Sometimes life is hard. When that happens, it’s important to evaluate the importance of both physical and mental health.

I’ve talked a lot about physical health the last few weeks, since it’s been my main focus to be as ready as possible for this marathon. I haven’t really touched on the significance of mental health in the healthy habits equation but that has been playing the largest role for me the last couple weeks.

I haven’t worked out much recently. Between going to the hospital for Norovirus, getting my car totaled and having a birthday, there have been a couple other things on my mind. Going to the gym has either not been an option or very low on my priorities list, which can be good or bad.

Obviously, you shouldn’t be working out if you’re sick. Not only are you contagious, but putting physical exertion on your body when any doctor would tell you to be resting is not what you need. The shaking of the contents of my tender stomach would have been most displeasing.

However, we’re not always clinging-to-a-toilet-for-dear-life sick. Sometimes we’re just mentally drained, done with the world and looking to hide in a bed for a few months. How people deal with the stresses of life vary from person to person but studies show being physically active actually improves your state of mind.

The Canadian Mental Health Association found a strong connection between poor mental health being a risk factor for poor physical conditions, and vise versa. Penn State University posted a study which said running simply makes you happier, causing things like confidence boosts, a stronger immune system and better self image.

No one knows you better than you, though. Sometimes crying into a bowl of ice cream and sleeping for 18 hours is the best solution for the problems of the world. I took care of myself the past couple weeks and now I’m ready to start again.

My marathon registration was April 26 and it was just the reminder I needed to visualize my goals again and give me the boost to jump back into those tiny, tiny running shorts.

 

— Brian Sheridan, Op/Ed Editor

 

Life is a constant juggling fiasco, a personal battle day-to-day and week-to-week, tossing each of life’s challenges and triumphs into the air, simultaneously balancing them as a whole in hopes of creating a fluid, harmonic spin.

While things have been looking up for my physical well-being, my mentality has been on somewhat of a downturn. The coming summer has presented an interesting turn of events, proving a sneaky meltdown of my mental health.

I once thought I’d live in San Francisco interning at the company of my dreams (I thought). I quickly saw this wouldn’t be realized when I wasn’t even given an interview.

It was time to reevaluate.

Now what? I had no summer plans, no job or work and no clue how to fill the three sweltering hot months leading into the next academic year (senior year, I might add).

Three weeks ago at my weekly Athletes in Action meeting, a friend told her story of attending the Boston Project where she completed a three-week mission trip to Boston during the summer. I knew immediately after she spoke what I was going to do this seemingly doubtful summer: go on the Boston Project.

I would have never guessed this is what I’d be doing the summer before senior year. Never. But, through my faith and trust in Jesus, God prevails. I’ve been given such an amazing opportunity and medium in which to spend my time, something I couldn’t have even applied to if I wasn’t playing soccer again.

It seems as though what was once a selfishly-driven mess planned for the summer, the mess presented a beautifully orchestrated series of events which led to giving, rather than receiving.

This semester began with putting on the “healthy horns” to make changes in my life for the better, and now it’s turned into joining the school’s women’s soccer team again and taking on my real dream in life, bringing light to the darkness.

 

— Colette St. John, Managing Editor