By ALICIA FEYERHERM
Tiger Media Network
Online Student Government Association (OSGA) hosted its second Tiger Talk of the semester last Thursday. These virtual meetings connect online students with different individuals and resources from Fort Hays. This talk centered on mental and physical wellness.
Director of Counseling Services Amy Schaffer shared tips on managing stress as well as self-care practices. Schaffer was an online graduate student while working full time and understands how difficult it can be to manage everything.
“I think all of you online students know a lot about that because, typically, this [school] isn’t the only thing you’re doing,” Schaffer said.
Some common causes of stress and anxiety include:
- Unpredictability
- Lack of control
- Threats to people or things that you value
- Grief
- Unresolved trauma
Schaffer pointed out that while grief is typically referred to regarding the death of a loved one, grief takes many forms.
“Maybe when something doesn’t work out the way you want it to, or maybe a program that you were going to try, or a job that you thought you thought was going to be for you doesn’t work out the way you thought it would,” Schaffer said. “We still have to grieve those things.”
Schaffer emphasized the importance of balance regarding self-care. She shared a quote from Tim Harford that says, “Every time we say yes to a request, we are also saying no to anything else we might accomplish with the time.”
Schaffer said having boundaries and saying ‘no’ to things is essential to reaching goals and keeping from being overwhelmed. Additionally, Schaffer recommends taking inventory of what you can control and accepting what is out of your control.
“Sometimes it’s ok to just say ‘it’s raining and it sucks’ or ‘I have five tests next week and that sucks for me,’” Schaffer said. “Just accepting the fact that it’s not an ideal situation for you and moving on.”
Online students in Kansas can receive telehealth counseling through Fort Hays Health and Wellness. There are also a variety of resources available at https://www.fhsu.edu/health-and-wellness/counseling/online-resources
FHSU Fitness Center Director Anthony Fox focused his portion of the presentation on health tips for the holiday season.
Fox said there are many health challenges during this time, including the desire to overindulge in food as well as potential lack of exercise, disrupted sleep patterns with traveling and holiday-related stress.
To combat overindulgence, Fox recommends eating a healthy snack before a big meal and then filling the first half of your plate with fruits or veggies. Starting off with healthier food will fill you up slightly, so you won’t feel as drawn to overeating the more unhealthy foods.
Staying active is also very important and Fox said this can take several different forms. Whether it’s a quick 10-minute morning workout, a walk after a meal, or even stretching during TV commercials, these small changes can benefit your health after a big holiday meal.
“It’s going to help you out a lot,” Fox said. “It’s going to remove some of those grogginess.”
Another key component of health is sleep.
“If you can’t get enough sleep, get quality sleep,” Fox said.
To improve sleep quality, avoid caffeine and big meals before bed. Limiting screen time use and setting bedtime reminders can also help.
In the midst of all the other obligations of this time of year, Fox understands it can be hard to also focus on your health.
“One little win is better than none,” Fox said.
Tiger Talk recordings can be found at: https://www.fhsu.edu/online/student-success/coaching under the “Guidance Hub” tab.