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You won’t
find articles here that tell you how to cram for tests, how to survive
high school and college with minimal sleep or other bogus ways to sacrifice
your health in the name of an ill-gained sense of achievement.
 Instead, here are several articles on stress & time management, leadership
& happiness building tips and your insider’s guide for ways
to excel academically while keeping your sanity in tact!
You're also welcome to use any of my articles as content for YOUR own
e-zine! Just make sure they remain complete and unaltered (including the
"about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint
to maria@campuscalm.com. You're
also welcome to use my photo here.
Inspirational & Body Image:
Stressed-Out
Students: Take 10 Steps Toward A Healthy 2009
The reality is students get sick. You become stressed out by
all your academic commitments, skimp on sleep, fill up on junk food and
then when your compromised immune system brushes by some germs - well
- pass the tissues. Luckily, there are ways to keep your energy levels
up and your immune system strong, able to ward off stress and fight infection.
25 Ways to Stress-Out Less BEFORE You Reach For That Cigarette, Beer, Latte, Or Pint of Cherry Garcia
Do we reach for a beer to unwind after class or work? Do we light up a cigarette to calm our nerves before a big exam or job interview? Do we turn to ice cream when we're feeling lonely or bored? Do we rely on caffeine to rev us up during the day and sleeping pills to calm us down at night? Do we want to pass those types of coping skills down to our future children? Don't we want to create a better way?
March Madness Beach Bod Style
"If you're at a beach, and you have this great six-pack and huge biceps, and you're a fairly attractive guy, girls are going to approach you. If you're the same guy without the biceps and the six-pack, you won't get approached. There's a lot of shallowness out there and guys realize it too."
Young Women Speak Out
About Body Image on College Campuses
"When I'm at the campus gym, I see more girls running on the treadmill extra hard trying to lose weight for bikini season. My friend recently tried on a bathing suit at Walmart and said, 'OK, I have to lose five more pounds and then I'll look good in that.'"
No Stigma: Learn how to Take Charge of Your Mental Health with Ross Szabo
Mental health is something that affects everyone. It's something that everyone needs to be aware of and everyone should definitely work on. No one is except from mental health. We need to do a better job of helping people understand what mental health is.
Spotlight Eating Disorders, Perfectionism & Body Image On College Campuses
If you're not happy with your relationship with food or fitness, then
that is a problem. You don't have to be hospitalized or have some severe
eating disorder. If you don't feel like you can make choices and feel
happy about them, that's a real problem. Even just coming to terms with
your own body image could change the whole world if enough young women
did this.
Love Yourself
- The First Success Secret I Rediscovered in 2007
I went to my mirror this morning, cupped the sides of my face with my
hands and said, "I forgive you." Cheesy? Yes - but it worked. I smiled
at my reflection in that stupid piece of glass for the first time in weeks.
And took back control over my life. What a gift to give myself first thing
in the morning!
New Year's Resolution:
Love, Me
I started a new trend two years ago on New Year's Eve, which also happens
to be my birthday. Instead of writing a rigid list of resolutions for
the next year, I write myself a thank you note, highlighting all my accomplishments,
big and small, from the previous year. When I take the time to write down
everything I achieved, I'm usually in awe by what I've learned and how
much I've grown.
Loving Yourself, The Greatest Love of All (Guest Post)
Eating Disorders have been named the "female disorder" for a long time; however this is changing. The current percentage of males with Anorexia or Bulimia is 10 percent, but is thought to be growing. It is believed that many young men never get the help they need because they are ashamed to admit they are struggling.
Imperfection
Is Beautiful
Several years ago, I sat on the sidelines and watched other women light
up rooms. They weren't stunning in the way that women are supposed to
be, but they had this beauty about them that I just couldn't pinpoint.
All I knew was that I was lacking in it. It was body confidence, I later
found out - a confidence I embrace today, knowing full well how long it
took me to find.
Students'
Self-Image Secrets Revealed - Realize Your Authentic Self in Ten Minutes
Or Less
Students: want to learn about a free, ten-minute exercise that will help
you discover your unique, authentic self? If you're looking for ways to
measure your self-worth that have nothing to do with achievements, awards
or accolades, read ahead ...
Talking Campus Mental Health with Alison Malmon, Founder of ActiveMinds.org
Alison Malmon is founder and Executive Director of Active Minds, the nation's only organization dedicated to utilizing the student voice to raise mental health awareness on college campuses. Since its founding in 2003, Active Minds has become the young adult voice in mental health advocacy and the organizational catalyst for student-based mental health awareness on college and university campuses.
Grades & Stress:
Summa Cum Laude & Valedictorian: Are They Worth It?
We are the valedictorians of the world; the summa cum laude
college graduates, the academic stars. Our teachers praise us, our parents
can push us and our classmates love to cheat off of us. We really, really
believe that we can be anything, do anything in life if we just ace that
test. We have a lot to prove ... mostly to ourselves.
How to Survive the Rigors of a Pre-Med Curriculum
Stress for a pre-medicine student is not normal stress. It's stress in high definition. Exponentially expanding. Sitting in a Biology 101 or Chemistry 101 class the first week of school and then again mid-semester, you will find that the numbers drop drastically. The pressure placed on pre-med students - even to survive - is immense.
So, how do you survive the demands placed on you, the stressful situations?
Stress and Smoking
Smoking is bad. Yeah whatever, we get it. We all took Health. We know a public service announcement when we see one. Yet many of us are reaching into our pockets or crawling around on our dorm room floors looking for that half empty lighter because let's face it, that test this afternoon is going to blow. Something needs to calm us down and that pack should do it! Right? Campus Calm had the opportunity to interview Sean Lewis, a senior English and Philosophy major at SUNY Fredonia, who identifies himself as a smoker.
5 Tips to Stress-Out Less While Changing Your College Major
I walked onto my college campus with "Liberal Arts" stamped across my forehead. There were tons of us. We crammed into seminars where everyday someone armed with a power point presentation and a tie would tell us why their major was the very best one.
Help for GLBT College Student Stress
The National Day of Silence is a day that brings attention to anti-GLBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in learning environments. Each year the event has grown and expanded to include hundreds of thousands of straight and gay students coming together across the country to show their support for the GLBT community. In honor of this special day, here are some helpful tips for gay and questioning students to stress-out less and focus more on being happy, healthy and "calm" on campus.
Aftermath of the
Virginia Tech Shootings: Spotlight Campus Mental Health
If regular, open and candid discussions about mental health were going
on in living rooms, schools and boardrooms across the country; if people
recognized the urgency in and were just as comfortable with seeking professional
help for depression, anxiety, stress and rage as they were for things
like diabetes, heart disease and cancer, perhaps tragedies like the one
that occurred on the Virginia Tech Campus could be averted in the future.
5 Stress
Busters Every Student Needs Now
For high school and college students, stress is often inescapable. Between
mounds of homework, that crappy retail job, work study, and trying to
figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life ... um, headache
anyone? However, how we choose to deal with stress is totally within our
control. If you're looking for some tips on how to lower your stress levels,
read ahead ...
Student
Success - Minus Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia
For whatever reason - the need to impress future employers, the pressure
of keeping up with peers or simply meeting self-imposed but unrealistically
high standards - an increasing number of high school and college students
are literally making themselves sick in the pursuit of perfection.
When
'A' Equals Anxiety: Student Tips To Depressurize
My English teacher is always telling students not to worry about grades,"
says 16-year-old Veronica Bassano. "If you become a better reader or
a better writer, he'll give you a good grade. We have to show him we
want to learn."
In
Pursuit of Perfection
Students who are overachievers may pay a high psychological price "America
is an end-product society," said Eileen Niland, director and counselor
at Canisius College. "We try to get students to focus on the process.
College, like life, is a journey and students should ask themselves, "Am
I enjoying the ride? Am I learning?' Not 'Will I get an "A" in
the course?'
Perfectionism: When High Standards Become Self-Defeating
In ten years - even next year - is it going to matter whether you got an A or a B in a class? What is the worst thing that is going to happen to you if you don't get an A? Are you parents going to disown you? Are you going to die? (a little extreme, I know!) How do you measure your worth?
The View From High School:
(Featuring Columnist Alexander Jordan)
Finding Your Mission in 30 Minutes
As a junior preparing for the SATs, taking numerous courses, and balancing a social life with extracurriculars, I've seen how stress can disrupt a person's life. Something I wrote over the summer that helps to realign my thoughts with my values is a mission statement.
A Resolution of Passion
A student who's an officer of three clubs may not feel passionate towards any of those activities; however, a student immersed in one passion, like drama, who consistently strives to improve rather than overextend himself through a laundry-list of activities, would see that the love of the art, rather than the amount of mastery achieved, is the source of his happiness.
The Power of Now for Teens
Resistance to the present, rather than acceptance of what "is", destroys us within. We suffer, feeling resentful, anxious, depressed, even tormented. Because we're teenagers, people attempt to minimize it as "hormones" or "high school drama." Our pain is no different. All that can end with awareness. Our peace, joy, and feelings of connectedness come from within. No amount of success, straight As, or college acceptances can fill that void. Only we can.
Success & Happiness:
Lessons on Marriage, Mistakes and Mowing the Lawn
When we make mistakes, take the consequences (unnecessary sweeping), take note on how to do it better next time and improve through practice. Mistakes cannot define our journey, but how we react to our mistakes can. That's called resilience.
Getting Into the "Real World" Mentality
The end of the semester is fast approaching for many college seniors. Even though you may be caught up in campus life, the professional world is just around the bend. Here are a few tips on how to get into a "real world" mentality to make the transition a tad bit easier.
When "Plan A" Doesn't Work Out: Graduate School Detour
When it occurred to me that I would not be going to graduate school in the Fall of 2009, the last thing I wanted to think about was applying again. For that reason, I interpreted those rejection letters as a Never instead of a Not-Yet. Think of them more as a detour. You can still get there; you just have to go a different way.
'Real World' Makeover: New College Graduate Enters the Working World on His Own Terms
Sick and tired of older adults telling you, "Just wait till you graduate and join us in the 'real world.'" Want some inspiration as to why the "real world" isn't a real death sentence?
Book Review: The Student Leadership Guide
If you're a college student with an opinion, if you want to see change in the world you live in, if you want to leave your college or university just a little bit better than when you found it, you should pick up The Student Leadership Guide by Brendon Burchard. It's designed to bring out the leader we all have inside of us, and there is a leader in all of us.
Can 2 Wear Pants in 1 Relationship?
I've never been one to skirt an issue, but I despise the question, "Who wears the pants in your relationship?" When my husband and I stop working for the day, the first thing we do is change into our jeans and our covered legs co-exist quite nicely, thank you very much.
3rd-Graders Weren't Fooled By This 'Substitute Teacher'
I orginally wrote this article for publication in The Buffalo News in 2003. I was a 23-year-old struggling freelance writer. Through this trying experience as a substitute teacher, I certainly discovered what I didn't want in a career. However, I moved one step closer toward figuring out what I do want. Plus, we all need to laugh at ourselves once in a while. So have a laugh on me!
:-)
Q&A with Alexandra Levit on HOW'D YOU SCORE THAT GIG?
What if you could discover the hidden road, the one that would lead to an exciting, unique, and fulfilling line of work, the one taken by a select few who always get asked the question, “How’d you score THAT gig?”
Christine Hassler on Expectation Hangovers™ & Surviving
Your Quarter-Life Crisis
If your happiness is dependent on your job, or your relationship, or
your size, you're going to cling to that like glue because your happiness might
slip through your fingers. It has to come from within because otherwise you're
constantly going to be stressed out fearing losing the thing that you think
defines your happiness or your success.
Danica McKellar
Dishes about Yoga, Glam Girl Brainpower & Why Math Doesn't Suck
Best known for her roles on The Wonder Years and The West Wing, Danica
McKellar is also an internationally-recognized mathematician and advocate for
math education. She wrote MATH DOESN'T SUCK, to rip the lid off the myth that
math "sucks," helping to show that math can be easy, relevant, and
even glamorous-while providing the tools needed to ace the next big math test!
5 Ways to Earn Your College Education With Less College
Student Credit Card Debt
If college students could have one wish it might be to
receive a good college education without having to spend the next twenty
years paying off massive student loans and college student credit card
debt. If you're looking to stress-out less about money and be proactive about
college student credit card debt, give the following tips a try ...
When Reality Hits:
What Employers Want Recent College Graduates to Know,
with Nancy Barry
Recent
college graduates, when they go into an interview, forget that it's a two-way
conversation. The employers
are interviewing them to find out if they're the right fit for the position
and for the company. The recent college grads also need to see if that manager
is the right fit for them. The relationship that you have with your manager,
especially when you're starting your first career, is so important.
Students: Take Summer Vacation to Unwind & Unlock Your
Life Purpose
"Hot job, hot careers, what other people tell you
is never going to be as important as what you find interesting
and what you enjoy."
Students:
4 Ways to Stop the Comparison Game & Unleash Your Unique Talents
There will always be a classmate who gets better grades, wins more awards,
seems so put together. Maybe she'll graduate at top of her class and go 
on to an Ivy League college. Land the best job. Flaunt the most impressive
portfolio. Maybe she'll marry well and boast the brightest kids. Do you
think that's the only way to reach success? Guess what? It's not!
High
School Students: Determine Success With or Without the SAT
Before you work yourself up into a full-fledged anxiety attack at the
mere mention of the word "SAT," consider this: The National Center for
Fair and Open Testing lists over 730 four-year colleges in the United
States that no longer require the SAT I or ACT for admission. That's
right - over 730 colleges! Moreover, a rising number of colleges are
beginning to place a bigger emphasis on grades and personal accomplishments
over scores.
Hey Students: Get Innovative with Brandon L. Griffin!
Brandon L. Griffin asks students, "Why wait to start a business
when you're thirty when you can do it now?" After all, he started
his first business when he was ... 10 years old!!?? Now at age 18, Brandon
is a successful entrepreneur, publisher of the new FyeBye Magazine (For
Young Entrepreneurs By Young Entrepreneurs) and a soon-to-be-graduated
senior in high school.
Time Management & Fun:
The Broke College Students' Guide to Writing & Sending Holiday Cards
Want to send holiday wishes to your loved ones but you’re lacking
time and money? We’ve thought up the perfect way to do it!
5 Time Management Tips to Calm College Student Stress
As your fall semester kicks into high gear and your schedule fills up,
you college students may find your stress levels rising. You're probably
counting the days until your next vacation when time is - once again
- on your side. But did you ever stop to realize that the old "time
is on your side" cliché holds true 24/7, whether you're a
stressed-out college student in time management hell or living it up
on summer break?
Students:
Soak Up Sun, Leaves, and Knowledge
Henry David Thoreau once said, "Let us spend one day as deliberately as
Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's
wing that falls on the rails." Well, school's in session, you've got
two papers due next week, three quizzes to study for and a part-time
job to help you pay the bills. Sorry Henry, who's got time to live deliberately?
Well, you do if you want to excel in school and in life.
20 Fun
Free and Meaningful Things Every Student Can Do This Christmas Vacation
Winter break is FINALLY in sight and you couldn't be happier. Only problem
is you have tons of free time coming up and you're b-r-o-k-e. Well, what
student isn't? Instead of racking up pricey dinners and 3 a.m. nightcaps,
movie stubs and concert tickets, grab your pals and give these free holiday
pastimes a try. Your wallet will thank you. Your friends will too!
It's All About Balance:
Freshman Year 101: Making A Smooth Transition From High School to College
You have chosen a school. You have sent in your deposit. You have packed your bags and said goodbye to your family.
Now what?
Students can
do Yoga to Soothe Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia
Restorative yoga is a great way to address anxiety
and depression. For people with anxiety and depression, they have
a lot of imbalances in the nervous system. The nervous system is either
on hyper-alert all the time or it might be under-functioning.
Q&A with Margaret Zupa
I make time for fun by getting assignments and other things done early, when
I have time to do them, instead of waiting until the last weekend before they
are due and panicking about it. If I get things done a while before the deadline,
then I have time to relax while everyone else is cramming.
Say Good Night to Insomnia: Q&A with Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs
When I experienced chronic insomnia a few years ago, I could feel myself becoming anxious as evening approached, because I would fear another sleepless night. I could feel my heart beat faster as the sun began to set and a few times, I found myself having panic attacks before bed. Of course I didn't sleep well, if at all. I would experience racing thoughts, toss and turn, cry and punch my pillow. How can a person break this cycle of sleep anxiety?
Parents & Educators:
Madeline Levine Addresses Materialism, Mental Health and the Price High School and College Students Pay For Overinvolved Parenting
For the kids who are suffering, I would like to see more
money put into counseling services. Many colleges can't even begin to deal
with the number of kids who are dealing with emotional problems. Instead
of pouring money into buildings and computers - and it's that idea that
if you give your kids the right stuff they'll be happier - but it's really
about connection with adults who can be helpful to them.
Jean Kilbourne speaks out on Advertising, Addiction & the need for Media Literacy in America's schools
"The United States is the only developed country in the
world that doesn't teach media literacy in the schools.
The only way that will happen is if people demand it.
That means people need to become politically active and put pressure on
school boards and elected officials. We need to collectively say that this
matters and it's something our kids really need."
4 Steps
to Parenting a Happy and Successful Teen
Who says that parents can't be the difference in their teenagers' lives?
If you're looking for positive, practical ways to help your teen become
happy and successful, read ahead ...
Dream
the Improbable - Why families should encourage their children's creative
aspirations
Young people with creative aspirations - the budding artists, musicians,
writers, actors and dancers of the world - don't want the practical. They
want the improbable. And they need family support.
Packaged for Success - Parenting Expert Weighs In On Student Stress & Mental Health
We need to let children know that challenges do not always equate with an honors
grade. It takes bravery and courage and being vulnerable. We need to teach kids
to be open to "failure." If you're only applauded for your honors grades,
or for the schools you get into or for the money you make doesn't that put an
awful lot of pressure on what happens when you don't?
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