by Bella Chaiken Kike Vega via Unsplash As you get older and move away from forced exercise (ie, middle school PE), you have more freedom to choose the ways you work out. However, this can be a difficult challenge, as there are so many popular forms of exercise. You could weight lift, run, practice yoga, do a HIIT workout, or even attend a soul cycle class. But how do you know which one is the best for your body? That is exactly what the principles of intuitive exercising are meant to help you accomplish. Intuitive exercise doesn’t mean completely cutting exercise out of your daily life. Inst ..read more

by Nicolette Tour Thought Catalog via Unsplash In a world where social media is a primary way of communication and a major platform for influencers and brands, it is natural for people to scroll through their Instagram numerous times a day or update their Snapchat friends on their whereabouts. We receive instant gratification when checking our likes and comments on our latest post, which makes it hard to refrain from scrolling through our feeds. However, we must ask ourselves if temporary gratification from these media platforms outweighs the potentially negative consequences. This article wi ..read more

by Bella Chaiken Surface via Unsplash While things have begun to look upwards from the pandemic, many of us are still stuck spending countless hours on Zoom. Whether it’s taking classes from home, working from home, or even just trying to spend time with others virtually, it is all taking place on a video call. Multiple calls a day can feel physically and mentally exhausting, but there are a couple ways to help with that. Zoom Fatigue - It’s a Real Thing: Do you ever feel really tired after a Zoom call, even if it was only an hour? Do you ever find your head hurting after a Zoom call? These ..read more

by Karlie Hayes Priscilla du Preez via Unsplash Recently, a high school friend dropped some homemade pudding off at my home. It was a small gesture, but after months of social distancing, the fact that she thought of me brightened my whole day. Whether we are in a pandemic or not, each of us could use a little more kindness in our lives. In this article, I hope to encourage you to spread a bit of kindness today. Kind acts are a simple way to do a good thing: they can be done from home or out in the world, they can support the mental health of ourselves and those around us, and they can simply ..read more

by Kayla Nguyen Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels With twelve-page papers and too many exams, it can be difficult to find eight hours of sleep a night. Yet even after a full night of sleep, when we should feel energetic and well-rested, we can feel groggy and more tired than after waking up from three or four hours of sleep. While many factors can affect our quality of sleep, like the foods we eat or activities we perform before bed, one of the major factors that influences our sleep is our sleeping position. As a child growing up afraid of the dark, my sleeping position was determined by where my ..read more

by Jenny Long Ivan Samkov via Pexels When you’re first getting to know someone, one question you might ask is, “what kind of music do you like?” Music is a common point of interest for many and song recommendations are a great way of sharing something personal with another person. Going out to concerts and music festivals used to be events we looked forward to, but the recent adaptation of online concerts and live streams have reassured us that the music and the connections don’t have to stop. From sharing playlists or even playing background sounds during a Zoom study session, music has a po ..read more

by Ashley Kim Jad Limcaco via Unsplash After a year of closed gyms and exercise facilities, it’s become even more challenging to be physically active. Yet there are many ways to get back into your fitness groove. One of the most powerful and easy ways to get that daily exercise is by simply walking. There are several physical and mental benefits of walking daily if you establish this activity as a routine. This article will address the benefits of walking and ways to spice up your daily exercise routine during quarantine. About Walking Walking can be an activity that is just as effective of ..read more

by Fiona Osborn Our health has always been intertwined with the environment. One way we are reliant on the environment is through “ecosystem services,” or all of the benefits we get from nature such as food, clean water, and clean air. Our relationships with the environment are often quantified in economic terms, yet the environment can also have a profound effect on mental well-being. Studies have shown that experiences in nature positively correlate with mood improvements. [1] Not only can nature improve mental health, but these outdoor experiences can also be ways to create connections wit ..read more

by Anisha Chandra Indian Jackfruit Kofta by Upbeet Anisha If I had to find the silver lining in my unexpected living situation this year, it would be gathering around the table with my parents every night. It’s comforting to know that no matter how the day has gone, when the clock strikes 8, everyone in my family performs the choreography we know quite well: I yell “Dinner?” from my room, my dad responds affirmatively from his room, and my mom begins to roll out rotis on the kitchen counter. Once we’re all at the table, we immerse ourselves in the moment. Eating good food is one of the few in ..read more

by Nicolette Tour Zachary Nelson via Unsplash In our current world, socializing looks significantly different from before. While social distancing has granted many of us the time to discover more about ourselves and recognize the activities that captivate our minds, it has also caused us to self-isolate to some extent. Given today’s unique circumstances, it is important to be aware of the benefits that social connection has on our well-being, but it is even more important to recognize that remaining connected with others during this time is far from impossible. As humans, we thrive on social ..read more