IDIS 199 final Flashcards
how do you find a study-life balance?
by putting effort into your academic work to succeed while also taking time to enjoy other aspects of life (sports, social life, cultural aspects)
- university is an important time to develop these well-being promoting resources
why is a study life balance so important?
- all factors of life inform overall experience of the world
- a richer world experience informs daily life, work, and strengthens your understanding and analysis of the world
expectations and importance of a study-life balance
time commitment: students are expected to spend 30-35 hours a week on school
rest: rest is just as important as studying/ exercising. We need rest to process new information, and exercise to stay in a proper state of alertness to learn effectively
plan: committing to well defined study times will leave plenty of time to enjoy other activities
the impact of overstudying
- can impact relationships with friends/family since social life is being neglected through focusing too much on school
- over-studying can increase the risk of unhealthy behaviours: substance use, unhealthy eating, feeling lonely and isolated, experience mental health symptoms and increased risk of self-harm and hopelessness
Anatomy of melanchol by robert burton
states melancholy (old term for depression) can be caused by overstudying
- students live sedentary solitary life, and overmuch study increasing their risk of melanchol
- cure: study of a hobby
benefits of getting the balance right
- reduces health problems and absences from lecture/ other commitments
- efficiency: improves efficiency during standard/ expected study hours
- engagement: support higher engagement in courses, lectures, with peers
- focus and concentration: facilitates focus and ability to concentrate on the task at hand/ present (mindfulness)
- academic success: improves learning efficiency, productivity, and ultimately academic success
wheel of life
tool to help consider how your life is balanced by seeing how your time is spent (rank each on a scale of 1-10) 8 components: 1. academic/ professional 2. finances 3. health 4. family and friends 5. romance/ love 6. personal growth 7. recreation, culture, hobbies 8. physical environment
helps you consider if you are balanced, and areas where you need to make changes/ if you are overloaded
planning for and achieving the study life balance: tips for balancing life and study
plan a schedule: plan the semester ahead so you have time to work on everything, what needs to be prioritized
set goals: helps to motivate yourself for the semester ahead (get better grades/ get involved on campus, etc.)
make friends: making friends in lecture makes it more enjoyable/ can get course help
know your limits: might need to cut back on work/ social commitments/ take a school break
look after yourself: make healthy lifestyle choices
5 ways to stay connected
other people: friends, family, etc.
the natural world: nature, animals, plants, etc. through hiking, sightseeing
meaningful values: faith-based activities, activities that reflect importance with family/ personal values
meaningful work: connecting with work, hobbies, volunteering, passion projects
heritage: celebrating traditions, cultural holidays, etc.
connecting with others
everyone has a psychological needs for a feeling of connection
- johann hari: makes problems that seemed insoluble soluble because others are helping/ supporting them
benefits of social connectedness
social connectedness: personal sense of belonging to a group, family, or community (subjective experience of feeling understood)
- improves quality of life: important determinant of health and mental health, shape everyday life and well-being
- boost mental health: friendship can increase feelings of belonging, purpose, happiness, reduce levels of stress, improve self worth and confidence
- those with less social support more likely to suffer from mental health conditions - decreased risk of suicide: connectedness decreases risk of suicide –> protects against feeling isolated, suicidal thoughts, behaviours
- increased life expectancy: can also improve physical health
- people with social relationships had 50% increased likelihood of survival
pathways to self harm in adolescents and emergent adults
early childhood indicators of risk: genetics, early adversity
- these can cause changes in temperment, psychological functioning, etc.
- this can predict later psychological distress and mental health disorders/ problems
- when other RF are faced later (like social isolation/ lack of physical exercise/ substance use), can lead to self harm and other adverse mental health outcomes
forming healthy relationships
require active listening and opening up to others
- relationships change over the course of your life: some are lifetime and some are short lived, but all matter and serve a purpose
- important to reflect on what you value in a relationship to ensure you are forming relationships that are beneficial for you
how to develop social membership at university
begin by reflecting on your own personality and values
- join a club that reflects your interests and values
- volunteer for a cause that is important to you
- reach out to friends to put effort into spending time together and help build on the foundation
loneliness
when one’s social needs are not being met, lack of social connectedness
- one of the primary sources of suffering across the globe
- can be described differently as it is experienced differently by different individuals: can be lonely surrounded by people or fine completely isolated
- UCLA loneliness scale is used to determine subjective level of loneliness
simplest definition: unpleasant feeling when social needs are not being met, accompanied by a desire for social connectedness
effects of loneliness
can impact overall well being
- incrased cortisol can lead to depression, stroke, heart attack
- increased sleep disturbances impacting other aspects of health
- can lead to inactivity (less likely to be physically active)
- increased risk of heart disease: middle aged adults who live alone have a 24% greater risk of dying of heart disease
- strained immune system: similar to chronic stress
impact of loneliness on the brain
18-22 year olds have the highest loneliness scores, then millenials, then gen X
- levels of in person interaction, wellness are better predictors than social media use alone
- less activity in empathy region, live in defense mode, more restless sleep
combating loneliness
there are healthy and unhealthy ways to avoid being lonely
- healthy: maintain healthy diet, routine, social perscribing, self-care
- unhealthy: drug and alcohol misuse
loneliness vs social isolation
loneliness: is the unpleasant feeling that accompanies that perception that one’s social needs are not being met by the quantity/quality of one’s social connections
social isolation: objective measurement of the number of people you interact with
- lack of quantity of social connections
isolation and loneliness
urbanization/industrialization increases writings about loneliness through time
- can be alone without lonely: can increase creativity
- unwillingly being alone can occur whether or not people are alone
- pandemic makes people feel disconnected and increases MH symptoms, domestic violence
- need to think about it as a whole body affliction: lonely people seek warmth (physically)
impact of isolation
physical: poor health, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts
emotional: reduced confidence, diminished self worth, despair, depression, worthlessness, self-harm
- social isolation is the strongest predictor of depression in later life
cognitive: prolonged isolation can cause shortened attention span/forgetfulness
recreation
- refreshment by means of some passtime, agreeable exercise, etc.
- a pastime, diversion, exercise, or other resource affording relaxation and enjoyment
- allows a person to re-create themselves, to refresh and renew
types of attention: directed and involuntary
directed attention: focused attention, requires a great effort
- mentally demanding because more appealing information has to be blocked out
involuntary attention (fascination): effortless, subject is interesting to it automatically holds your attention - pleasurable way of processing environmental information and comes at no cost to the human
direct attention fatigue
neurological symptom that occurs when the inhibitory attention system, the part of the brain that allows you to concentrate in the face of distractions, becomes fatigued