Stressing over classes, struggling with deadlines and dealing with sleepless nights. These are all real situations in which college-aged students find themselves. Finding time to intentionally rest and let the mind take a break from the pressure of academia has been said to be helpful for students at California Baptist University.
The practice of resting and relaxation has been described as important because, without downtime, students and faculty alike have said that they would feel overwhelmed.
“We can all get overwhelmed when we get busy or don’t know exactly what the future holds,” said Tyler Cox, director of Recreation Programs. “It is important that we taking some time to rest when we are feeling overwhelmed.”
Students often have additional commitments outside the classroom. This makes finding intentional resting time even more difficult because they struggle to find the time to simply wind down and take a moment to disconnect from external responsibilities.
“Finding time to rest during the week can become extremely difficult when you are not only a full-time student but also a worker who needs to make enough money for rent, groceries and other things,” said Cali Steffens, junior environmental science major. “However, I do try to take mental health breaks throughout the day to either stretch, do yoga, nap and even just wind down and watch TV. Even with a busy schedule all of those activities can take as little as 30 minutes and they give me a chance to rest and recharge between school, homework and work.”
“Two things that are my non-negotiables for me are exercise and friend time,” said Kirsten Sommer, junior nursing major. “I always make sure to wake up, work out, shower, brush my teeth and get ready for the day. It really helps me to unwind. With friends, even in the midst of a hectic week I always make sure I at least see one friend and get food together or something to recharge and reconnect.”
CBU Recreation is making the effort to stay as engaged with students as they were pre-pandemic. Cox elaborated on the ways Recreation Programs is staying up-to-date with students alongside their academic and professional careers.
“There are multiple virtual events that are happening this semester,” Cox said. “We have a virtual 5k, 10k or our NBA Pick’em contest. We also have several Esports that students can sign up for at intramurals.calbaptist.edu. They include Rocket League, Super Smash Bros, MLB the show and NBA2k 21. Our Rec Rentals shop is open for students to rent outdoor equipment like snowboards, hammocks and surfboards. All reservations must be made online at https://calbaptist.edu/campus-recreation/outdoor-adventure. We are also having trivia contests on our Instagram where students have a chance to win prizes, @cburecreation. We are posting different workouts and nutritional information every week to help keep students healthy.”
Steffens said her time away from work and school is beneficial because it leaves her feeling motivated and even happier.
“When I effectively take time to rest, I always feel much more motivated and even happier,” Steffens said. “When my life is consumed with my schoolwork it seems to seep into other areas of my life as well and just gives me a lingering feeling of stress. Finding a good balance of work and rest overall leads to me simply being happier.”
Sommer described her rest time as an opportunity to reset and refocus on the work she needs to get done.
“Rest helps me reset and refocus,” Sommer said. “Resting helps me feel refreshed and ready for schoolwork and whatever else may be pressing me.”
Lancer Wellness, an eight-part chart that can be found at calbaptist.edu/campus-recreation/online-resources, exists for students to balance their wellness in different subcategories: medical, spiritual, social, career, physical, emotional, nutritional and academic. Cox explains that this chart exists so students can have a healthy, balanced approach to wellness.
“The main goal is to have a balance,” Cox said. “A lot of times people will focus on just one or two aspects of wellness. Our hope is that with the proper tools our students will be able to establish a balanced approach to wellness.”
Wellness, rest and time away from work and school have been called beneficial for a multitude of reasons. Students work with deadlines and assignments all semester long. CBU Recreation is established and eager to assist students in their journey with wellness.
