Health and Human Services Professional Development

Stress and Food Choices Author: Melanie Burns Stress can influence eating patterns for college students, and eating patterns can influence college students’ satisfaction with how they handle problems (see  Cornejo & Cookston ).  Eating healthy does not need to end when you leave for college nor should it wait until you are through college.  While life stressors can make healthy eating less of a priority, making healthy food choices needs to happen every day. Little changes, such as eating breakfast and drinking low-fat milk, can make a difference in how you handle your weekly or daily stress.  The calories from the late-night pizzas and the all-you-care to eat dining hall buffets can add up quickly! For more information on making healthy food choices during the college years, visit the  USDA’s My Place On Campus . *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

How Your Career Path and Everyday Habits Influence Longevity by   Jill Bowers   on   August 2, 2013   National Geographic writer and explorer, Dan Buettner, and colleagues (from National Geographic and The Institute on Aging) examined 4 geographic locations (“blue zones”) in which individuals live longer than they do in the United States. They found these individuals had some things in common in (eating habits, outlook, exercise, and more – see infographic for more): This information reveals the importance of healthy choices and balance in your life….and hopefully you have chosen a career path that gives you a sense of purpose and makes you happy. For more information, see Dan Buettner’s Ted Talk, “How To Live To Be 100+” here: blob:https://embed.ted.com/e7ba03a4-05ca-4280-a89e-21da733b5e9f *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

The Importance of Self-Care by   Elissa Mitchell   on   January 19, 2014 In today’s busy, do-it-all world, many of us are overburdened with responsibilities and never-ending to do lists. In an attempt to be the best student/friend/partner/employee/etc., we often forget the most important thing – taking care of ourselves. Whether you’re completing your internship, your final year(s) of college, or on the job market, stress is inevitable. Good self-care is important, especially in the often stressful field of human services. Taking time out to relax and care for yourself is important and makes you more capable of caring for others. There are many ways to do this and you need to find what works best for you. Taking a walk, talking with friends, exercising, or simply taking a nap are all important aspects of self-care. I encourage you to take a  Self-Care Assessment  to see how you’re doing. Think about ways to lower the stress in your life ( http://stress.about...

Stress Management by   Jill Bowers   on   June 3, 2013 Although stress can be a normal part of life, especially for those of you who are on the job market and experiencing additional demands and pressures to succeed.  At the same time, too much or frequent stress can negatively influence your physical health (e.g., headaches or weakened immune system), mental health (e.g., mood swings, irritability, or depression), and relationship health (e.g., finding with friends, family, or romantic partners). Although everyone handles and reacts to stress differently, it is best to avoid being overly stressed. See tips for  stress management  and  how to fight stress with healthy habits  here. Source:  http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-topic-overview  and http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/StressManagement/FightStressWithHealthyHabits/Fight-Stress-with-Healthy-Habits_UCM_307992_Article.jsp Additi...

Depression May Not Be What You Think! by   Mikki Sherwood   on   February 22, 2014 Anyone can struggle with depression.  Kevin Breel discusses depression in this Ted Talks video,  “Depression May Not Be What You Think.”  He says that everyone sees him as a typical teenager, but he sees himself differently. He is an individual that battles depression. Kevin makes the point that there are misconceptions about depression, stating that those that are depressed are not just sad when a situation is negative, they are sad when everything is going well in their lives. He explains that he was often afraid to tell people he was depressed for fear they would run away. In reality, Kevin says it is better to look someone in the eye and be truthful, saying “I’m going through hell and need help.” If you, or someone you know, is depressed, this video is a resource for helping you know that you are not alone. If you believe you are depressed and need help, here ar...

Me+Stress=BFFs by   Mikki Sherwood   on   March 30, 2014   Ted Talks video reviewed by: Michelle Crary, Graduate Student EIU In this Ted Talks video,  “How to Make Stress Your Friend,”  Psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains that she spent many years telling her patients that stress was making them sick. In fact, she even thought that stress shortened the lifespan. However, Dr. McGonigal has now changed her mind. Current research has led her to believe that you can change the way you think about stress, which then changes its impact on your body. Dr. McGonigal shares research that found that people that look at stress as a helpful part of life are much less anxious. For instance, stress makes the heart beat faster, which can lead to feelings of panic. However, what if you think of that quickening heart rate as your body readying itself for a challenge! When your heart rate goes up you tend to breathe more deeply, transferring more oxygen to the ...

Final exam stress, self-care, and Starbucks by   Jill Bowers   on   May 8, 2014   Many of you are swamped and feeling the end of the semester heat.  The exams and final papers you are turning in could be critical to your course grade, GPA, or graduation. And, it’s important to stay focused and discipline yourself to study and complete coursework. At the same time, you have to take care of yourself along the way. Emotional and academic stress have been associated with  disturbed sleep  among college students, and the links between  sleep habits and academic performanc e are well-documented. Getting adequate sleep is just one example of how you can take care of yourself as you are mastering your end of the semester tasks. See the article,  Be Kind to Yourself , written by college student, Sofiya Ballin, for The Huffington Post and think about other ways you can engage in self-care during final exam week. You may also be comforted ...

Coping with the Divorce of Your Parents by   Jeremy Kanter, Guest Author   on   May 12, 2014   Many of you have a range of stressful daily experiences, and coping with families issues, such as the divorce of your parents may be one of them. There are programs to help parents cope with the divorce and programs for younger children, but emerging adults are also influenced by the divorce of their parents. I recently posted some information via Buzzfeed on this topic. My recommendations are based on scientific evidence and include reappraising the stimulus, monitoring and labeling your emotions, and writing in a journal frequently. For a complete list of my suggestions via Buzzfeed, see  10 Ways to Decrease Your Stress About Your Parents’ Divorce . *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Cut Down on Stress in the Workplace by Being a Cool Coworker by   Elizabeth Shuff, Guest Author   on   May 21, 2014   Stress has long been a part of the workplace, but is it our everyday activities or the roles we have at work that cause the most stress? Researchers have found that stress is individualized, meaning each person experiences stress in his or her unique manner. This may seem obvious to most, of course everyone deals with things in their own way. However, when looking more closely at workplace stress, a study reveals some commonalities among people. It has been shown that politics in the work setting are one of the main causes of stress, and having good relationships with coworkers tends to lead to lower overall stress levels ( Swaminathan & Rajkumar, 2013 ). This makes perfect sense, the better your relationships with co-workers, the better you can work out issues that cause conflict and avoid the dishonesty of “playing politics.” A posit...

You Are What You Eat: Can Diet REALLY Impact Depression???? by   Mikki Sherwood   on   September 15, 2014   ********************** Julia MacKenzie, guest author   With major depressive disorder (MDD) being so prevalent in the United States today, it is imperative that researchers determine how to stop the rise of this disorder. 19% of people diagnosed with MDD live in the United States. This statistic puts America as the second leading country for prevalence of MDD. Interestingly, the countries higher in income have the greatest number of MDD cases. While antidepressants are effective in adults much of the time, they also have side effects, risks, and non-compliance to the adherence of the drugs. For this reason it may be beneficial to use diet and nutrition to assist in the treatment of MDD. A European study concluded that those consuming a high number of trans fats from fast food restaurants increases the risk for MDD by almost 50%. On the other hand...

Constructing Food Choice Decisions by   Jenna Carlson, Guest Author   on   September 27, 2014   Have you ever thought about how many food choices you have to make in a day? Eating is something that is required for survival and health, and is an activity that is repeated when making food choice decisions. Each time you eat it requires decisions including: what, when, with whom, how long, how, and how much to eat. It is estimated that most people make over 220 food decisions a day (Sobal & Bisogni, 2009). The course of your life includes events and experiences that affect your food choices now and in the future when deciding what to eat. There are also many influences that determine your food choices such as your culture, your personal values, and your resources. The food choices you make occur frequently and are complex, due to the need for survival, and the changes that occur personally and historically, so next time you grab a bite to eat, ask yourself wha...

End of the Semester Stress and Self-Care by   Jill Bowers   on   November 26, 2014   It’s that time of the semester…final exams, papers, projects, grades, and graduation. In addition to stress associated with school, many students are coping with emotions associated with holidays or gloomy/winter seasonal affect. International students, or those that live far away from family, may be especially at-risk for exhausted financial or emotional resources as they try to get home or figure out plans for winter break. And, many of you simply put so much pressure on yourselves as academic or organizational leaders that you forget or don’t take the time to take care of yourself in the way that your body and mind needs. Self-care can enhance your ability to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression. It can help you to have better cognitive focus and give you more energy. Engaging in self-care can also improve your mood, and some forms of self-care can aid in the develop...