The AppleThe Holiday Issue

Issue 2

December

2014 Happy HolidaysHealth Studies!

The Apple - Holiday Issue

WHAT'S ONE THING YOULOOK FORWARD TO FORTHE HOLIDAYS?TARA: EggnogKYLEEN: Eat.ALISIYAH: Catching up withfamily and friendsMIN: Baking!!!JENNA: Skiing

HSSA's online NewsletterThis is our last issue of The Apple for the 2015year, and it's just in time for the holidays!Included are upcoming events within theSchool of Health Studies, recap of past eventsfrom November, relevant news and events inthe field of Health Sciences and a nutritiousrecipe for you to try out.

The purpose of this newsletter is to help keepthe student body up to date and informed ofwhat's happening within their faculty, anyupcoming events and things to look out for.If you have any comments, suggestions orquestions, or perhaps a recipe you'd like tosubimit or an article topic you'd like to suggest,feel free to email us atwesternhssa@gmail.com!

MARISKA: Christmas cookies :)

ABBY: Christmas tree decorating

JENNIFER: eating all day withfamily and friends

From the Apple newsletterfamily, we wish you a happyholiday!

If you have any articles orrecipes you would like tosubmit, please directlymessage us through our

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NOVEMBER EVENT RECAP: Career Convos & CookiesAfter the Career Fair, HSSAheld our first ever CareerConvos & Cookies event,which was a great success! Itwas an opportunity for currentstudents to network withcurrent graduate students whohave graduated from the BHScprogram in an interactivesettings.Students from Professional &Graduate Programs talked

about their experiences andfacilitate an open discussion inan interactive setting.BHSc alumni from SchulichMedicine, Western Law, OT,Health Promotion, RehabScience, Clinical Anatomy andCompressed Nursing wereincredibly helpful in talkingabout their first-handexperience in their respectiveprograms.

Thank you to those who cameout, we hope you enjoyed thecookies & coffee, and mostimportantly, we hope this eventwas beneficial for your futureplanning.If you missed this event, not toworry! We may be holding asecond event in secondsemester.Stay tuned!

Final Exam Seasonis upon us!

Make sure that you know the datesyour final exams are scheduled on!

Tips for studying for finals:- Make a study schedule and stick

with it!- Take breaks when necessary- Feed yourself nutritious meals(use some of our recipes!)

Last year, we heard yourpleas for study spaces! Weare happy to announce thatHSB will be open for theexam season from 6:00 amto 10:30 pm 7 days-a-week.Happy studying!

As the days seem shorter and filled with moredarkness, you may be beginning to feel blue, orthinking that you may have signs of depression.In these months it is not unusual for a disorderknown as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), tostart to play a part in more people’s lives. SAD isa type of depression that is related to the changein seasons, (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/definition/con-20021047).This disorder begins in the fall and runs into thewinter months. It is due to the change in weatherincluding temperature drop and the sun setting ata much earlier time, resulting in it being dark morethan it seems to be light. SAD can result in adecrease in energy that leaves you feeling moremoody and less wanting or willing to do things.You may begin to realize that you are starting todo less with your days and cutting back onactivities you once did much more often.In order to not let these winter months get thebest of you, or if you feel you may beexperiencing signs of SAD, it is important to usethe daylight to the best of your ability. This may

include getting out more in the daytime andleaving the activities you can do in the house forwhen it turns darker. Try waking up earlier tolengthen your day, it will make you feel moreenergized and awake throughout the rest of theday because you have increased your time in thelight, rather than the majority of your day spent indarkness. Another technique suggested by thosewho diagnose SAD, is light therapy (http://www.cbc.ca/news/sad-no-longer-brilliant-light-cure-for-seasonal-disorder-1.2962056). Lighttherapy treatment includes sitting in front of a lightthat mimics the outdoor light. Most light therapiesare used for a minimum of 30 minutes eachmorning.If you feel that SAD may be something you areexperiencing you can start by taking some basicundertakings such as using the daylight to thebest of your ability or the light box treatment. It isvery important that if you feel you have SAD thatyou seek medical advice and get the properrecommendations to help you adjust and copewith SAD.

S.A.DBy: Jenna Williamson

We hope that many of you had the chance to attend the Career Direction Fairthat happened on November 10 at the Great Hall. The event showcased bothHealth Studies and Kinesiology related post-undergraduate school programsand employment opportunities. Keep an eye out for the LinkedIn pictures takenby HSSA! We hope all of those who attended learned a thing or two about yourfuture career directions!

Great success at the:Health Science Career Direction Fair

The Western communityexperienced another studentdeath mid November. Thisstudents suicide renews thediscussion on mental health(although it never left campus).Even with Western’s strongemphasis on mental healthduring orientation week andother awareness campaigns,we have not progressed farenough to have saved thisstudents life

It will take hard work and timeto reduce the stigmasurrounding mental healthissues but it is an attainablegoal. For university studentsmany mental health problemsarise from the stress of being inschool, while jugglingextracurriculars and jobs, allthe while thinking about futurecareer paths. This stress canbe a lot to deal with (especiallywith finals on the horizon), sohere are a few tips to try andbecome a mentally strongperson when handling stress.

Keep your problems inperspectiveThis area is especiallyimportant to first years. It mayseem like the end of the worldif you fail an exam or drop from90s in high school to 60s in firstyear, but try to look at thebigger picture!One exam or one course willNOT define your entire future.

Reassure yourselfYou made it to university. Youare a smart person. You cando this! Having a positiveoutlook can really make adifference

Focus on what you can controlWasting time on things youcannot control, like a failedrelationship or a cat fight with aroommate are a part of life. Doyour best to overlook theseminor factors and focus moreon things that will have alasting impact on your life.

Spend time with positivepeopleWho you spend your free timewith is a huge influence onyour career path and who youare going to be. If you findsome of your friends are nolonger a positive influence anddo not push you to betteryourself personally andacademically, it may be time tolet those relationships driftaway.

Use healthy Coping SkillsAs university students many ofus turn to drinking, partying,and eating unhealthy foods tocelebrate the end of midtermsor to alleviate stress duringbusy times. Of course thesethings are fine in moderationbut when it starts happeningthree times a week, it’s time toreevaluate. Working out is anexcellent stress relief, try newthings like boxing, swimming,and pilates.

Have fun!

Destressing for your mental healthBy: Mariska Batohi

Ways to Give Back During the Holiday SeasonBy: Abigail DzurThe saying “it is better to givethan to receive” rings trueespecially this time of year. Aswe approach the holiday seasonpeople are seen hustling andbustling around buying gifts forfamily and friends. Black Fridaycommercials, huge holiday salesand advertisements on everytype of media are all focused ongetting gifts and spending lots ofmoney. Despite the overcommercialization of the holidayseason, there appears to be agrowing trend towards giving tothose in need. Many peoplecannot afford basic expenses ofday-to-day life and whenChristmas, Hanukah, Diwali, orKwanza rolls around, instead ofbeing a time of happiness itbecomes a time of stress or evensadness. Everyone should havea happy holiday season! If youwant to give back this year hereare some ideas for you to helpout:1. Donate to a local toy drive;contribute to give a child in needa gift on Christmas.2. Visit your local homeless

shelter and donate blankets,gloves, hats, or coats. Help themto stay warm and survive thewinter.3. Sponsor a child or familythrough World Vision or a localhospital. Help make theirholidays better by donatingmoney or making a basket/hamper filled with things theyneed.4. Volunteer at a soup kitchen ordonate food/money to your localfood bank.5. Donate to a charity of yourchoice.6. If you have a particular talentfor example singing or playing aninstrument, visit your localchildren’s hospital or seniorshome so that you may share itwith them.7. Donate clothes or toys to theSalvation Army or to the OntarioFederation for Cerebral Palsy(OFCP).8. Bake cookies or other goodiesor write a card for people youappreciate, such as localfirefighters, EMT service

providers, nurses, or teachers. Itmay be a simple thing to do but itcan mean a lot for such hardworking people.9. A very unique organization togive to is Samaritan’s PurseOperation Christmas Child. Thisorganization sends shoeboxesfilled by you with hygiene items,school supplies, and toys to boysand girls in need all over theworld.10. Practice random acts ofkindness. Here are some ideasto try out, pay for the personbehind you in the drive thru line,leave money in a vendingmachine for the next person, buya homeless person some lunch,hold the door for someone.

It really doesn’t take much tohelp others, especially to thosein need. You will be surprisedwith how happy you can make aperson with such simple acts ofkindness and generosity. Theholiday season is a perfect timeof year to give back to yourcommunity, so don’t miss theopportunity!

Thoughts with Profs with: Dr. Anita KothariName: Anita Kothari (alsoProgram Coordinator for theJoint Graduate Program inHealth Information Science)

Courses Taught: Health Policy,Knowledge Translation(graduate and undergraduate),Research Methods, HealthPromotion (graduate)

Hometown: Toronto

Previous schools studied in(and what degrees): Universityof Toronto (BHSc, MHSc),McMaster University (PhD), andUniversity of Ottawa(Postdoctoral fellowship)

Years @ UWO: 11

Office hours: I’m pretty muchon campus everyday….

Email address:akothari@uwo.ca, Twitter:@anitarena

Favourite place on campus:Anywhere that sells coffee.

Interests/Hobbies: Coffee,Running, Adventures

Fun fact: I was a busker inEurope…for two days!

Why did you become aprofessor?Honestly, it wasn’t something I

planned - it just kindahappened. The real question iswhy did I do a PhD in the firstplace, and the answer to that isI wanted to learn how to thinkdeeply, and I wanted some timeto sink my teeth into a topic. SoI quit my job at the CanadianMedical Association to return toschool.

What’s the hardest part aboutbeing a professor? What’s thebest part?The hardest part about being aprofessor is having to helpstudents deal with theirdisappointments. Not everyonecan get an A. Not everyone canget into grad school, or medschool. In fact, not everyonecan finish their Bachelor’sdegree. It’s really difficult to helpa student understand that thereare many valuable lives in thisworld, and maybe the one theythought would make themhappy isn’t actually available tothem.

The best part about being aprofessor is when you see,either in their writing or theireyes, that ‘ah ha’ moment whenthe student gets it. Theyunderstand the concept, or howto write about something, orthey just get into it somehow.That’s a great moment. That’s amoment of growth.

Do you have a favouritememory of a student that youtaught or something thathappened in one of yourclasses?It’s hard to pick just onememory. I love getting cardsfrom previous students who fillme in on their latestachievements, and howsomething they learned in classwas key to getting the job ortheir career choice.

I remember a student whoannoyed me by reading thenewspaper in class (and I calledhim out on it). To my surprise,he went on to do a PhD in theHealth and RehabilitationSciences program. He wasaround for many years and wejoked about his rude newspaperhabits.

Finally, I remember one studentwho graduated recently whowas a ‘super organizer’. Shewould get the (small) class to dolots of things together, includinggoing to hot yoga. That was abit weird (but fun).

Tell us something thatstudents don’t know aboutyouI haven’t taught anundergraduate class in a coupleof years so I don’t think manycurrent students know me atall...

What was your favouritecourse when you were astudent? Do you have a crazystory from yourundergraduate years you’dlike to share?Most of my favourite courseswere the ones I took in graduateschool, like Health Policy orPhilosophy of Science (3students, 3 profs – super fun!).My undergraduate experienceat University of Toronto is ahazy memory at this point but Ido remember that some alumniwould serve tea one day a weekin a really beautiful building oncampus. It was served in somelovely tea cups with cookies.That’s not really a crazy story, isit? Here’s another one: U of Tused to own this farm that

groups could rent out for aweekend in exchange for doingsome work on the property. Abunch of us went…okay I can’tactually tell you the rest.

What’s the biggest changeyou’ve seen at WesternUniversity during your timehere?I haven’t been here all that longbut I suppose more buildingsare going up. Moreinterdisciplinary programs areon offer, and there are definitelymore international students andmature students around. Theseare all good things. Diversitybrings in new experiences andways of looking at the world thatbenefit all students.

Do you ever check Rate MyProfs?Urgh. I hate that site. Have youchecked Rate My Student?

If you could be a superhero,what would your superpowers be?If I could be a superhero I wouldhave the power of time ‘causethere’s never enough. I wouldgive it freely.

Any tips for students?Get involved in everything theuniversity has to offer! Don’tregret your time here – it’s avery special moment in your lifethat will stay with you forever.

The Grad Column: Sherine FahmyBy: Kyleen Wong

This month, The Grad Column isfeaturing the Master’s of PublicHealth (MPH) program. Wetalked to Kent, an AcademicCounsellor in the School ofHealth studies and SherineFahmy, a recent Health Studiesand MPH graduate now workingas a Health Policy Analyst at theCollege of Family PhysiciansCanada.

Here is what Kent had to sayabout the MPH program.

So Kent, could you please giveus a little bit of a background asto what an MPH is and thedifferent schools in Ontario thatoffer the degree?Kent:Master’s of Public Healthare offered at multiple schools inOntario and throughout Canada–for example, we’ve had BHSc.graduates from within the past 5years complete MPH programs inSaskatchewan, British Columbia,Alberta and Nova Scotia.Specifically for Ontario, theMPH program at U. of T. hasbeen the most popular with ourgraduates, with other onesincluding Western’s own newone-year MPH along with theprograms at Queen’s, Waterloo,and Guelph.

Kent: I’m happy to connect anycurrent BHSc. students with suchrecent graduates if they’d like to

discuss such options with medirectly.

Is this a common degree thatBHSc graduates from ourprogram pursue?Kent: It is very much a commongraduate degree our graduatespursue, the most popular ofhealth-related Master’s degreefocuses for our BHSc. graduatesin recent years.

In the interview, Sherine talkeda little bit about the experienceof looking for a job and thecompetitiveness of the field.Could you speak to this?Kent: There are great publichealth related jobs available, butthere certainly is competition forthem. Students shouldaggressively network and partakein activities in relation to the field,so a couple of good exampleswould be to become studentmembers of the Canadian PublicHealth Association (http://www.cpha.ca/en/about/students/join.aspx ) and/or the OntarioPublic Health Association (http://opha.on.ca/Membership.aspx )which would look great to placeon their CV along with gainingother important advantages suchas access to their membershipdirectories, being able to receivejournals/digests, and receivingdiscounts to products andprofessional development

opportunity events such as theirannual public health conferences.Thanks for the great adviceKent.

Sherine Fahmy, BHSc ’14,completed her Master’s of PublicHealth from Western earlier thissummer.

Why did you end up doing aMPH and why Western? Werethere other professional orgraduate schools you wereinterested in?Sherine: I was interested in aMPH because I was passionateabout the social determinants ofhealth in general. I felt thatpursuing an MPH would allowme to experience that and alsoallow me to examine other aspectsof healthcare that we didn’t get tocover in undergrad. Public healthcovers a lot of things, from healthpromotion, infection disease andcontrol, health policy,environmental health. I wanted todo a Masters that was broad andcould expose me to a variety ofdifferent topics.The reason I chose Western wasbecause the program is case-based. Case-based programsallow you to develop your criticalthinking skills and puts you intoteams that mimic the real-worldenvironment. You’re given acomplex situation to solve withinyour team made up of individuals

with diverse educational andcultural backgrounds. I was ableto draw on those teamwork skillsonce I started my job at theCollege of Family PhysiciansCanada. The program took a verypractical approach and got you tothink about the implications ofyour actions.

I actually only applied to MPHprograms throughout theprovince. I considered doing athesis-based program but decidedagainst it because I didn’t knowwhat I wanted to specialize in.Like many health sciencestudents, I didn’t know what Iwanted to do specifically; I had aninterest in social determinants ofhealth but I didn’t know what thatwould look like if I continued intoa thesis-based Masters.

If students know they’re verypassionate about one thing, theyshould pursue that and becomeexperts in it. But I knew that Iwanted to get a broadunderstanding of everything that Icould apply. I wanted to gain skillsets and I think I got that from myMasters; the ability to criticallythink, write, and analyzeinformation.

Could you tell us more aboutthe structure of Western’s MPHprogram and the practicum?Sherine: The program is 3 termsover tweleve months, beginningof September and going all theway until August. The first 2

terms are in-class and your daysare from 8am to 4pm every day.You have a variety of courses andtake about 8 classes per semester.It’s a very intense workload; theprogram administrators supportyou a lot but it’s a lot to handle atonce for sure. Some of the coursesinclude environmental health,health policy, community healthassessment, program evaluation,epidemiology, biostatistics,Aboriginal health, andsociocultural determinants ofhealth.

You spend your mornings inclasses and you have 3 eachmorning and each one is about anhour and half. You have thereadings for the courses for thewhole semester laid out for you.Two days before discussing thecase in class, you’re expected toread the case on your own andprepare for it. The next day, in theafternoon from 1pm to 4pm, youspend your time with yourlearning team preparing the casesfor the next day. This allows for avery high level of discussion.Because you do the readings forthem in advance and prepare withyour group so you have a solidunderstanding of the topic; you’vediscussed it and helped each otherout. Then you debate in class ormake a decision, depending onthe case. You’re having a veryintellectual discussion in class andthat’s something I reallyappreciated because myclassmates were healthcare

professionals from a variety offields so they brought a veryrealistic perspective.

Participation is worth almost 30%of your final grade and it’s basedon the idea of participating andnot the quantity but the quality ofyour comments. Not everyonelearns in the same way. By theend of the year, everyone is morecomfortable expressingthemselves orally.

The last term is a practicumwhich is a 12-week placement.Some people did itinternationally, like with WHO[World Health Organization] inIndia. I did mine with theCanadian Public HealthAssociation because I wasinterested in policy. There areopportunities for people interestedin epidemiology, communityhealth, health promotion, in NewYork, in India, in Tanzania,Ireland. Public health is verydiverse. The practicumcomponent was a really importantpart of the program, especially fora new graduate like myself whodoesn’t have as much experience.A lot of other students in the classalready have professionalexperience so perhaps thepracticum wasn’t as useful. Butfor me, it really helped to have thepractical experience to talk aboutwhen applying to jobs, to be ableto speak to it in interviews.

Can we ask you about how yougot your practicum placement?Was there a lot of support insecuring a placement?Sherine: The program actuallysets up the placements for you;you don’t do any outreachyourself. So at the beginning ofthe school year, the administratorshave you fill out a survey rankingorganizations you want to workfor. In January, they release aplacement list. In my graduatingclass of 41 people, there werethere were over 60 placementsavailable. The placements arereserved for Western students sothat if you had to interview themif there was demand for it, itwould only be between you andother classmates. One of theadvantages of this program is thatthere is a Career Coordinatoronsite. Not only does she help youwith finding a practicumplacement, but she helps withwriting resumes, updatingLinkedIn profiles, and doingmock interviews. I was definitelyworking a lot with her throughoutmy practicum and during the lastsemester of school while I wasapplying for jobs. She providesjob listings for you as well, whichI found very helpful. Otherschools have Career Coordinatorsonsite, but not all schools help thestudents with finding placements.There are pros and cons to that.Students have to find their ownplacements and compete with thegeneral public, but the placementsthey secure are usually paid whileours generally are not. But for me,

I was willing to sacrifice three-months of pay for the experience.I appreciated the opportunity toget this job I probably wouldn’thave gotten otherwise.

The practicum wasn’t just aboutgoing to work for 12-weeks.There’s an integration componentwith your learning. At the end ofyour Masters, you submit a case.So the case is based on whatyou’ve learned in your practicumand cases that are well-writtenand relevant will get published inWestern’s casebook and will gettaught to future students. There isno thesis component to thisdegree, but we had thisculminating case project and thena poster presentation. Even whenwe were doing our practicums, weweren’t just working from8am-4pm; we were also workingon our cases and posters.

Is it true that you can’t receiveOSAP funding to cover thetuition of this program?Sherine: Yes. The MPHadministration has applied forOSAP funding; however, OSAPis currently frozen by theprovincial government.

So tell me about your positionas a Health Policy Analyst withthe College of FamilyPhysicians Canada.Sherine: I work in a departmentof health policy and governmentrelations. I support them by doinghealth policy research, writingresearch papers or reports or

briefing notes, and sometimesediting publications. I do researchanalysis of provincial, territorial,and federal policies andlegislation. I conduct research onphysician statements, discussionpapers. I also do correspondencewith key stakeholders. I have twogroups of physicians that Icorrespond with. For example wehad an elections website up, doinga lot of government relations. Wewere looking at what the partieswere releasing in terms of theircommitment to healthcare andupdating the website so ourmembers could be educatedvoters.

Now that we have a newgovernment, we’re looking at thelegislation that is being passed.For example, the Carter case—theSupreme Court announced thatthey would give the government ayear to come up with legislationthat would permit physician-assisted suicide. So we came upwith a guiding document forphysicians. We see what thecurrent political climate is likeand respond with health policybriefs.

We also do advocacy work.Recently, we did a release insupport of national Pharmacare.

How did you obtain theposition?Sherine: There was a listing onthe organization’s website. Idrafted my resume, I interviewedfor the position twice, and I got it.It sounds easy, but it wasn’t. Youhave to be dedicated to theprocess. I applied to over fortyjobs in the span of four monthsand I got two interviews, Yes, Iwas one of the lucky ones whogot a job before we evengraduated, but it wasn’t an easyprocess. Overall, there are a lot ofjobs out there, but also a lot ofcompetition. It’s up to thestudents to distinguish themselveswith the experiences that theyhave and bring across theirpassions. We learned about theimportance of networking andmaintaining contacts with peoplein the field.

In terms of distinguishingyourself, we were wondering ifthere was anything you did inparticular in yourundergraduate years to prepareyourself for graduate school.Were there any particularclasses or extracurricularactivities that shaped you onyour current career path?Sherine: So one of the things thatI did that I really enjoyed wasvolunteering at the LondonIntercommunity Health Center. Istarted in my second year andvolunteered throughout my thirdand fourth years as well. In myfourth year, I did my practicumthere. It was really great to get

firsthand experience working withmarginalized populations. Itfueled my interest in the socialdeterminants of health. That wasreally downstream work and nowI’m doing very upstream work inpolicy. But all my knowledge andthe reason why I’m passionateabout policy is because I saw is inthe frontlines. I learned so muchfrom the people who worked atthe community center and throughmy practicum placement there. Idefinitely spoke about thatexperience in my letters of intentto graduate schools. In terms ofdistinguishing yourself inundergrad, go beyond theclassroom and do something thatisn’t in a textbook. Volunteeringreally helped me decide what Iwanted to do.

In terms of classes I took, I triedto take classes that I wasgenuinely interested in. Youwould be surprised how far yougo when you pick a class becauseyou actually like it. It’s reallyabout what you’re interested in. Ireally enjoyed my AdvancedHealth Policy class andInternational Health SystemsComparisons course.

So where do you see yourself infive or ten years?Sherine: I would love to seemyself taking on health advocacyinitiatives at the policy level andcontinuing to make upstreamchanges that influence patientcare on the front lines.

Is there any other advice youwould like to share with currentundergraduate Health Studiesstudents?Sherine: I’ve probably alreadysaid this, but make the most out ofyour experience. You’re going tomiss the time you spend atWestern and it’s always going tobe a part of you, so take the timeto really get involved on and off-campus and make friends and takethe words of your professorsseriously.

Thanks for taking the time tospeak with us, Sherine. Wereally appreciate it and weknow that a lot of students willfind your perspective as arecent Western Health Studiesand MPH graduate insightful.

If you are curious about the MPHprogram and would like to learnmore about the program frompast students, please contact KentRobinson, an AcademicCounsellor in the School ofHealth Studies, atkrobin42@uwo.ca.

FALL PREVIEW DAYFall Preview Day took place on November 15th.The health science building had very high traffic ofprospective students considering the healthstudies, kinesiology, and nursing programs.Students from all around Canada visited Westernand were greeted by student volunteers, affiliatedassociation members, and health sciencesadministration. It was a very nostalgic experienceto speak to dozens of highschools students abouttheir education paths and journeys. It wasparticularly interesting to see how much all thevolunteers have grown in their understanding ofhealth studies, how their passions may havechanged or sparked, and how much Western hasplayed a role in preparing them for the next stepsin their lives.Eight hours and a sore throat later, the event wasa complete success! Yay!

CHARIT & CHIL OPEN MIC NIGHT

HSSA's Charity & Chil event was a hugesuccess! Student's came out to Chil FrozenYogurt Bar on Nov 17th for some froyo, boardgames, live music, charity and good company!While devouring delicious frozen yogurt,students were constantly being impressed bythe talented and beautiful singers Megan Davisand HSSA's very own Vanessa Omoruna! Lateron in the evening Cameron Lee surprisedeveryone with his Sax and performed variousjazz numbers which provided the perfectambiance. You may be wondering how all thisfun translates into charity? A portion of theproceeds from frozen yogurt purchases weredonated to Team Shan Breast CancerAwareness for Young Women. Charity & Chil >

Past events in November

With exams around thecorner, stress levels are onthe rise again—and may beaffecting your sleep. Anyonewho has had sleep issuesknows the frustration of beingunable to fall or stay asleep,and feeling like a zombieduring the day due to poorquality sleep at night. Sleepdeprivation can negativelyaffect both your mood andconcentration, which can inturn affect your quality of lifeand maybe even your marks.With that in mind, getting yoursleeping problems undercontrol is a key step inmanaging your life.

Fortunately, there are simpletechniques that can be usedto improve sleep quality.Cognitive BehaviouralTherapy (CBT) is a form ofpsychotherapy that wasoriginally designed to treatdepression, but is now usedfor a number of mentaldisorders. While actual CBTrequires a psychologist, actingon the core principles of CBTin your daily life can definitelyhelp reduce sleep problems.Essentially, CBT is aboutlearning new ways of thinkingto manage your symptoms.

But what does this mean forpeople with issues sleeping?First, it requires relearningwhat your sleep environmentmeans to you. Many people(especially students living incramped rental houses) workfrom their bedroom or on theirbed. This can create anassociation in your mindbetween your bedroom andbeing awake, making it difficultto “turn off” your mind whenyou actually want to sleep.Using your bedroom only forsleeping can help rewire thatassociation. When you do goto bed, another importantfactor is mindfulness: are youlying in bed thinking of all thework you need to do? Are youtense or gritting your teeth?Paying attention to the thoughtpatterns that contribute to yourstress can keep you fromsleeping well. An effectivecoping mechanism is keepinga To-Do list, so that you don’thave to worry about forgettinganything important.

Other simple modifications inbehaviour can also have apositive impact, such as beingmindful of caffeine intake,having regular bedtimes,keeping your sleeping

environment distraction-free,and finding a way to physicallyrelax before bed. Using theprinciples of CBT can helplocate the behaviours andthought patterns that arepreventing you from sleepingwell, but at the end of the day,every person has differentissues with sleep and willconsequentially have differentsolutions to the problem.However, the key traitsnecessary for success areopenness to self-examinationand willingness to change.

Happy sleeping!

Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy toimprove sleep qualityBy: Jennifer Helen Lee

Student Opportunity Fund (SOF) 2016

Calvin and Hobbes: Christmas Edition