A College Student’s Guide to Stress Management

By Chaamy Yapa

Stress is not only familiar to many of us as college students, but it almost feels like a companion since it lingers for longer than it should. But what if I told you there are ways to manage stress in a healthy manner? Say goodbye to procrastination, sleepless nights, and chaotic schedules. If you follow these simple strategies, you can manage any stressors that enter your academic pursuits and home life:   

1. Organize yourself: One of the key reasons many students tend to stress is due to the pressure of daily demands and responsibilities. It can be extremely helpful to have an agenda and plan to manage your tasks effectively throughout the week. Try to prioritize your tasks based on deadlines and importance, to ensure all are completed in a timely manner. A to-do list can keep you in check and remind you of activities to complete daily. Despite the demands of school assignments and house errands, be sure to allocate time aside for rest and self-care as well. This can be on the weekends or evenings depending on your week-to-week schedule.  

1. Establish boundaries: Sometimes, and especially as college students, we think we can be present to participate in every activity. However, that is not always possible, and it is completely okay to say “no” sometimes. You can learn to recognize where your limits are and set boundaries to avoid overcommitting to things you won’t have time for. Communicate your schedule to your friends, family, and others so that they can grasp a sense of when you have availability. 

1. Create a Study Environment: To keep up with academic assignments, establish a secure study environment. The area where you choose to channel your inner student duties is critical as it can impact your productivity.  

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Support: If you see yourself falling behind in classes, don’t hesitate to find the appropriate help. Your campus is equipped with resource centers and professionals to assist you in tutoring, writing center help, etc. If you need someone to share your concerns with and just talk to, there are counselors at the counseling center and other mental health resources. 

1. Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Techniques: Explore meditation, yoga, deep breathing practices or another form of physical exercise to release your stress. These methods are known to calm your mind and allow you to focus on the important parts of your life. This can help you to maintain a positive mindset and enable you to handle the weight of stress in a healthier manner.  

All in all, balancing academic and home life is certainly challenging. However, with ahead of time planning and exploring effective stress reduction strategies, it will be much easier to manage stress and succeed in school. If you prioritize creating an organized schedule, and sticking to it, you can avoid unnecessary pressure and stress. Remember, everyone’s day-to-day life is different, and these are just a few examples of useful strategies. Find what works best for you and tailor to your needs. Let’s overcome stress together!   

Chaamy Yapa is a CUNY CARES Navigator and a recent graduate of Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Baruch. 

The Importance of Sleep for Student Wellness

By Chaamy Yapa  

In the midst of all the academic, extracurricular, and social commitments, students may find themselves not receiving the full 7 hours of sleep their bodies require to function throughout the day. Sleep is used to rejuvenate the body and support overall health including cognitive function and immune strength. It is one of the most important things we can do to maintain our wellbeing. Many vital biological processes occur throughout a full night's sleep. 

Sleep can firstly have a direct influence on how the brain can absorb and retain information. Students are more likely to be able to focus on lectures and make the most productivity out of their academic workday with a full night’s sleep. As written by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), “Students getting adequate amounts of sleep performed better on memory and motor tasks than did students deprived of sleep.” This is why pulling an all-nighter may sometimes lead to fatigue and compromised performance compared to when you are fully rested and nourished. Altogether, a full 7-8 hours of sleep each day is beneficial. Disrupted sleep patterns can have negative effects on your success as a college student and you do not want that! 

In addition to insufficient sleep inhibiting academic activities as a college student, poor sleep may also produce unpleasant effects in mental health. For students already juggling so much, sleep can help prevent or alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression. Without a consistent sleep schedule, there is no way for the mind to stabilize and rest emotionally.  To maintain a positive outlook and mental state, consistent sleep is essential. According to an NIH (National Institutes of Health) article, “Poor sleep has also been associated with post-traumatic stress [25], eating disorders [26], and psychosis spectrum experiences such as delusions and hallucinations”. Not only is physical wellbeing crucial to proper function but mental wellbeing is as well.  

To begin a healthier sleep schedule, here are some tips students can participate in:  

1. Go to sleep 1-2 hours earlier than you normally do (If your schedule permits, do not wait to do your work at night! Your brain is most active in the mornings.)  

2. Stay out of bed (Avoid spending most of your day in bed, you will be less likely to be able to sleep later when you need to.)  

3. Take time to “wind down” (Have a wind down routine if it helps your body prepare you to go to sleep.)  

4. Wake up at the same time on the weekends too (It is best to condition your body to sleep and wake up at the same time daily.) 

Finals season is here, and it is especially tempting for students to pull all-nighters and sacrifice bedtime. Remember, in a college student’s life if you DON’T snooze, you lose! Rest up for a healthier, sharper, happier you! Your body will thank you later.

Helpful Apps (3 Apps Revealed Every Week): 

1. Time/Productivity App: Pomo-Focus Timer: allows you to time yourself efficiently to complete tasks with small breaks in between (on a Pomodoro timing system). 

2. Study App: Khan Academy- has topics for all sorts of subjects and includes both videos and questions to test your knowledge! 

3. Social Network: Handshake- allows you to apply to jobs and internships of your choice in your field through various filters that best fit what you are seeking. 

And check out some sleep app recommendations here: https://www.verywellmind.com/sleep-apps-winners-tried-and-tested-in-2023-7973569 

Student Self-Care Habits for Mental Health

By Chaamy Yapa 

Starting to feel classes are getting a little heavier than they should? Is it that time of year when you are starting to pull all-nighters just to finish a paper due the next day or to cram study for a midterm? These all seem like good ideas at the moment but continuously holding these habits will bring you long-term trouble. As a college student, it is vital to monitor your mental health throughout all the challenges that may arise with a very demanding schedule. The pressure to keep up with all these responsibilities can be exhausting and can bring you additional stress and anxiety. This is why it is crucial to understand how to balance life activities while prioritizing self-care at the same time. Anything is possible, you just need the drive and organization to be able to manage it.

In this blog, I will walk you through some of my favorite ways of self-care. Hopefully, you will learn some key tips for taking care of yourself this semester while you allocate time for all your academic commitments:  

1. Build a Routine: If your weeks consist of regular classes and work shifts, you will need to build a routine around these activities. If you have morning classes and night work shifts, allocate time for studying before your classes or after you come back from work. Create a time limit of how many hours a day you will need to complete assignments/homework so that there is a day blocked off (maybe every Friday) for a break. With a well-organized schedule, you will improve your time management and productivity without wasting your time and ending up creating unnecessary stress leading to procrastination, etc. 

2. Find Unique Outlets: Pick a place to go to, a thing to do, or a person to be around as a way of unwinding for the week. Engage in a unique activity like attending an art gallery, going to a musical concert, journaling, meditating, yoga, etc. Do not neglect time for yourself; rest is important and absolutely necessary as a college student. You are not meant to work and exhaust yourself continuously.  

3. Seek Help When Needed: You do not have to go through anything alone, there is always support out there whether it be in your family, friends, faculty on campus, etc. If you are already on a path where you are struggling with your mental health, do not hesitate to get help. Seeking help is a sign of strength and honor especially when you are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns. 

4. Sleep is Crucial: Sleep is something every human needs to be able to function every day. Without 7-9 hours of quality sleep, your mind and body cannot recover from the spending of energy during the day. Sacrificing sleep for the sake of academics and work is not the right move and will only cause you excess stress. 

CUNY offers resources for mental health and wellness that can help you succeed in school and meet your essential needs.  Visit www.healthycuny.org and click on the “Resources” tab to learn more.  

Defining Food Insecurity and Its Root Causes

A Blog post by Chaamy Yapa

The USDA defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food”. Food insecurity is a substantial dilemma in New York City and across the country, affecting millions daily. During the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity intensified, and the demand for food assistance services increased after displacement from work and financial losses arose. Food insecurity disproportionately affects minority groups. For example, it was found that Black and/or Latinx individuals are twice as likely to suffer from hunger than the national average. There are a multitude of factors that contribute to food insecurity overall. These include:

1. Poverty is one of the leading drivers of food insecurity in NYC communities. Poverty limits the financial resources available to families and households, making it an obstacle to purchasing foods that can satisfy their needs. Poverty is also sometimes associated with higher chances of having health conditions, such as malnutrition and diarrheal diseases that may increase the demand and necessity for healthier foods at home. Healthier foods are, unfortunately, the more expensive option in many cases and often are unaffordable or unavailable in certain communities.

2. Family structure: Research shows that single-income (e.g., only one household member is employed) households face more food insecurity than double-income households. Research also suggests that larger households with low income may face difficulty affording enough food and other basic needs. Additionally, immigrant households face barriers due to a lack of familiarity with the food system and restricted access to social services. Homeless families are most vulnerable to hunger because of the lack of stable shelter. Additionally, many people living within the NYC shelter system lack access to basic cooking appliances such as a stove or refrigerators.

3. Urban lifestyle of high-living costs: Living in an urban environment is not cheap, and the expenses for rent, utilities, and transportation add up, often leaving little money for food. Urban areas are also highly competitive for resources because of the lack of usable land for farming purposes. Additionally, cities house millions of people, putting a strain on the local metropolitan food environments. Many resources necessary to fulfill comfortable living, such as affordable housing, employment, and food assistance, are limited and not always available to everyone because of strict eligibility criteria and limited availability.

4. Unemployment: When people are either unemployed or underemployed, they will struggle to afford proper meals and groceries. This can create instability for the family, especially the children. The pandemic led to a surge in unemployment, and more people struggled than ever before to put food on the table.

5. “Food apartheid” or limited access to food: Low-income communities and neighborhoods of NYC often lack access to supermarkets or grocery stores with fresh produce and healthy food. This makes it even more challenging to access nutritious foods. It creates health-related challenges because people lack the vitamins and minerals needed for their well-being. In addition, during the pandemic, it was especially difficult since SNAP recipients who typically received money at the beginning of the month would face situations where the stores were out of stock of healthy/essential food items by the time they received their SNAP funds.

6. Transportation barriers: Due to the lack of nearby supermarkets in low-income neighborhoods, it can be challenging to access food stores. Oftentimes there are more fast-food and convenience stores in these areas than grocery stores, making food less accessible and more expensive. Lack of grocery stores in neighborhoods forces community members to travel out of their community or even borough to access higher-quality food. Traveling to obtain grocery items increases barriers to access such as being limited to the hours of operation of public transportation, or the cost to travel. Improving public transportation options and increasing the availability of healthy food options in low-income neighborhoods can help to reduce food insecurity in the city.

7. Natural disasters/crises: In natural disaster events or even in pandemics, many social and economic institutions are affected and even sometimes shut down (schools, stores, banks, etc.). This makes it more difficult to continue having a steady source of income and often leads to being unable to afford one’s living needs, such as food. It is also harder to transport food between places if natural disasters cause damage to public transportation services. Furthermore, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, when borders are closed to international countries and stocks of food imports are stopped, it can cause food shortages and an increase in prices.

Next Steps: Here are Some Actions You Can Take To Address Food Insecurity

If you are an NYC resident and passionate about this ongoing hunger dilemma, please look into the following ways you can create a difference in decreasing a neighbor’s, a classmate’s, or even a fellow community member’s food insecurity:

Donate to local food banks and food pantries Visit https://www.foodbanknyc.org/donate-food/ or https://www.nyc.gov/assets/donate/site/DonateFood/About for more information.

Volunteer at community food banks, soup kitchens, and mobile markets. Visit https://www.foodbanknyc.org/volunteer/ or https://nycommonpantry.org/volunteer/ to find volunteer opportunities.

Advocate for policy change
Check out Healthy School Meals for All New York Kids, a statewide campaign led by Hunger Solutions to promote free school meals (breakfast and lunch) to all students regardless of family income or background.

Advocate for Expanded SNAP Benefits in the Next Farm Bill: Read about a former recipient of SNAP, Esperanza Fonseca, who wants to initiate a change in the next farm bill to reflect expanded benefits after the extra pandemic benefits have been removed. She helped to advocate for the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) in 2019 when she realized the SNAP benefits did not allow hot meal purchases. Now, she wants to push for more change around today’s situation to center in on marginalized Americans.

Join the Share Lunch Fight Hunger campaign (May 8- June 8): This campaign from City Harvest invites New Yorkers to spread the word and find contributors to the fundraising team to help out families during this difficult time. Ever since the pandemic benefits have been cut, and now record-high grocery prices, it has been challenging to support NYC children (school lunches are not accessible) and families.

Chaamy Yapa is a CUNY Macaulay Honors student studying at Baruch College and is a member of the Healthy CUNY Navigator team. Learn more about our Navigators here: https://www.healthycuny.org/navigator-portal

Denim Day 2023

How Denim Day Started: A blog post by Liliana Cornejo

Have you heard about Denim Day?

Denim Day is a campaign to bring awareness to end sexual assault, abuse, and rape. Wearing jeans on the last Wednesday of April each year is not a matter of fashion, but a show of solidarity with the victims and survivors of sexual violence.

In 1992, an 18-year-old girl in Italy was sexually assaulted by her driving instructor on her first day of driving lessons. A complaint was filed with the authorities and the perpetrator was imprisoned. Due to corruption, the aggressor appealed this case to the Supreme Court of Italy, alluding that the jeans the young woman was wearing that day were so tight that there was no way he could have committed the assault without her help. Italy's Supreme Court examined the case and released the aggressor, stating that, "She had to help him take them off, and by taking off her jeans, it was no longer rape, but consensual sex." The next day, in protest of this decision, women of the Italian Parliament decided to wear jeans under the proclamation of "Jeans: An Alibi for Rape". In solidarity with these events, in 1999, Patricia Giggans, the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, now named Peace Over Violence, began this campaign known as Denim Day, as a way to raise awareness about sexual violence prevention.

Millions of people are victims of sexual violence every year. In fact, this number underestimates the amount of people affected because many cases are never reported. Sexual violence disproportionately affects women, racial and ethnic minority groups, and minors. The physical and psychological consequences are significant for the survivors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sexual violence is more common than we think. Sexual violence survivors may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. Others opt for adverse or risky behaviors that put their physical and mental health, and that of their loved ones, at risk.

Denim Day is an awareness campaign dedicated to reminding and educating us that there is no excuse to accept assault, abuse, or rape. CUNY, show solidarity on Denim Day by wearing denim to bring awareness and support to victims and survivors of sexual violence.

How do you plan to raise awareness about sexual violence?

As CUNY students we must join forces to educate, prevent, and intervene when we witness sexual violence or abuse. Remember sexual harassment and violence is not just physical, it is also verbal. We stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors of sexual violence! You can also advocate for them by spreading awareness!

Resources:

Fast Facts: Preventing Sexual Violence |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC

Sexual Violence is Preventable | CDC

HOME | denimday.nyc

Denim Day

Safe Horizon | Homepage

Liliana Cornejo is a CUNY student studying at York College and is a member of the Healthy CUNY Navigator team. Learn more about our Navigators here: https://www.healthycuny.org/navigator-portal