Wellness Wave Wisdom

  Are you stressing out? Confused? Feel like finding an easy way to escape from reality? Having a hard time focusing and concentrating?   Have you heard from others who say smoking Marijuana helps reduce stress? Is that true? You can find more about whether it’s true or not briefly here!   There are lots of chemicals in Marijuana. Marijuana is also called Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or sometimes we hear people say “weed” or “cannabidiol”. This medication is used to treat seizures (APA, 2023).  Dopamine THC binds to the receptors that are responsible for controlling your emotions and increases dopamine production (California Department of Public Health, https://www.mindovermarijuana.com/ ).   Dopamine plays an important role in controlling your movement, motivation, cognition, mood, learning ability, sleep, and more. Marijuana affects areas of your brain responsible for memorization, attention, and concentration.   According to the Substance Abuse and ...

By Kim Marquardt, RN MSN This blog post is from the Nurse Kim archives of myth busting. I want to share some "alternative" or maybe just lesser known health and wellness viewpoints for you to chew on. *These posts are not intended as official medical advice. They ARE meant to be fun, informative, and thought provoking, hopefully sparking an interest for you to do your own research (you can start with the links I provide!) and discover the marvels of the human body, and how it can function at its optimal performance level if we understand how it works and interacts with our environment and our diet. I have a passion for health and wellness through lifestyle and nutrition and have done thousands of hours of research in addition to being a registered nurse for 23 years. I have done A LOT of self-experimentation in and around diet, lifestyle, body care, and supplementation and have spent a lot of time looking into the science behind it all (or lack thereof!). Check back weekly fo...

My name is Chauntrell “Chanti” Turner. I am a current student at MiraCosta College and Palomar College, studying to get my Doctorate in Psychology to become an Art Therapist. At MiraCosta, I work with Health Service as a Peer Educator and Co-Facilitate the Black Student Support Group with Tammah Watts. Additionally, I am part of the Umoja Program on campus. As a Peer Educator, I provide MiraCosta students with resources by pointing them in the right direction. In addition, to help them overcome any physical or mental barriers on campus. I have given the other Peer Educators different art topics and activities to bring to our tabling events on campus to support the students. Over the Spring semester, I have been working closely with Tammah. As a result, we created a space where Black students are supported in their daily lives and can express themselves freely. We added Poetry and Outings with Nature this semester to give students more opportunities to allow themselves to deal with ever...

By Agne Bolsakova, Mental Health Counselor Does procrastination sound familiar?  If it does, you probably know that it can be a big obstacle to timely completion of assignments. Procrastination is an act of avoidance. It results in more stress, more overwhelm, and missed opportunities. To address it, it might be helpful to ask yourself: “What am I avoiding?”  Does the task in front of you seem too big and overwhelming?  Are you afraid to fail?  Are you a perfectionist hesitant to approach the project because you may not meet your own expectations?  Tips to confront procrastination: Start by reframing negative perceptions about the task and/or yourself.  Break down larger assignments into smaller chunks and focus on starting the first step.  Create a reward system for yourself for completed tasks.  When you take a break, set a timer so a 10-minute break does not turn into a 30-minute one.  Refrain from surfing the internet or social media duri...

By Pricilla Carrizosa. Pricilla Carrizosa is a Mental Health Peer Educator, and currently majoring in Social Work, she will be transferring to California State University of San Marcos in the fall as a Graduate Student pursuing her Master’s in Social Work. Holistic therapies, such as green care, are starting to become more well known and suggested by doctors and therapists. Green care is a type of therapy where you are exposing yourself to gardening and plants. I’ve always liked to garden since I was a child, but as an adult I’ve made so many excuses as to why I didn’t have time to do it. That changed a few months ago when I had an appointment with my doctor to discuss my anxiety and mental health. I had recently begun to experience more severe anxiety due to personal life events and my doctor suggested a few holistic treatments to try that included new vitamins, guided meditation, and gardening. She explained how spending more time outside increases your serotonin levels which can hel...

Written by: James Olmos (Mental Health Therapist Trainee) Affirmations are gifts filled with love. These gifts carry a lot of weight and can lift up a person's mental state of mind. The power of affirmations can lift up an individual in many ways. Examples may include complimenting them for their presence, wisdom, gratitude, or personal strengths.  One of the most significant affirmations I received was someone simply saying, "You showed up." As someone who battles depression and anxiety, I know the overwhelming urge to expect the worst. Folx dealing with depression and anxiety frequently have to convince themselves to carry all the internal battles they are fighting and still show up. Showing up can be challenging for many people who have been hurt and acknowledging that can be therapeutic. It can be as simple as complimenting a person for their outward appearance or simply thanking them for being there. Validation in an affirming scenario is important because sometimes ...

Peer Educator Seana Rae wants to let all MiraCosta College students know that it is okay to ask for help. She has interviewed several students who have shared their stories. They want you to know that it is okay to ask for help. Please review this presentation she made about Mental Health. If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors, please call 760-795-6675. If you are interested in becoming a Peer Educator for the spring 2022 semester, please email Abby at aburd@miracosta.edu . This is an embedded Microsoft Office presentation, powered by Office .

  The Student Services building, located on the Oceanside campus, houses MiraCosta's Student Health Services. Your mental health matters; MiraCosta can help By Amy Eager The start of a new school year amidst COVID-19 and the delta variant can be extremely stressful and mental health issues may often get the better of many individuals. MiraCosta College offers many options and pathways to support students during the semester through programs such as Campus Assessment Resources and Education (CARE) and MCC’s mental health services. According to Johns Hopkins Mental Health Disorder statistics, living with mental health issues is not an uncommon occurrence as about 25% of adults in America live with these issues. The Imagine America Foundation found that about 40% of college students live with mental health issues at any given year. The Association for Psychological Science claims that the stigma around mental health and reaching out for help can still be a barrier. MCC encourages i...

  By Carolina Moxley, AMFT Are you experiencing concerns or mixed feelings about reintegration post quarantine? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Our counselors will be hosting a safe space for students to explore feelings and challenges around re-integrating and reconnecting socially post pandemic on Wednesday, July 14, 3pm-4pm.  Email cmoxley@miracosta.edu for Zoom link and/or check out some of Carolina's great advice here: Start Slow If you feel pressured to resume the busy schedule or level of productivity that you had pre-pandemic, realize that it will take time for your nervous system to adjust to a faster pace of life. Even when we desire to socialize or work more, it's normal for us to feel exhausted by any drastic increase in activity and environmental stimuli. When possible, give yourself permission to ease back into social engagement little by little. This may mean having shorter or fewer outings if you're feeling overwhelmed. It may mean socializing with only 1 or 2 friends a...