How Studying Outside Could Make You a Better Student

 

Picture this...

It’s noon on a beautiful spring day. You want to go out and enjoy the sunshine, but you’ve got an exam the next day and really need to get in some good study time. Panicked, you try to find a seat in student centre that your tuition so generously funds – nothing. The libraries must surely have space, you think to yourself. Much to your dismay, the library is also packed solid. 

In your last desperate attempt to find a place to settle down and get some reading done, you find yourself on a picnic table just outside of a campus building. Unbeknownst to you, you’re actually better-off this way. 

 NATURE AND MENTAL HEALTH      

We have all heard of going outside for some ‘fresh air’ when things inside get intense. ‘Getting the stink blown off you’ to calm one’s mental state is a relatively commonplace practice, but it seems like nobody is really sure why or how this came to be. It is clear that over time and especially during a pandemic, we are spending less and less time outdoors, but could this actually have negative consequences on our mental health? 

 

ECOTHERAPY is a buzz word in psychology that aims to highlight the importance of the outdoors and natural surroundings on human mental health. This idea stems from a belief that things like fresh air and proximity to greenspace can increase overall mood and general wellbeing, in contrast to the recent societal shift to the digital world. The COVID-19 pandemic has only enhanced this shift inside, encouraging people to stay indoors.

 THE STUDENT PROBLEM       

It comes as no surprise that students are a particular area of worry when it comes to mental health, and our dependence on technology certainly doesn't help. 

This is for a few reasons:

• People tend to go to university or college during young adulthood, an important transitional period that marks an increase in life stressors

• Many mental illnesses have their onset during this period

• A significant proportion of students (63%) report having feelings of “overwhelming anxiety” over the course of the school year

• Many students do not have access to (or time for) therapy and other mental health interventions

• Stress (from school or otherwise) negatively contributes to mood, student satisfaction, and academic performance 

 CAMPUS GREENSPACE: A SOLUTION?   

Over the past decade, research has made one thing clear: utilizing outdoor spaces has some significant effects on mood. More specifically, exposure to nature – even to things as small as photos – can reduce stress. This reduction of stress is also accompanied by:

• 
  Reduced blood pressure 
• 
  Reduced heart rate 
• 
  Increased brain activity 
• 
  Increased immune cell activity 
• 
  General “restorative” effects on the mind 

The best part is that using outdoor spaces has been shown to subconsciously reduce stress – this means that it plays in the background of your brain without a conscious effort! 

Student Studies 

Recent research has extended this idea specifically to students, in an attempt to address the group’s unmet needs. In an experiment with over 200 undergraduate students, students were selected to either study inside, in a windowless laboratory, or outside on campus green space. Of note, they found the following:

• Students who studied outside had less "mood disturbance" (feelings of tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and confusion) than students who studied inside 

• Students who infrequently went outside in their normal lives had the strongest decrease in mood disturbance when studying outside

• Students who frequently went outside in their normal lives were less bothered by the indoor spaces, suggesting some kind of resiliency build up from being outside

 TAKEAWAYS         

So, why bother studying outside? To put it simply, it might make you a better student.

With students reporting less stressors when studying outside, and stress being related to lower academic achievement, it’s in a student’s best interest to make use of campus green space. Even further, in terms of mental health, the subconscious aspect is key. Students already have busy schedules, so being able to passively improve mental health is arguably revolutionary. 

Now this is not to say that simply going outside will fix mental illness. However, ecotherapy can certainly be used to make the stressors of life more manageable, not just for people struggling with mental illness, but for everyone. 

References

Dorothy C. Ibes & Catherine A. Forestell (2020) The role of campus greenspace and meditation on 
    college students’ mood disturbance, Journal of American College Health, 
    https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1726926
Summers, J. K., & Vivian, D. N. (2018). Ecotherapy - A Forgotten Ecosystem Service: A Review. 
    Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1389. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01389

Blissed Out: How Mindfulness Helps Students Beat Anxiety

I grew up in a house beside a yacht club. Every summer weekend we would go out on my dad's boat, taking deep breaths of ocean air. I remember jumping fish, wind-swept hair, and being held safely by the lifelines as I stared into the depths below. Nothing made me happier than a gentle breeze making tiny ripples in the otherwise still waters. 

Unfortunately, smooth sailing didn't follow me into my freshman year at university. Like many students in my cohort, I felt like I was drowning from day one. I had a long commute to a school with no friends in my program, and felt overwhelmed by increasing academic pressures. It wasn't long before I found myself in a doctor's office, talking about the symptoms of a panic attack.

University students are under a lot of stress. Their stressors range from social challenges to financial strain, and their consequences are grim. Stress in university students has been linked to an increasing number of mental health concerns that may account for more students turning to counselors' and therapists' offices. Issues like depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts have the potential to plague students who are having a hard time coping with university life. 

In recent years, campuses have increased the mental health services available to students due to rising demand. Among these services (such as crisis counseling and drop-in therapy) are intervention programs that aim to help students manage stress and anxiety. Not all of the programs are alike, with some offering techniques often seen in therapy, while others promote meditation practices. 

Some of these programs focus on mindfulness, which can be said to be intentional relaxation. The purpose of mindfulness is to be fully aware of the present moment, without being swept away by it. It involves tuning in to what we are thinking and feeling without indulging in those passing thoughts or feelings. Some authors suggest that cultivating this mindful presence can help us disengage from negative thinking habits like ruminating over something that upset us.

"The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes."

- mindful.org

Relaxation and mindfulness based interventions may help students feel less anxious. Recent research suggests that mindfulness can improve a person's self-awareness and ability to regulate their own mood. For students, mindfulness can help them feel calmer in the face of their many stresses. Adopting a long-term mindfulness practice may also increase overall feelings of well-being, which can help protect against some mental health concerns. This is especially important for students, since stress and anxiety can be linked with poor sleep, substance abuse, and dropping out.

In addition to attending mindfulness workshops through counseling services at universities, students should set up their own mindfulness practice. While a 6-week workshop may lead to increased feelings of well-being, long-term practice can help students benefit through better resilience and positivity. Meditation apps like Headspace or Insight Timer offer guided meditation and mindfulness courses, while sites like mindful.org host many articles on the topic. 

Through intervention programs and mindfulness practices, students can learn to cope with the stresses and anxieties of university. By investing in their well-being, students can give themselves a buffer against the negatives associated with adjusting to university, enjoying the time to solidify their identities, values, and attitudes. In being mindful, students can finally feel like they're keeping their heads above the water.  

Roulston, A., Montgomery, L., Campbell, A., & Davidson, G. (2018). Exploring the impact of mindfulnesss on mental wellbeing, stress and resilience of undergraduate social work students. Social Work Education, 37(2), 157-172. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/10.1080/02615479.2017.1388776

Yusufov, M., Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, J., Grey, N. E., Moyer, A., & Lobel, M. (2018). Meta-analytic evaluation of stress reduction interventions for undergraduate and graduate students. International Journal of Stress Management, doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/10.1037/str0000099

Attention students! Sleep and exercise may predict a healthy & successful life!

If you’re a university student and you’ve chosen to read this blog, you’re probably one of two things: tired or stressed.  Everyone experiences various stressors in their everyday life. Some aspects of a person’s life might make them more susceptible to frequent, high-intensity stressful situations.  Students, for example, are one of these populations.  As students, we receive a tremendous amount of pressure to manage deadlines, keep up with our readings, and maintain that 3.7 GPA we need to get into grad school.  How are we supposed to do it all?  

So, we’re stressed: Who cares?

There are heaps of literature supporting stress having negative effects on one’s life.  Stress can be associated with depressive-like symptoms such as anxiety and lack of motivation, and poorer health-related outcomes such as increased blood pressure and heart disease.  If we don’t learn how to manage our stress, we may experience a host of short-term and long-term side effects.  Luckily, with the help of research, we can discover certain behaviours or actions that can help protect us from the negative aspects that might be associated with a high-stress life. 

German researchers investigated this issue.  It’s safe to say that physical activity is beneficial in managing stress.  However, many other variables could be protective, as well.  The researchers were interested in confirming the benefits of physical activity in relation to stress, as well as investigating the usefulness of sleep quality and snacking to manage stress.  To do this, they followed 304 students over an entire academic year.  They evaluated their levels of physical activity, quality of sleep, snacking, mood, and of course… stress!  Any guesses what they found?

  

More physical activity = lower chance of bad mood following stress.

Do you love going to the gym & getting your 8-hours every night?  Good news for you!

Fortunately, the researchers found some promising results.  As expected, days where a stressful event was experienced were associated with lower positive affect (good mood) and higher negative affect (bad mood).  The good news: these associations were weaker on more physically active days, and days following a good night’s rest.  In fact, the more physically active you are, you have a better chance at experiencing less negative affect following a stressor! 

But, wait! There’s more good news!  One of the researcher’s studies was successful in demonstrating sleep quality having the same relationship with stress.  That is, the association between stress and positive and negative affect was weakened with the presence of a good sleep.  What does this mean in plain English?   Those who get a good sleep are less likely to experience negative affect following a stressor, and are less likely to have a decrease of positive affect following a stressor. 

Are you a snacker?  In the past, there have been mixed reviews in the role of snacking and experiencing stress.  The rationale is that snacking can make you feel good in the moment, but can be followed by feelings of regret, as well as poorer health down the road.  In line with this, there was no observable benefit to snacking when experiencing stress.  However, everything in moderation is key!  If you are the type to control your snacking, and feel better after a little nibble, then go ahead!  Indulge yourself.  I won’t tell anyone. 

                         

Take it with a grain of salt. 

Keep in mind, not all stress is bad stress.  In the context of this article, we are talking about unhealthy, prolonged periods of stress that are associated with negative outcomes.  However, moderate levels of stress can keep you alert, focused, and performing at your best.  Be honest with yourself in how much stress you can handle so you can minimize harm and maximize benefits.  Hopefully what you’ve learned here is that physical activity and a good night’s sleep are important to our overall health.  So go on… get walkin’, get snoozin’, and handle that stress like a champ!

Reference

Flueckiger, L., Lieb, R., Meyer, A. H., Witthauer, C., & Mata, J. (2016). The importance of physical activity and sleep for affect on stressful days: Two intensive longitudinal studies. Emotion, 16, 488-497. doi:10.1037/emo0000143