Balancing the Aspects of Life

Life, especially for the average college student, can be a whirlwind. In our college careers, we’re learning lots about who we are as people, preparing for professional careers and trying to have as much fun as possible in what’s typically referred to as the best years of our lives. That expectation, that college is the peak era of a lifetime, paired with the importance and weight of education and other responsibilities, puts college students in a precarious and often overwhelming position.

So, what’s the solution? Like many things, finding a balance is essential to surviving and thriving during these formative years. According to Steven Handel, a writer for The Emotion Machine website, there are six different aspects or angles of wellbeing. These angles — physical, mental, emotional, social, financial and spiritual — are all fighting for attention in our lives. When we neglect one of these angles in favor of another, we’re not maintaining a healthy balance or operating at full power. This article — the first of two — will be discussing physical, mental and social wellbeing.

Physical Wellbeing

When people think of health, this is probably the default angle most people think of. Physical wellbeing is the act of caring for, maintaining and improving our physical bodies through exercise, healthy eating and staying active. As NDSU students, part of our tuition goes towards paying for our wellness center, which offers a wide variety of physical activities to get the blood pumping and the fat burning. There’s traditional weight room equipment, a running track, rock climbing, pools and multiple courts for various games. After a trip to the Welly, consider grabbing some greens or protein from West or Residence Dining Hall. College students don’t typically have the largest budget for grocery shopping, so it's easy to gravitate toward foods that are cheaper and worse for your physical health. Thankfully, the dining centers, covered by various student meal plans, as well as many vendors in the Fargo-Moorhead area, offer healthy foods for relatively low prices. It’s great to get your body moving, but always make sure to give it enough time to rest as well. The recommended amount of sleep for 20-year-olds is at least eight hours, so make sure to catch those zzzs.

Mental Wellbeing

Just like its many offerings for physical betterment, NDSU also offers students ways to improve their mental health. The NDSU Counseling Center gives students a safe place to discuss whatever it is that may be going on in their lives. Staff are professionally trained and are always willing to help whoever makes an appointment. Campus also features the Green Bandana Project, which is a nationwide movement set out to break the negative stigma surrounding the discussion of mental health. Certified members can be spotted by the presence of a green bandana on their backpacks, which signals that they are willing to listen to anyone who needs an ear. Of course, mental health can also be maintained by making time for activities that create a sense of calm or happiness, so knowing your interests, having a way to engage in them and being able to make time for yourself would also benefit your head greatly.

Social Wellbeing

The third angle of wellbeing centers on social life, or the relationships between ourselves and others. While it’s important to focus on university academics during our college years, this isn’t to say students shouldn’t have social lives. In fact, being social and engaging with peers, friends and the campus community is encouraged by NDSU in a number of ways. For one, NDSU pushes for involvement in student-organized clubs, where students can interact with like-minded peers in numerous activities; from board games to swimming, there’s something for everyone to try out. Athletic events, such as football games, their accompanying tailgates and other sporting events are centered in fun environments that beg to be visited by friend groups. NDSU’s location within Fargo creates other opportunities to do things with friends, such as exploring the downtown area. While making time for social activities and your friends is never a bad thing, do remember to keep priorities in check. You can hang out with friends anytime, but when a paper is due at midnight, that should demand your attention.

So, there you have it. The college student, by maintaining their physical, mental and social health, can create a balance between the aspects of well-being that should — in theory — set students up for success. Real life may not be so easy to navigate, but by actively choosing to focus on these areas of living, students will be doing themselves a huge favor in the long term.