Module 4: Study-Life Balance, Recreation, and Well-Being Flashcards
Common factors to balance with studying
-socializing
-employment
-volunteering
-commuting
-holidays
-exercise
-caring for dependent or family member
-hobbies/interests
Why is study-life balance important
-time commitment
-rest
-plan
Time commitment
-expectation for a full-time university student is around 30-35 hours of studying a week
Rest
-the brain needs time to rest to process new information
-the body also needs exercise and sleep to keep it in a proper state of alertness
Plan
-planning is an important aspect of maintaining a study-life balance-if you commit to well-defined study times there will be plenty of time to enjoy a range of other activities
Impact of over-studying
-too much time spent on studying can have a negative impact on relationships with family, friends, and partners
-may interfere with your ability to fulfill other non-study related obligations and interests
-may also increase likelihood of unhealthy behaviours etc.
The benefits of getting the balance right
-health and absences
-efficiency
-engagement
-focus and concentration
-academic success
Health and absences
-having a healthy balance can reduce worry and stress
-trying to do many things at once feeds worry and rumination
Efficiency
-having a healthy balance improves efficiency during the allotted study hours
Engagement
-having a healthy balance supports greater connection to and interest in courses, lectures and relationships
Focus and concentration
-having a healthy balance facilitates attention on the task at hand and staying present
Academic success
-having a healthy balance improves learning efficiency and productivity, which is needed for academic success
Different personal interests and priorities
-health and wellness
-family and friends
-recreation and hobbies
-career
-socialising
-culture
-community involvement
-financial security
-personal development
Academic/professional
-what are your study work commitments and do you feel when these are done you have time for other activities
Finances
-are finances a worry to you and have you worked out a solution or sought advice support etc
Health
-how would you rate your overall well-being, including your physical health, mental health and social environment
Family and friends
-do you feel you take the time needed to stay connected to family and friends
Relationships/love
-do you feel you take the time needed to maintain your personal relationships
Personal growth
-are you looking for spirituality in your life
-do you like to read and/or learn about new things etc
Recreation, culture and hobbies
-do you have hobbies and interests like visiting galleries, listening to or playing music etc
Physical environment
-how do you feel about your home and/or work environment
-does it support your studies, recreation, and good quality of sleep
Self reflection questions to ask when reflecting wheel of life
-balance
-overload
-time on self and others
-changes to make
Compassionate campuses
-involves working hard to ensure institutions are inclusive and kind learning communities
-inclusive learning modules, flexible assessment, forming positive learning communities and tackling stigma and discrimination
Connectedness
-personal sense of belonging
-personally meaningful connections can be made on the basis of world view environment, values, relationships, work, and recreational interests
Types of connections
-other people
-the natural world
-meaningful values
-meaningful work
-culture and heritage
Connections with other people
-can include your friends, family, peers, colleagues, and more
Connections with the natural world
-refers to all of the animals, plants, and other things existing in nature and not made or caused by people
-can include gardening, hiking, sightseeing etc.
Connections with meaningful values
-refers to faith-based activities, and activities that reflect importance with family and/or personal values
Connections with meaningful work
-can refer to work, volunteering, or passion projects
Connections with culture and heritage
-can include celebrating traditions, cultural holidays, or relating to people and places from your past
Benefits of social connectedness
-improve quality of life
-boost mental health
-increased life expectancy
-decrease risk of suicide
-build more inclusive learning communities
Improve quality of life
-social connection shapes your everyday life and well-being
-important determinant of health and mental health
Boost mental health
-increased feelings of belonging, purpose, increased levels of happiness, reduced levels of stress, improved self worth and confidence
Increased life expectancy
-individuals with a stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival
Decreased risk of suicide
-relationships can play a crucial role in protecting a person against feeling isolated, suicidal thoughts and behaviours
Build inclusive learning communities
-compassion for self and for others
-challenging stigma and discrimination based on race gender, disability, worldview, and mental state
Importance of forming healthy relationships
-can change course of your life
-some will just be for a certain purpose at a certain time
-require effort, time and change
Loneliness
-stems from a lack or reduced feeling of social connectedness
-can happen even when surrounded by others
Effects of loneliness
-increased cortisol
-increased sleep disturbances
-reduced activity
-increased risk of heart disease
-challenge immune system
Increased cortisol due to loneliness
-can increase levels of cortisol and lead to depression or even stroke and heart attack
Increased sleep disturbances due to loneliness
-can lead to more frequent sleep disturbances
Reduced activity due to loneliness
-less likely to be physically active if your experience loneliness
Increased risk of heart disease due to loneliness
-middle-aged adults who live alone have been shown to have a 24% greater risk of dying of heart disease
Challenge immune system due to loneliness
-can challenge immune system and compromise health
Self harm in older adolescents
-lack of connection can take many forms including withdrawal, ignoring or being ignored, lack of support or approval, or the feeling of being abandoned
Combating loneliness through social prescribing
-holistic approach to health and mental health supporting non-clinical community based activities to improve social connectedness
Social isolation
-objective measurement of the number of people you interact with
-lack of quantity of social connections
Why is loneliness different from social isolation
-needs are not being met by quality or quantity of social connections
-subjective measure
Types of impacts of isolation
-physical
-emotional
-cognitive
Physical impacts of isolation
-has been linked to poorer health and substance abuse
Emotional impacts of social isolation
-associated with reduced confidence, feelings of diminished self-worth, despair, depression, worthlessness, and self-harm
Cognitive impacts of isolation
-may experience a shortened attention span or forgetfulness as they may not see any reason or opportunity to remain aware and alert
Recreation
-refreshment by means of some pastime, agreeable exercise etc
2 types of attention
-directed attention
-involuntary attention
Directed attention
-form of focused attention that requires a great effort to remain on task and process the information
-this type of attention is mentally demanding, as more appealing external information must be blocked out
Involuntary attention
-effortless, is held when the subject is interesting and therefore automatically holds your attention
-pleasurable way of processing environmental information and comes at no cost in way of tiredness
Directed attention fatigue
-input deficits
-thinking problems
-behaviour
-executive functioning
-emotions
-worry and rumination
Input deficits
-DAf can result in misinterpretation of and/or failure to notice social cues
Thinking problems
-DAF can cause restlessness, confusion, and/or forgetfulness
Behaviour
-DAF may cause an individual to act impulsively or recklessly
Executive functioning
-DAF may result in a reduced ability to plan and make good decisions
Emotions
-DAF may cause someone to be short-tempered and have feelings of unpleasantness
Worrying and rumination
-DAF makes it easier to slip into worry and overthinking
What is DAF
-directed attention fatigue
-refers to a neuropsychological phenomenon indicating overuse of the brains inhibitory system necessary for maintaining focused attention
Refresh and recover
-clearing mind of internal distractions and take short breaks from directed attention tasks
-getting good quality sleep
-allowing the mind to wander freely
Attention restoration theory
-suggests that you think better when you spend time in or connecting with nature
-this concept can be expanded to feeling restored mentally when immersing oneself in a restorative environment
The cost of physical inactivity
-is felt in the health sector and in the economy, caused by people unable to work
Endorphins
-feel good chemicals that are released during exercise and are beneficial to ones overall well-being
Benefits of physical exercise, coping with stress, and well-being
-postive emotions
-unity of the body and mind
-heightened self esteem
-leisure
-problem-focused coping
Positive emotion
-enhance positive emotions such as pleasure, vigour, and energy
-decreased anxiety, tension, tiredness and anger
Unity of the body and mind
-feeling of more improved well-being and life satisfaction from active leisure
Heightened self esteem
-after engaging in exercise there is often a sense of accomplishment that may bring a sense of fulfullment, self-effectiveness, and self esteem afterwards
Leisure
-freely chosen activity may enhance stress coping due to a heightened sense of control over spare time and health
Problem focused coping
-seeking information to tackle problems rather than emotion-focused coping such as blaming, venting, denying, or avoiding
Nature and well being
-string evidence that shows being in touch with nature and spending time outdoors is beneficial for both physical and mental health
Benefits of environments rich in wildlife
-physical health
-stress
-emotional regulation
-social life
Physical health benefits of wildlife
-improvements to health through increased physical activity
Stress benefits of wildlife
-reductions in stress and anxiety
Emotional regulation benefits of wildlife
-increased positive mood and self-esteem
Social life benefits of wildlife
-better and healthier social life
How to get nature indoors
-keep plants in home
-have pics of nature
-use landscape photo for screensaver
-watch a nature show on tv
-meditate to sound of ocean or rainstorm
How incorporate outdoor time into daily routine
-take laptop outside
-go for a quick walk
-go outside during coffee/lunch break
Culture
-refers to the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people
-language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, art and more
The flow state
-state you get into when you are so engaged in a creative task that your sense of time disappears and you temporarily forget yourself and your internal chaos
What is a GLAM student lifestyle
-galleries
-libraries
-arts
-and museums
Benefits of a GLAM lifestyle
-longevity
-resilience
-community connectedness
Longevity
-the arts and heritage sectors can help keep us well, aid our recovery, and support longer better lives
Resilience
-arts and heritage sectors can help meet major challenges facing health and social care including ageing, long term conditions, loneliness, and mental health
Community connectedness
-arts and heritage sectors offer a range of non-clinical programs
-some are well-bing programs helping communities with preventative lifestyles and others are early intervention support for mental health difficulties
Prescribe culture
-virtual tours that may take participants to heritage collections all around the world
Success of prescribe culture
-allows individuals to take a more holistic approach to health and well-being and encourages ownership and self management of health
Music and your health
-the chemical dopamine is released at peak enjoyment in response to music
How can music do good?
-seems to selectively activate neurochemical systems and brain structures associated with positive mood, emotion regulation, attention, and memory in ways that promote beneficial changes
What are the 3 R’s
-reading
-writing
-resetting
How do the 3 R’s influence health
-stress decreases
-help reset the mind and relax the body
What is cultural heritage
-a shared bond of our belonging to a community
-represents our history and our identity
-our bond to the past, to our present, and to the future
What are the social benefits of heritage
-increased social cohesion
-greater sense of identity
-improved well being
-better learning and skills outcomes
