Wellness Wave Wisdom

By Patricia Rand With the MiraCosta College campuses located so close to the Pacific, you may have plans to head to the beach over the weekend. The ocean is a place many of us love to be. Whether it’s to surf, check out the view, exercise or walk at sunset, or spend a picnic day with friends, the beach can be the perfect place. In addition to being a lot of fun, you may notice your mood is better and you feel calmer around the ocean. Spending time near the water has positive effects on mental health. Nearness to the coast, and other ‘blue spaces’ like rivers, lakes, canals and waterfalls, is associated with both physical and mental wellbeing, increased levels of vitamin D, improved social life, less anxiety, and increased creativity. Studies have shown that the negative ions in the air around water have benefits for the body and increase serotonin production. Negative ions help us fight fatigue, depression, energy depletion, burnout, and stress. Negative ions are made in nature and he...

  By Liliana Briscoe, one of our Mental Health Peer Educators at MiraCosta College. She is majoring in Social Work and plans to transfer to a 4-year university in Fall 2023. In relation to mental health, an outlet releases or expresses feelings and emotions in a positive or productive way. Oftentimes outlets are used to relieve stress. What are some of the types of outlets? Art therapy —  From drawing to glassblowing, art can be quite therapeutic to some people. Doing something with your hands or having something that requires all your focus can really help you get out of your head. Exercise —  Things like running, gardening, yoga, and other physical activities. Exercise has been shown to be beneficial to people’s mental health. It’s been proven that aerobic exercise, which encompasses a wide range of activities, helps reduce anxiety and depression. Activities that require you to be outside are especially beneficial because of how being outdoors relieves stress. Music —...

We are committed to the well-being of our students to create a safe and healthy learning environment. In support of our ongoing commitment, we partnered with Care Solace to provide an additional layer of care for our community. Care Solace helps individuals find mental health care providers and substance use treatment centers. Their Care Companion™ team is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year to quickly connect you to carefully verified providers in your community. Students may access Care Solace services in two ways: Call (888) 515-0595 at any time. Support is available in 200+ languages. A dedicated Care Companion™ will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit. For an anonymous search, answer a few questions to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at www.caresolace.com/miracosta. Care Solace is now available for use at no cost to you. They will connect you with pr...

Meet our new counselor, Chris Mazzo. Chris is working on his Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy at UMASS Global, and has spent the last three years working as a drug and alcohol counselor at various substance use disorder and chemical dependency centers. Whether the upcoming final exams are your last at MCC, or they are just the end to a semester, they can be quite stressful. And what do a lot of people tend to do when feeling the stress of final exams? Maybe…grab a drink or two (or ten) to relax, smoke some Marijuana to take the edge off, or take an Adderall to power through those study sessions? Let us help you understand the dangers of substance use during final exam prep. Dangers of Substances in Final Exam Prep Substance dependency – through continued use of alcohol, marijuana, or stimulants, students may end up being dependent on substances which can lead to unwanted mental, emotional, or physical changes. Substance overdose – with or without substance dependency...

Craft & Chill with the peer Educators for Health Services Take a moment to relax and create origami with us! April 21, 2022  at the Clock Tower 11am-1pm  

By Liz Myatt, RN – College Health Nurse, San Elijo Campus Mark, age 19, a first year college student, went to the student health center for a painless enlarged right testicle that was present for one month. He delayed seeing a healthcare provider initially because he was embarrassed. However, he eventually sought help because the testicle remained enlarged. The physical exam revealed a testicular mass that wound up being cancerous. Thankfully it hadn’t spread to lymph nodes or other vital organs. He was able to get treatment to resolve the cancer and went on to achieve his goals and dreams. Testicular Cancer (TC) occurs most commonly between the ages of 20 and 34 , but it can occur at any age. TC is rare as only 1 in 250 people with testicles are at risk of getting it. The estimated number of new cases in the U.S. is 8,850 annually. In 2022 so far, California has 1,240 cases (that’s more than Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut and Florida combined!). The good news is cancer of the testicle...

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...