Archive for category: MindWell

It is safe to say that most of us are quite familiar with what it means to procrastinate. No matter who you are, whether a student, professor, or CEO, chances are that you have procrastinated at some point in your life. You say it will “never happen again.” That it is the “last time” and that you have “learned from your lesson.” Yet as the weeks, months, or even years go by, you find yourself falling back into the same pattern of delaying your work to the very last minute. 

So, why do we even procrastinate in the first place? In this article, we will dive into this undesired tendency, explaining its roots, and posing some ways to help overcome it. 

Procrastination

According to the article Procrastination: When Good Things Don’t Come to Those Who Wait, procrastination involves postponing a task and can have negative effects on well-being. 

While the reason for procrastination differs per individual and situation, there is a psychology behind why we as humans have a tendency to delay responsibilities. As opposed to the common belief that procrastination is linked to laziness or a lack of time management skills, research shows that procrastination is associated with the negative feelings a task may evoke in us such as stress and frustration. Having to do with aversion, a research study explains how we procrastinate as a way to avoid dealing with negative feelings, such as insecurity, self-doubt, and boredom. The psychological phenomenon known as the present bias reveals that we gravitate towards the pleasure or enjoyment of the present moment taking precedence over our long-term desires or goals. This phenomenon is presented in research explored by Dr. Hal Hershfield, a scholar and professor at UCLA. 

Nevertheless, there are actions we can take to help combat our tendency to procrastinate. 

Can I overcome procrastination? 

According to the Princeton University McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning article, Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination, the first step is becoming aware of your procrastination. Once this has been acknowledged, the next step would be self-knowledge, which means turning inward and discovering the reasons for procrastinating. Research has shown that some individuals have found that reasons for procrastination can be rooted in fear, self-doubt, or low self-esteem. Therefore, it makes sense that in addition to learning how to better regulate your emotions, scholars also point to being more self-forgiving and practicing self-compassion, as a strategy that also addresses procrastination. 

Quick tips from MindWell Pod Co-Lead, Dr. Nicole Green:

Executive Director of the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services

Some of these may serve as good places to start from on your journey:

1. Reward yourself
2. Practice time-telling
3. Develop a tolerance for anxiety/frustration
4. Go with the motto:  “start it!” not “finish it!”
5. “Progress” not “Perfection”
6. Don’t wait to “feel like it”
7. Use small chunks of time
8. Expect & account for disruptions and problems
9. Identify your most productive time(s) of day
10. Enjoy free time!

Other Activities to Address Procrastination

1. Based on research above highlighting some of the negative emotions associated with procrastination, as well as the recommendations to acknowledge the underlying emotions of procrastination by the Princeton University McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning, reflecting and journaling on the feelings our tasks evoke could be a good first step for awareness and acknowledgement.
2. Carola Grunschel and colleagues evaluated potentially effective trainings for procrastination. One of such trainings involved making plans for distractions that may arise. For example, if a friend calls you in the middle of a project, what do you do? This study suggests that creating a plan could be helpful. For example, calling a friend back after writing one page, rather than picking up immediately, or completing  your presentation before replying to a text could be helpful strategies. Obviously this is at one’s discretion and does not apply to emergencies. 
3. An article in the Harvard Business Review by Chris Bailey leans into this notion of negative emotions and makes suggestions for turning boring actions into games. One fun activity suggested in this article is challenging oneself with the number of words one can churn out in a certain time window. It can be any metric and time period you set for yourself.
4. Introducing some friendly competition can also amplify the fun aspect of completing tasks given evidence of the potential benefits of competition for taking on one’s goals. You can reward each other for completing tasks, while making room for self-compassion if needed. 
5. Given research that points to how our perceptions of our current and future selves interact with our decision making and how present bias may mean that current pleasures take precedence over our long-term desires, perhaps, tying one’s current activity to an immediate pleasure after accomplishing current goals can be helpful. It can be as little as buying yourself a meal, boba tea or even watching an episode of television.
6. Lennart Visser and colleagues suggest that focusing on one’s strengths can be beneficial in the short term for addressing procrastination. Their study involved defined steps that included identifying one’s qualities and examining and utilizing them in studying scenarios. In their paper, they discuss reflecting on a study session that went well and identifying the inner qualities that were present at that point. 

Additional Readings and Videos:

1. Inside the mind of a master procrastinator – TED Talk by Tim Urban
2. Put Off Procrastination!! Practical Techniques to Stop Procrastination by the Centre for Clinical Interventions from the Government of Western Australia. 
3. 5 Research-Based Strategies for Overcoming Procrastination by Chris Bailey on the Harvard Business Review.
4. Why procrastination is about managing emotions, not time
5. Procrastination – Video from the UNC Learning Center
6. Perfectionism, Procrastination, and the Practice of Self-Care 
7. Tips to Fight Every College Student’s Worst Habit: Procrastination 

Other Helpful Tools and Resources:

1. Learn how to practice mindfulness or become more aware of positive psychology.
2. Seek mental health support from professionals, peers, or a trusted community.
3. Receive academic advising.
4. Adopt habits to help manage your anxiety or stress.
5. Take a course on Personal Brain Management or Mindfulness Theory & Practice. 

Written by  Marissa Hong and Leona Ofei with tips from Dr. Nicole Green

Marissa Hong recently graduated from UCLA, with a degree in Art. When not blogging for the Mindwell Pod, she is leading tours at the Hammer Museum as a Student Educator. You can also find her on runs around Westwood or watching Schitt’s Creek with a cup of coffee. 

Leona Ofei is the MindWell Pod Graduate Student Researcher and a PhD Student at the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA. She has an MPH from Boston University and a BS in Biology and Society and Communication from Cornell University. Leona is interested in health communication practice, improving physical and mental health literacy, and hopes to contribute to mental health education on the UCLA Campus.

Dr. Nicole Green is the MindWell Pod Co-Leader and Executive Director of the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services.

In early winter of 2020, I purchased Meik Wiking’s The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living to learn about Danish culture prior to embarking on a summer study abroad trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. As expected, my program was unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19. However, still having read Wiking’s book on the word “hygge” (pronounced hoo-ga) provided me with wisdom and knowledge from Danish culture that has helped me get through these monotonous months of quarantine.

 In this blog post, I thought I would share what I’ve learned thus far about hygge, and how cultivating it has never been more relevant.

What is hygge?

On the surface, hygge is wearing fuzzy socks, lighting a scented candle, and cuddling near a fireplace with a cup of apple cider. In English, it’s commonly translated to “coziness” and associated with a nice indoor atmosphere. However, rather than be a fleeting trend or activity, it’s a mindset, way of living, and feeling deeply rooted in Danish culture. 

Documented as early as the 19th century in Denmark, hygge has been used as a coping mechanism to overcome seasonal affective disorder and depression during harsh Nordic winters. Over the years, hygge has become a lifestyle for many Danes and is thought to have much to do with Denmark usually reporting as the “happiest nation in the world.” 

How is hygge connected to positive psychology? 

According to an Los Angeles Times article, hygge is slowing down to acknowledge and indulge in the simple pleasures of life. Often associated with feelings of gratitude, happiness, and compassion, it focuses on positive states of mind rather than negative. In many ways, it is similar to the belief behind positive psychology—the scientific study of human strengths and optimism rather than struggles. Similar to practicing positive psychology, hygge can teach us how to shift our perspective to focus on the good in life, such as joy, peace, and love. 

Why hygge? 

During quarantine, it’s common to feel overwhelmed or burnt out. Let’s face it, we spend most of our day indoors and are exposed to tremendously less social interaction compared to pre-covid times. With days feeling repetitive, it’s often difficult to remember to check-in with ourselves and others. However, ensuring we are taking care of our mental and emotional health is as important as ever.

 Practicing hygge is a form of self-care that can not only help improve our day-to-day mood, but our overall health. Research has shown that being self-compassionate and engaging in self-care acts can “reduce psychological symptoms and make it easier to deal with stressful situations.” Therefore, hygge has the ability to benefit you in both the short and long-run.

So, how can you practice hygge?

Although there are many ways to practice hygge, here are a few suggestions to help you get started.

1. Find a space that brings you comfort, joy, and relaxation. Whether it’s your couch or a corner in your room, make sure you enjoy spending time in this spot. Keep in mind: How is the lighting? Is there a nice view? Are there distractions around and if so, how can you remove them?                                                                                      (To learn more, check out Meik Wiking’s The Little Book of Hygge.)
2. Once you have found a space to practice hygge, indulge in your senses! This may mean lighting your favorite candle, listening to a soothing album, or baking a delicious pastry. In addition, this may involve adding soft pillows and blankets to make your space feel welcoming and comforting.
3. Hygge also has much to do with cultivating community and developing meaningful connections. Perhaps take time out of your day to call an old friend or schedule a virtual family game night. Whatever it is, try to be fully present and be grateful for the loved ones in your life. 
4. Finally, take some time away from technological devices. Indoors, consider reading that book you’ve been eyeing. Or, if possible, step outside! While social distancing and following COVID precautions, consider going on a long walk or nature hike. 

With all that being said, there isn’t one right way to achieve hygge. (There isn’t even one definition!) From this list alone, you may choose to practice one or all of the suggestions. As long as you’re working towards living a more joyous, peaceful, and harmonious lifestyle, then you’re practicing hygge. Just remember to keep it consistent and do what brings YOU happiness. 

Marissa Hong is a 3rd year UCLA undergraduate majoring in Art. When not blogging for the Mindwell Pod, she is leading tours at the Hammer Museum as a Student Educator. You can also find her on runs around Westwood or watching Schitt’s Creek with a cup of coffee. 

If you’re like me, you may have struggled to establish a routine over the past few months. It’s hard enough to find a daily rhythm as a college student with a jam-packed schedule that varies by day. Add to that a pandemic and pressing racial injustice concerns, and your daily rituals might not be top of mind.

However, finding a sense of personal routine is still possible. It’s also necessary – routines support our mental well-being and productivity. Therefore, successful routines enable us to navigate uncertainty in school or work, serve our communities, and practically advocate for social change.

Stress less by creating structure

A daily routine provides a grounding sense of familiarity. When so much of the world is unpredictable, how we approach our day is sometimes the only thing we can control. Dr. Nicole Green, Executive Director of UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services and co-leader of the MindWell pod, affirms that a solid routine helps us to feel more calm. “It’s very easy to feel less stable when you don’t have a daily routine. It certainly impacts mood,” Dr. Green says.

A concept known as “decision fatigue” may be at play here. Psychologists have found that the more decisions we make in a day, the more mentally depleted we become. Without a solid routine, we are constantly asking ourselves, “What should I do now? And now? And now?” Those moment-to-moment decisions add up to deplete our mental resources, causing us to work less efficiently and feel overwhelmed.

While we inevitably face choices as a part of life, routines can reduce the number of effortful decisions we have to make. For example, completing daily activities such as eating, exercising, or chores at the same time every day automates those decisions and frees up mental space for more important tasks. Dr. Bob Bilder, UCLA’s Chief of Medical Psychology and co-leader of the MindWell pod, suggests, “Program your meals – this is a great time to start a mindful eating practice.  Plan when you’re going to eat, what you’re going to eat, and then savor it.  Don’t multi-task while you’re eating. Just eat!”

Additionally, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day boasts a multitude of benefits, leaving you feeling more refreshed. “A regular sleep-wake cycle is almost as important as getting enough sleep in total,” Dr. Bilder says.

Consider your morning routine. When you first wake up, do you check your text messages? Do you think through the options for what to do after getting out of bed? Even these small moments contribute to decision fatigue. When you automatically know what you’re going to do after waking up (this can be as simple as brushing your teeth and eating breakfast), you can enter your day feeling a little more grounded. Check out this article for more morning routine tips.

It doesn’t have to be complicated

In fact, it shouldn’t be.

Imagine yourself in this scenario. At the start of a new quarter, you think to yourself,  “I’m going to wake up every day at 6:00 am, meditate for 30 minutes, go for a run, and then start my work at 9:00 am!” Last quarter, you woke up at 9:00 am every day, ran three times per week, and completed your work mostly in the evening. In any case, you try out this new routine for a few days in an attempt to improve yourself and feel accomplished. But, you can’t summon the willpower to stick to it, so you end up scrapping the morning routine altogether.

Many UCLA students have had a similar experience. Of course, an extensive 6:00 am morning practice works well for some people. However, setting a rigid schedule that isn’t true to how you usually live isn’t exactly setting yourself up for success. “You’re not a failure, you just set up a routine that wasn’t based in who you are,” Dr. Green says. Make a routine that flows with your preferences and needs, rather than one that runs against the current.

Having flexibility and compassion towards ourselves is essential, especially when times are hard. Dr. Green encourages people to adopt an 80% rule for their routines. Rather than setting either an extreme routine or none at all, create a routine you can stick to 80% of the time. 80% is certainly better than 0%! “Seeing those successes is really important,” Dr. Green reminds students.

Protect against procrastination

Even when we have a solid routine, sometimes we still avoid it. Dr. Green provides the following tips to manage procrastination.

Don’t clear your schedule. Clearing your schedule to get more work done gives the illusion that you have endless amounts of time, so you end up wasting a lot of time too. You’ve probably found that when you’re busier, you’re more productive. Even if you don’t have a job or class to physically show up to, see if you can find ways to implement that structure. Maybe it’s scheduling study time with a friend, or holding yourself accountable to a family member or professor to meet a deadline. Blocking off time for relaxing activities can encourage you to finish your work in the remaining hours, too.

Recognize the difference between worry and effort. It’s common for us to worry about studying or job applications instead of actually studying or applying. This is because worrying almost makes us feel like we’re doing the task. Of course, this is not helpful – not only are you not getting anything done, but you are spending time feeling stressed. “If you’re not going to do the thing, then don’t worry about the thing,” Dr. Green advises. Next time you observe yourself worrying but not putting in effort, see if you can let go of that worry and make a conscious choice to either take action or not.

Approach, not avoid. Sometimes when we avoid something, it’s because our mind is making it seem more daunting than it really is. Ask yourself, can I work on this paper, read this book, or do this workout for just five minutes? Shifting the goal from perfection to progress can make tasks feel more doable.

Balance rest and activity

Creating a daily routine is also a great opportunity to block off time for self-care. “Give yourself breaks. Be kind to yourself,” Dr. Bilder encourages. “When we ‘program’ ourselves, we almost all overdo it.  The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi always highlighted the importance of balancing rest and activity.”

Finding this balance requires getting honest with yourself about how much time you actually spend working. “Note that most people cannot really concentrate for hours on end…managing 20 minutes to 40 minutes in a stretch is usually great,” Dr. Bilder says. Rather than planning to work for eight hours straight, consider breaking up your work into shorter spurts.

For the remainder of your day, think about the self-care activities you want to incorporate. What brings you joy? What helps you feel calm, present, alive? Is there a hobby you want to make time for? Programming social time into your schedule is also an essential piece to consider.

As you determine which activities blend well into your schedule, keep remembering to be self-compassionate and self-accepting. Below, members of the Semel HCI community share some simple practices they’ve been implementing over the past few months to take care of themselves.

“I’m really grateful that my apartment building has a rooftop space where I can practice yoga or do a short workout every day. Exercise and fresh air have both been fundamental in keeping my mental health in check, and yoga has been especially helpful in calming any anxious thoughts I might be having.”

“At the end of the day, I always try to reward myself with something that I enjoy doing. To me, this has been baking. Not only does it take my mind off of academics, I am able to treat myself with something tasty! Other rewarding activities could also mean simple things like a stroll in the neighborhood, or just spending quality time with family!”

“I recently built a raised garden bed with my boyfriend’s family to grow our own vegetables. Every morning, the first thing I think about is how our veggies are doing. We’d spend the morning wild-eyed watching our plants grow and making sure they’re well watered for the day ahead.”

“One new routine I have developed recently is eating my meals on my balcony which overlooks the street. We have a fair amount of people walking around the neighborhood and I’ve found great joy in waving at everyone who looks my way. I don’t always get a smile or wave, but when I do, it’s a nice little burst of serotonin.”

“I’ve really tried to embrace the stillness of the morning. I think compared to UCLA mornings, I am a lot more free, a lot slower, to be honest. The mornings are an invitation to be mindful and set intentions for the rest of the day! I love to wake up, lay in bed for a few minutes, open my window, enjoy the sunshine, and read a bit. Allowing myself to calmly wake up allows me to have a calmer rest of the day. I then of course indulge in a homemade latte, write or listen to a podcast and get moving with a little walk. Then, school! Embracing the routine and serenity of the morning has really given me a sense of peace and control of my mental health during this difficult time.”

Emily Short is a 4th year UCLA undergraduate majoring in Psychology and Economics. In addition to blogging for the MindWell Pod, she is a project coordinator for a research study in the Dieting, Stress, and Health Lab. You can also find her drinking tea, reading, and practicing yoga.

When you hear the word “hobby”, what do you think of? You may conjure images of a post-retirement activity or your childhood art projects. Maybe you associate it with an idle waste of time. In reality, a hobby is any leisure activity that you voluntarily do when you are free from responsibilities. A wide range of activities fall into this category – creative pursuits, athletics, practicing a skill. It can truly be anything you enjoy that brings you a sense of meaning.

Of course, most of us do something we love at least once in a while. But amidst the constant busyness of our modern lives, it’s common to feel a twinge of guilt when setting work aside to engage in leisure. Or, responsibilities have slowly taken over the time we used to spend on hobbies, and now we’re not even sure what we’re interested in. Even so, we’re doing our mental health a favor when we devote more time and attention to hobbies, no matter how difficult it can be.

Relieve stress, improve mood

Spending just two hours per week engaging in creative leisure activities is shown to significantly boost overall mental well-being, no matter where you fall on the spectrum of mental illness. One major benefit of hobbies is the ability to cope with stress and negative emotions. Hobbies act as restorers, filling up mental reserves after an exhausting day. Practicing these activities allows your mind to rest from daily pressures, and this relaxation can induce positive emotions and a sense of calm.

Research has also shown that people with hobbies experience lower levels of depression and more positive mental states. Even during the enjoyable activity itself, people demonstrate reduced stress, reduced heart rate, and improved mood.

Why do hobbies boost our mood and release stress? For one, they provide us with a sense of autonomy and self-efficacy. When we accomplish a goal or progress toward mastery, we create meaning and purpose for our life. Hobbies also add depth to our identity. Work or relationship stress may be less damaging to our self-esteem if other pieces of our identity are found in creative or athletic undertakings.

Additionally, practicing hobbies facilitates a flow state – the feeling we get when we’re “in the zone.” When we remove distractions and immerse ourselves mindfully in an activity, we enhance our psychological well-being.

These mental health benefits aren’t limited to solo endeavors. Leisure activities in community aid in mental illness recovery and foster greater social connectivity. One study found that Australian adults who participated in team sports experienced lower levels of depression and anxiety than those who did not regularly participate.

Overcoming barriers

Spending more time doing things you love seems straightforward…who wouldn’t want to do that? However, it’s perfectly normal to struggle with starting and maintaining a hobby practice. Sometimes our mindset can get in the way – here are two thoughts you might have experienced regarding your hobbies and how to deal with them:

1. I have to be perfect, or else it’s pointless.

You might relate to the feeling: attending diligently to every detail, striving to perform at the best of your ability, ensuring you’re making the “right” decision. When performance on tasks becomes equated with self-worth, pressure to succeed leaves you feeling inadequate after every action you take. For this reason, studies have shown that perfectionism is associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Perfectionistic habits can limit you in your leisure activities, too. You don’t put pen to paper because if your writing isn’t published-author quality, why put in the effort? You don’t try that painting technique you saw online because if you can’t do it perfectly at first, what’s the point? When every action feels damaging to your self-worth, enjoyment is stripped away. Creative potential goes unrealized.

Thankfully, hobbies are a great first step to stop this negative spiral. Challenge yourself to dive headfirst into an activity you know you enjoy, even if you feel resistance at first. Focus on improvement, rather than achieving a certain standard. Shifting your goal from proving self-worth to learning has been shown to alleviate depression. When you repeatedly practice the activity and expose yourself to imperfection, you will see that the consequences of messing up aren’t so bad. You may begin to discover the meaning that is found in growing, improving, and yes, imperfection. Releasing the pressure and expectations for yourself can help you achieve the previously unimaginable.

For more tips on tackling perfectionism, check out this article.

2. I’m too busy!

“I used to love reading, but I don’t have time anymore…” You’ve probably heard – or said – something like this before. UCLA students, staff, and faculty are busy. But this notion that we’re too busy to pour energy into hobbies may be more of a mindset than a reality. Americans don’t work more hours than they have in the past several decades. The busy feeling probably has more to do with our increasingly connected society – an infinite to-do list items are readily available. Productivity has also become a status symbol; if we’re not maximizing our time to be the most productive we possibly can, we’re not doing enough. As a result, when we consider slowing down to read an entertaining book or create a watercolor painting, we label this as “unproductive,” and it’s relegated to a lower position on our priority list.

It’s hard to shake the goal of productivity. So, it might help to know that leisure time helps you perform better at work. In one study, employees who engaged in hobbies experienced more job creativity and recovery from demanding work, two markers of a healthy mind.

Work, emails, and social media seem to creep in and consume every available hour. Physically scheduling hobbies into your calendar can help – you end up working smarter and trimming screen time to fit that meaningful activity in, so you probably will accomplish the same amount of work as you would otherwise. Trust that active leisure is worth making time for – the mental revitalization it brings will help you excel in other areas of life that you care about.

Need inspiration?

Consider investigating UCLA Recreation’s offerings, including martial arts, yoga, outdoor adventures and intramural sports. Find a new piece of music and practice it on one of the public pianos on campus. Attend a Mindful Music concert or learn more about mindfulness by attending a free drop-in meditation. Head over to our previous blogs to learn more about knitting and journaling.

You can also check out this list of 101 hobbies to get you thinking. The ideas are endless! The most important thing is to find a good fit for your interests and abilities, and be true to what makes you happy.

Of course, simply choosing an activity to spend more time on is not the ultimate cure to serious mental illness. Hobbies are certainly not equivalent to therapy or medication. But when we consider the true meaning of mental health, we don’t just mean diminished symptoms – we’re talking about human flourishing. A life of flourishing includes creativity, life satisfaction, and eudaimonia. Practicing meaningful hobbies is essential, in concert with other self-care practices, to experiencing holistic mental well-being.

Emily Short is a 4th year UCLA undergraduate majoring in Psychology and Economics. In addition to blogging for the MindWell Pod, she is a project coordinator for a research study in the Dieting, Stress, and Health Lab. You can also find her drinking tea, reading, and practicing yoga.