Volume 124 Issue 84
kansan.com
Friday, January 27, 2012
the student voice since 1904
Tapas on Mass seeks to offer unique flavor on busy street
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SCHOOL
SCHOOL
Overcoming the Winter Blues
Exercise and other home remedies can help alleviate symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Home Remedies
Watkins Health Center nurse Melody Volek says these tips might help with Seasonal Affective Disorder:
Parking farther away from a building to walk. This has been proven to reduce stress, Melody Volek says.
Opening blinds in the morning when you wake up
Study next to a window
Make exercise fun by doing an exercise video series
Eating balanced meals on a regular basis
Talk with a doctor if the depression interferes with daily activities
It's the beginning of a new year and resolutions of becoming fit after the holiday season are set. But the reality of school, jobs, homework and the freezing temperatures eat at our resolves of what the new year could bring. The winter blues begin to set in. Loss of energy, insomnia, lack of concentration, increased stress, craving carbohydrates and weight gain can all be minor symptoms of the winter blues, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), says Melody Volek, a nurse at Watkins Health Center.
According to a 2008 American College Health Association survey, reported by the American Psychiatric Association, 30 percent of students report feeling dehabilitating depression throughout the year. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects about 6 percent of the U.S. population, young adults and women being at higher risk, according to a study from Penn State Behrend College.
Medical experts agree that exercise and daily physical activity is one of several home remedies that can help students overcome the winter blues. The hopeful goals of a new year can still be met by taking care of yourself mentally and physically.
Cherae Clark, a senior from Kansas City, Kan. and certified personal trainer at Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center, exercises four to five times a week. Working out in the morning helps Clark get a jump-start on her day, boost her mood and fit exercise into her daily schedule. "For me it's a mind-set thing. I notice that I get really grumpy and less focused. I just feel better when I exercise," Clark says.
Shortening of daylight in the winter months can disrupt biological clocks, as well as serotonin and melatonin levels in the human body. Daily exercise helps reset the natural time clock, Volek says.
Exercise is the most powerful element that you can incorporate into your daily lifestyle to help with mood, says Katie Sharp, a second-year Ph.D. student in clinical psychology from Omaha, Neb. "Exercise will definitely help. If you have Seasonal Affective Disorder, it is also important that you do light therapy."
Other benefits of daily physical exercise can include, better lifestyle functions, disease prevention, promotion of positive self-image and help people be more in control of their time management, says Amber Long, fitness coordinator at the Recreation Center.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends exercising every day for about an hour.
However, it can be challenging for students to find the time to work out daily. Amber Long says that making it a part of your daily routine can help make time. Shorter daily amounts of exercise, such as 30 minutes, can be positive in terms of being more productive in other parts of the day. Other challenges exist as well.
"There is a certain intimidation factor at the Rec. Like you can't go to the Rec because you don't look like a fitness model. It is really for everyone who wants to do exercise," Clark says.
Putting fears and excuses aside, finding help to create a personal daily exercise routine can be easy. As a certified personal trainer, Clark helps clients develop workout routines to help meet students' goals. Clark says not to be scared to come in and talk to staff.
Students can sign up for a personal trainer through the KU Rec Administrative Office and obtain a KU Fit Pass for $50. With the KU Fit Pass, students are also given over 50 classes to choose from to help with exercise routines.
If students are finding more severe symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, such as finding it difficult to get through daily activities or experiencing regular depression, they can call the Watkins Nurse Helpline or go online to Watkins website and set up an appointment. Watkins Health Center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you are a full time student, one office visit is already covered in semester student fees
With the winter blues hanging on for the next couple of months, make sure to start incorporating physical activity into your schedule now. Start off slow with a 30-minute daily physical exercise routine and build up as your body gets stronger, Clark says. Your mood with thank you.
face.
"I wasn't meeting people," she said. "I was kind of going through people withdrawals."
Determined to overcome her situation she turned to the Internet. Jankord began to scour through blogs and websites in search of a solution to her problem. Her search first brought her to the 365 Project, an initiative in which participants take one photograph each day for an entire year.
"A lot of people I knew were doing the 365 Project so I decided to do something more original," she said.
Relentlessly, she continued to search until finally she came across something that was new to her and grabbed her attention.
Unlike the 365 Project, 100 Strangers is a project that requires socialization. The first objective of
class," Jankord said. "An elderly couple that I met by Potter Lake told me their life story"
The second half of the project is taking the photo (with permission) of the strangers who shared their story. While meeting new people and collecting the stories of strangers was appealing to Jankord, it was the second half of the project that intrigued her most of all.
She had hoped to be admitted to the School of the Arts to study photography, but was declined. 100 Strangers became an opportunity for her to pursue her love of art as well as to build confidence and overcome the difficulties of meeting new people.
"This project stood out to me because I wanted to do something that involved photography," Jankord said.
Setting out and onto campus
Often times it is this fear of rejection that stunts our bravery and keeps us from meeting new people. Overcoming her nerves, Jankord has continued to collect strangers and has now documented the photographs and stories of nearly twenty strangers.
"I think what she's doing is pretty courageous, daring," Teron Gaumer said after sharing a story with Jankord and becoming one of her strangers.
"It was when I got my first rejection that I first got nervous," she said.
Jankord is not the only student on campus participating in the project.
"It really helped me get out there and meet people," she said.
She remembers not being very nervous in the beginning.
Collin Baffa, a senior from
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"In day to day life you walk past so many people and you just have a brief encounter, you don't even notice them," he said. "Now I'm stopping people and getting to know them and it's interesting because they're often a lot more friendly than you would think."
According to the 100 Strangers page on Flickr, there are currently more than 7,000 participants.
For more information about 100 Strangers, including portfolios of the project's participants, you can visit www.100strangers.com and www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers
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from them."
Baffa, much like Jankord, began the project as a way to grow as a photographer and to break out of social timidity.
TYLER BIERWIRTH/KANSAN
Kody Collins, a sophomore from Overland Park, enjoys a non-alcoholic White Russian while dressed in character as "The Dude" during The Big Lebowski night at Jaybowl on Thursday. Students enjoyed free popcorn and bowling while watching the movie
Edited by Anna Allen
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All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
They've got shoes, but if you've got your own, bring 'em. Cosmic bowling at 10 p.m. at the Jaybowl in the Union.
Today's Weather
Forcasts done by University students. For a more detailed forecast
see page 2A Break out those wellys!