your kitchen, it is your job to keep it that way, by cleaning and making it an environment you want to stay in.

cook3

  • Your Ingredients

 

Secondly, as any good chef will tell you: good ingredients make the best dishes. I’d suggest finding a store you like, getting familiar with it, and making it a habit of going to shop there for your groceries. In time, shopping for groceries will stop being a hassle and will instead become a peaceful time, in a known environment, without all the frustration it can sometimes have. Furthermore, ensuring you have high quality ingredients every time will show in your final product, which will, in the long term, benefit you greatly, both in your health and wellbeing. One of my favorite places to shop at is Lifesum Market, on 6th avenue and 8th street. I love it, as it is close to campus and my apartment, but most importantly because it carries only organic produce and packaged items. Another crucial factor which makes Lifesum one of my favorite stores is the discount I get from the Campus Clipper.

cook 4

  • Your Motivation

 

Another key factor in improving your relationship with your kitchen is having real reasons why you want to do so. That is, you have to get educated and understand the benefits of cooking your own food. By knowing what goes inside your food you are in charge of your health and thus in charge of one, if not, the biggest parts of your life. Furthermore, in the long term, by incorporating meal prepping and some money saving hacks, you’ll see how cooking can be very cost effective, helping you adhere to your student budget. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll even find a peaceful escape in cooking, which helps you reboot during the day. Whatever the reason, finding your motivation is key in succeeding.

 

  • The Inspiration

 

After you’ve managed all three previous steps, it is time to get inspired. This means that it’s time to find what exactly you want to make and what gets you most excited to create in your own safe space, in your own way. Finding inspiration is key, as it will take cooking from being a chore to becoming a fun way to pass the time, to be creative and to feel a sense of accomplishment. My grandfather used to say that anyone who likes to eat will eventually know how to cook. So, find what you like to eat and make it for yourself. I suggest getting a few cookbooks that look appealing to you, but have recipes anyone can execute. Or, if you like, you could spend hours, as I do, on websites, blogs and YouTube looking at all the wonderful things people manage to made with just a handful of ingredients. The only thing I am certain of, is that somewhere out there, there is something that you’d love to make again, or make your way, so find it and get cooking.

cook

  • Relaxation

 

Above all, as always, what is more important is that you stay relaxed. If you actually get into cooking and find some enjoyment in it, don’t worry if all you have time to make that day is a grilled cheese sandwich. Any type of food is fuel, but the best fuel is the food you make yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you don’t make something great or if it’s the 10th time you’ve made spaghetti and you still make them mushy. Try to appreciate the fact that you’re trying to do something that is good for you. Every moment that you spend in your kitchen, trying to make something healthy for your body is a moment that you spend showing love for yourself and your body.

 

 

By Marina Theophanopoulou

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marina Theophanopoulou is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is studying Philosophy and Sociology as a junior at NYU. Passionate about healthy, food and wellness, Marina aspires to make others think of food in a more holistic way. 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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