Take time for self care during colder months
‘Tis the season, Illinois Liberal Arts & Sciences students. As you all may know, the holiday season is right around the corner. I know we are all looking forward to a break from studying for those hard exams and staying up all night doing homework. With the holiday season comes a change in weather, and it seems like we went straight to winter in the matter of a week. During this seasonal change, it is important that you keep yourselves healthy. You want to go into Thanksgiving break being sick free. Taking the time out of your day to practice some self-care will also be beneficial to you during this time. No matter if that's going on a walk, meditating, or exercising, take this time to do something that will help release the stress and negative energy you might be feeling. Illinois has many resources you can choose from in order to focus on health and wellness.
If you are feeling sick, you should make a visit to McKinley Health Center right here on campus. There are plenty of nurses and physicians there who will give you a checkup. You can book your appointment online or over the phone. They are open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, McKinley is offering free flu shots around campus. The next pop-up clinic is Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the ARC Atrium. If that date doesn’t work in your schedule, you can always visit the website to see when the next pop up is.
Going to the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) or Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE) is another great way for you to stay healthy--mind, body, and soul. You can go there to work out by yourself or with your friends. It is a way to get up and get energized. Both recreation centers offer group fitness classes throughout the week, if you’ve ever wanted to take on a new challenge or interact with people from all over campus. You can choose high-intensity workouts, cardio workouts, strength workouts, etc. Whatever you want to focus on, there is a class. If you visit the campus recreation group fitness website, you can find class descriptions and times for the classes you want to take. There's so much to choose from, so you should take advantage of the fun activities that ARC and CRCE have to offer.
It is also important to focus on eating healthy by choosing the right foods. You should always fuel your body throughout the day with nutrient-dense foods. These foods will help you stay focused and give you a substantial amount of energy to go about your day. If you are not sure what foods you should be eating and you are struggling with nutrition, there are places on campus that will help you. The ARC offers cooking classes and nutrition coaching that focus on food education and what it means to eat healthy. If this is something that interests you, go to the ARC and signup or go online to get started. McKinley also offers one-on-one appointments with nutritionists who help students go over food plans to meet personal goals.
So again, take advantage of all the resources Illinois has to offer when it comes to health and wellness. You want to wake up every day, get the day started, and be vibrant! It’s almost time to go home and spend some quality time with friends and family, so keep yourself healthy!