Beyond Physical Wellness

By Arissa Hendrarto, Physical Wellness Leader

When you think about physical wellness, many individuals rush towards sports, competition, and other vigorous physical activities that get your heart pumping and your body breaking a sweat. However, many aspects of physical wellness can be cared for through other outlets that also contribute to your overall physical wellbeing! 

---

As the Marist Italy physical wellness leader, I initially gravitated towards this role because of how I value physical wellness and would like to spread awareness of the many moving parts and tools involved in maintaining your physical health. In high school I participated in many high intensity, competitive sports and my perception of physical wellness was limited to these activities. Over time, it became evident that this was not the whole picture, and that I also needed to focus on my mental and emotional well-being alongside the sports I participated in. I needed an outlet outside of my physical performance that would work alongside it to keep me calm and motivated, so I could perform to my best while supporting myself and my teammates.

“In an academically rigorous setting it can be difficult to focus on the present rather than the future and the past, but staying grounded in what is currently occurring can help to build a better mindset. With our minds calm and clear, we are more able to best support our peers and ourselves. “

Sharing what I’ve learned, I’d like to start with mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness can be an impactful strategy to improve emotional and physical well being. There are many benefits; mindfulness reduces stress and promotes relaxation. In an academically rigorous setting it can be difficult to focus on the present rather than the future and the past, but staying grounded in what is currently occurring can help to build a better mindset. With our minds calm and clear, we are more able to best support our peers and ourselves. 

Mindfulness can look like a lot of different things for different people. It may be limited to sitting comfortably and focusing on your body while observing any tension or feelings that are occurring, or it may look like practicing positive affirmations to build a mindset to approach the day.

With mindfulness, you can learn to maintain your attention span so that you can focus on tasks at hand and concentrate, and become better at managing your time between work, academics, and your personal life. Mindfulness is not just about sitting down and telling your mind to “be quiet!” — it also means taking the time to observe your emotions, feelings, physical sensations, and everything that your body, mind, and emotions are experiencing in each moment. By observing them, we can become more aware of them, and have more clarity about what needs attention in each moment. Maintaining relationships and navigating your emotions is another aspect of your life that mindfulness can address when you take the time to prioritize mental clarity. Overall, mindfulness is a tool that can improve your mental health by providing  an understanding to your body’s needs and lead to healthier choices in diet, sleep, and physical activity.

One way I have consistently practiced mindfulness is by journaling. Journaling can be an active way to “observe” ourselves through reflective writing. By implementing this routine in my day to day, I have found many improvements to my mental health and better navigation of my emotions, especially during a dramatic change in cultural environment. Such as study abroad! Journaling can be a great habit to cultivate that supports wellness. 

---

“Don’t wait for a special occasion to start a new habit, start right now. “

On average, studies have shown that it can take months to build a habit. Most people only think about building new goals and practices around established times, such as the New Year’s resolutions, to determine change, but you can begin to start new habits at any time. Don’t wait for a special occasion to start a new habit, start right now. 

Another challenge to be aware of when starting a new habit is how high expectations can sometimes lead to giving up.  This has been discouraging to me in the past, to go into journaling or another benefit to health with defined expectations that lead to negative results when they’re not reached. It’s important to have grace for yourself. It can be helpful to give structure such as a daily journal with given prompts and it works well for some individuals. For me, I can fall out of routine when I miss a day, or feel like I need to reach a certain goal to be fulfilled, but that’s not the case. There are no specific guidelines to practicing mindfulness. Trial and error, finding what works for you, and not falling into comparison is an important aspect to address; it is all completely normal.

Having a personal journal to collect your thoughts is something that works for me, but I also write in my notes app on my phone or in between pages of notebooks for my classes. I enjoy journaling at the end of my day or at the beginning, to set up my day with a balanced approach, but mindfulness doesn’t have to be limited to that. Next time you’re walking between classes, try to reflect on your day, or pay close attention to what’s going on around you. Simply being present as you go through your day is another way to better process  your thoughts. Another way I stay present is when I do my morning routine; when I brush my teeth and prepare for the day, I make sure to put down my phone and focus on the present. Though it is a short amount of time, the length of brushing my teeth is enough for me to feel…. Mindfulness can be as simple or as intricate as you want in order to build your awareness of the present.

“Next time you’re walking between classes, try to reflect on your day, or pay close attention to what’s going on around you. Simply being present as you go through your day is another way to better process  your thoughts.“

---

Prompts

In my journal I write about my day, things I found interesting, and what has been consistently on my mind, but other times I like to establish prompts to focus on aspects such as gratitude, goals and achievements, support systems, and things that I enjoy. I also collect items that I find visually pleasing and compile them to create something that aesthetically pleases my mind and relaxes me.

Guidelines to assist in how you can begin this that I have journaled in the past are:

• 10 things I love about myself
• 3 things I forgive myself for
• A letter to myself at the end of this month
• 5 things I learned this week
• 3 ways I have grown
• 5 habits I want to start
• Who in my life am I grateful for?
• What past challenges have made me stronger?

These ideas are amongst many that can get your brain to think about addressing self-compassion and contentment.

---

Pictures 

Journaling is what I have found to be the most impactful for me, but I invite you to practice methods and see how they may be tweaked to best fit your life. Share them with others as well! Below are some examples of what other students do to practice mindfulness. How are YOU practicing mindfulness?

Images courtesy of Pinterest.