Honoring Black History Month

kwagne26 Health and Well-being, mentalhealth, Wellness Wednesdays

Honoring Black History Month

To say that the last few months have been historical is an understatement. They will be forever remembered in American history and particularly for Black Americans. We’ve seen our first ever elected Black woman as Vice President, Kamala Harris and our first ever elected Black senator Rev. Raphael Warnock who is also the first Black Democrat to represent a southern state.

But, we have also seen the disproportionate effect of Black Americans experiencing death, job loss, continued police brutality and race-fueled attacks. As Black history month kicks off, there won’t be opportunities to collectively gather in one space but there are many ways to do this virtually, personally and within your own social circles. This month, think about the ways that you can honor, respect and support Black lives not just during this month but every day.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Read about Black History Month: There are many great resources on the internet but consider filtering your search to read specifically from the point of view of a Black person
  • Pick a book about racism, discrimination and other systems of oppression. Much of these issues stem from anti-Blackness culture.
  • Engage in respectful dialogue with active listening about the experiences of Black people and ask questions.
  • As you read articles, statistics and headlines, question everything including who is writing that piece from that perspective.
  • Ask yourself how you can support and respect Black communities more than you are doing right now

Get involved at Depaul by learning more about the Black Cultural Center here.

Also, Sankofa the Black Student Formation Program will be highlighting different aspects of the Black community / Black culture with various staff/faculty and organizations. Follow this campaign with #BlackisSankofa to learn more. You can find them on social media on Instagram @depaulsankofa, facebook.com/sankofadepaul and Twitter @sankofadpu.

Wellness Wednesday Guide: Sleep

Benjamin Tholotowsky Health and Well-being, Wellness Wednesdays , , , , , , ,

You’ve heard us say it before – but we’ll say it again… sleep is super important and is a crucial support for a healthy body and mind! Let’s be real here for a second. I totally understand that it’s not always the easiest to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but that’s the number that the experts at the National Sleep Foundation recommend. (Yeah, alright so we know a lot about the topic of sleep and its importance, but there’s no way we could know more than the experts over there, that’s for sure! If you don’t want to take our word for it at least take theirs.) Sleep is often overlooked during times where we have a lot on our plate. Think midterms, finals, big papers, etc. Maybe this is a good opportunity to take a look at some of our previous articles on scheduling, planning, and effective time management so you can knock those assignments out of the park, or check our article on naps. Just an idea! Studies have shown that we need sleep in order to effectively retain all the knowledge we cram in our brains last minute. However, I’m sure you already know this! You’ve heard it time and time again, yet for some reason, we still overlook sleep and disregard it more often than we would like to admit. If you’re reading this at 3 AM and have been staring at a textbook or PDF’s for the last 7 hours take this as a sign to get some much-needed rest. If you’re still not convinced, let me try and throw some compelling points your way. If you join(ed) us for our Wellness Wednesday workshop you might recall: 

  • Proper sleep plays a huge role in supporting physical health (such as supporting the immune system and lowering the risk of certain diseases).
  • Proper sleep helps support positive mental health.
  • Proper sleep helps improve cognitive functioning, like memory retrieval and learning. (There’s that whole memory retrieval thing that I was telling you about!) 

If you’re anything like me then you’ll find yourself saying something along the lines of this. “Yeah yeah. Okay, I get that sleep is important. But so is endless scrolling on TikTok and Instagram in bed.” Or,  “what if I miss an important text?” Alright, maybe TikTok isn’t THAT important but I’ll still keep my phone by my bedside just in case. Big no! The key to proper sleep starts well before we even close our eyes. Since we’re in 2021 and it still needs to be said – it’s best to keep devices off and stored away from our bed. Think of bed as a place where we sleep and not a place where we should be scrolling social media. This might be upsetting for some (like myself, honestly), but I don’t make the rules – I’m just the messenger. Think about it though, if we condition ourselves to think of our bed as a place where we scroll social media or watch YouTube then it would make perfect sense that we might resort to that if we can’t sleep. Something as simple as a phone in bed has the potential to destroy any good sleep habits we’ve made! An effective sleep routine can do wonders and help us get the sound sleep our bodies deserve. Here’s an example of what works for me. 

  • First, I’ll set a reminder for a wind-down time at night and an alarm to wake up in the morning. Remember, I’m aiming for 7-9 hours! Eventually, my body will know this schedule and I won’t need any kind of alarms. 
  • I make sure to avoid all caffeine past 5 PM. I’m a coffee addict but I’ll switch to tea at night. I’ve found this helps tremendously.
  • I’ll try my best to avoid screens ~30 minutes before bedtime. (The blue light stimulates the brain and keeps me wired. No thanks. Though, I must confess… I’m not perfect at this.)
    • Putting down technology gives me a good chance to read that book I’ve started but never finished. The best part? No blue light from books! And a side note: E-Ink has no blue light. E-reader fans rejoice!
  • Lastly, Before I slide under the blanket I’ll put my phone to charge on my desk across the room.
    • 1. No distractions or temptation to indulge in endless scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. 
    • 2. When the alarm goes off in the morning I’ll have to get up and out of bed. Thus, reducing the chance of me slithering back under the covers. 

If for some reason I just can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes I’ll hop out of bed and do a little more reading under a light that’s a warmer color. The more orange the light output the better it will be on your eyes at night. It’s never good to lay in bed awake for more than 20 minutes, according to the experts.

If you’re looking for a little more help in improving your snooze we run a great program called Refresh Sleep. It’s a 7-week online program filled with a whole bunch of tips and tools for better sleep. Best of all, it’s free! 

If you have any other questions about sleep feel free to reach out to us in the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness! We’ll always have an answer to your questions (or point you in the right direction to find an answer). Never hesitate to contact us if you need anything. 

Office of Health Promotion and Wellness

Phone: (773) 325 – 7129

Email: hpw@depaul.edu

Social Media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook: @healthydepaul

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Take Care of Yourself, Take Care of Others, Take Care, DePaul!

Wellness Wednesday- Planning for a Successful Winter Quarter

Natalie Altenburg Links

Hey Blue Demons! We hope that you are off to a great start to the Winter Quarter! While Winter Quarter brings a clean slate, both in the sense of a new year and new classes, many students will find the start of a new quarter to be stressful. Understandably so! Stress like this can come from things like pressure to succeed in classes, going back into a routine of “sitting” in classes, or just making sure that you are getting all your assignments in on time. The good news is that there are so many things you can do to help combat these feelings and put yourself at ease a little bit. Here’s a couple to try: 

  • Find an effective way to plan. Everyone has their own preference of ways to plan their schedules and organize their academic assignments. If you do not know how you prefer to plan, or have never made a plan before, it’ll be a good idea to try out a few different methods and use what you find works best. Regardless of how you plan, having a strategy for this quarter might help you feel more organized and comfortable with what you have to get done and when you need it done by. 
  • Look ahead at your coursework and try to anticipate when you will have things like more challenging assignments and exams. If you know when to expect the bigger (and sometimes more difficult) assignments, it will be much easier to plan the things you need to prioritize and figure out how you will be able to successfully shift your schedule and get everything done that you need to.  
  • Be sure to schedule in time for self-care.  It is always important to make self-care a priority to help deal with stress. Try to have a few different go-to activities that help you take care of your physical, emotional, social, and/or environmental health. Consider this like your self-care toolbox. By having many tools in this toolbox, this ensures that you won’t find yourself without a backup plan. Make sure you are doing things every day that will help you take care of yourself – you might even have to pencil these breaks into your schedule! 

We hope these tips will help you find ways to feel a little more organized, a little more prepared, and a little more confident this quarter! 

Take Care of yourself. Take Care of Others. Take Care, DePaul! 

-HPW 

Creating Healthy Routines in Winter Quarter and Beyond!

Peter Wild Crea Wellness Wednesdays

There’s no question that the last year has been challenging for us all. As we enter into our third virtual quarter (not counting summer or December intersession!) it’s natural to be feeling the fatigue, disillusionment and challenges that come with virtual learning and virtual life. Creating healthy habits and routines can bring about some normalcy to each day and can help bolster our mental, emotional, spiritual and even physical health. Now while the idea of a routine may seem boring at first, bear with me, there truly are some great benefits to finding routines that work for you.

For starters, having a routine can free up some mental space. Without routines, each day becomes a bit more unpredictable. Your brain has to make a lot more decisions about when to do what and how to do it. Even a few simple routines like going to bed and waking up at the same time or set times to take breaks, eat or get outside can free up some of the mental power that would otherwise go to finding new times for each of these things. Additionally, while spontaneity and change can certainly be positive things, they can also create undue stress. By establishing a healthy routine, you may be able to eliminate some of the unnecessary stress that comes with spontaneity. Additionally, by making your routine flexible, small tweaks to it can reenergize the day-to-day structure and provide enough variation to avoid monotony. Establishing a routine can also help alleviate stress and anxiety, in part by allowing scheduled time in your day to pause and check-in with yourself. However, as great as routine can be, it can be difficult to establish one so here are some tips for building healthy routines and habits as we begin winter quarter!

  • Make a checklist: The tasks of a week, even a day, can often be overwhelming. We frequently have more to do in a day than we can reasonably be expected to keep straight in our head. Writing out the things we must accomplish in a day or a week can be an excellent way of ensuring everything gets done and is accounted for and it can clear up headspace leaving room for the more important and complex tasks at hand. It may also be useful to distinguish what must be done from what can be done. This will allow you to prioritize your day and more importantly, it will create space for you to be kind to yourself and give yourself a break when needed by letting go of the things on your list that may not be a priority that day.
  • Create a schedule that plays to your strengths: Some of us are most productive first thing in the morning, for others, their best work happens once the sun has set. Tune into your body and mind and observe when you focus and work best. When possible schedule your work in accordance with those times. If you’re able to work from home, now is a great opportunity to create a schedule that allows you to work when you want. Scheduling your work time and your non-work time will also allow you to be focused and productive for a set period of time each day. It will set clear boundaries for work and make it easier to step away when your scheduled work time is over.
  • Schedule in breaks: Scheduling in breaks is a great way to ensure that you maintain healthy boundaries between school, work and time for yourself. When we try to work straight through the day without breaking we are less productive than when we give ourselves the grace to step back for a minute. We all have different thresholds when it comes to the amount of time we can effectively focus for however, the bottom line is we all have a threshold. Once we reach that threshold taking a break will allow you to return rejuvenated and reenergized for your work.
  • Create a sleep routine: Sleep has one of the largest influences on our mental and physical health. This is also a great place to establish a routine! A sleep routine is a great place to start since you can flexible with it by aiming to go to sleep and wake up within a 30-minute window. This provides flexibility while also setting an expectation. The time before bed can also be a fantastic place to establish a pre-bedtime routine. This routine could be something as simple as reflecting on what you’re grateful for while you brush your teeth; or something longer, like taking time to meditate, or read and listen to music before you sleep. Think about things that might be helping your routine and things that might be hurting it. For instance, spending 20 minutes scrolling through Instagram is likely to negatively impact your sleep. On the other hand, an activity like reading a book or meditating will be more likely to improve your sleep and help calm your mind after a long day before resting.
  • Routines can be a great tool to add to your toolbox and try out in this quarter. With the challenges of online class, work, and the stessors or daily life, routines can be a valuable tool to help reduce stress and alleviate anxiety. Try establishing a new routine this quarter and let us know if it helps! Start small and build up. Give yourself freedom to adjust your routines as necessary so they work best for you. As always, the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness is here to support you in whatever you need. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!Allow for flexibility: While routines are a great way to alleviate stress, if you find a new routine simply isn’t working for you then it might be time to try a different routine! Routines are there to help guide you through your day and reduce overall stress. If routines become a source of stress then they become counterproductive. You are not beholden to your routines – they should be assets, not burdens!  

Office of Health Promotion and Wellness 

Phone: (773) 325 – 7129 

Email: hpw@depaul.edu 

Social Media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook: @healthydepaul 

 

Do you enjoy our Wellness Wednesday articles? Subscribe to our blog for more!

 

Wellness Guide to Surviving the Holidays

kwagne26 Health and Well-being, mentalhealth

The holidays can be a wonderful time of year for many but it can also be a time of sadness, grief and overwhelm. Traditionally, the holidays are a time to spend with family and loved ones. But, keep in mind we don’t all come from traditional families and not everyone has a family who understands and accepts who they are. This year especially, the holidays will look different for many as some of us decide to avoid traveling and large gatherings.

For those of us that are close with our families, I’m sure we can also empathize with those times where we’ve had our differences and where there might be strain and anxiety even with those that we love dearly. And for anyone who has lost someone close to them, the holidays are a time where we think fondly of those we miss and wish for them to be with us again. Additionally, for those that experience a mental illness or any mental health challenges, the holidays can surely be a time of overwhelm and anxiety inducing. This is a guide for everyone to remind you that no matter how you celebrate the holidays this season, remember to make time for yourself every day.

 

  1. Create a plan or schedule

Do you have to buy presents, plan the holiday meals, bake cookies, decorate, etc.? As with any project, create a timeline of when and how you will get everything done. This not only ensures that you won’t forget to do something but it also allows you to focus on the list in front of you and not the list swirling around in your head. Make sure to share this list with others and divvy up the responsibilities. Maybe make others the lead of some tasks so you don’t have to lead everything.


Image Courtesy of Eighteen 25

 

  1. Decide what you will and won’t discuss with others

Brené Brown says “We share with people who’ve earned the right to hear our story.” You get to choose who you want to tell and share your story with. Don’t feel obligated to share everything, only share what you want to share with others. If they pressure you, you can say something like: “I don’t want to share this, please respect my privacy and choice.”

Marble Jar Friends | Marble jar, Brene brown daring greatly, The gift of imperfection
Image Courtesy of Brené  Brown

 

  1. Reflect on what the holiday season means to you

Whether you have an identified spiritual practice or not, the holidays have some sort of meaning for all of us and we can surely identify happy and sad emotions with the season. Think about this year and what you want to focus on as you move through the holiday season. Decide how you will celebrate and remember this year. We have less than a month left of this very challenging year, ask yourself ‘what emotions do I want to feel and what experiences do I want to have?’

56386-pause-and-reflect-quotes - Wisdom-Trek ©
Image Courtesy of Wisdom Trek

 

  1. Identify your own needs

We all have daily basic needs as well as other unique needs that help us thrive and feel secure and happy. What do you need to feel secure and happy and to thrive this holiday season? Whatever it is, write it down and remind yourself of those needs every day. If you need to share them with others, do that too!

Types of Self-Care You Need to Know - Blessing Manifesting
Image Courtesy of Blessing Manifesting

 

  1. Give yourself what you need

After you have identified what you need to thrive, feel satisfied, secure and happy, — Give that to yourself every day.

We can’t get through each day without adequate rest, food, water and shelter. These basic needs many of us take for granted but we also forget to give them to ourselves quite often. Slow down and notice what you’re eating and drinking, take in your surroundings and ground yourself to the present. The holidays will be over before we know it, so identify what you need and make sure to give it to yourself every day. It’s not selfish but essential!!

Give yourself the same care & attention that you give to others and watch yourself bloom. #fresh_essay #attention #b… | Words quotes, Care quotes, Positive quotes
Image Courtesy of Pinterest

 

  1. Create an escape plan

Knowing your boundaries and understanding what is and is not acceptable will help you voice your needs and maintain your own balance. What will you do if you are pushed to your tipping point? How will you know when you’ve reached this point? Create a plan that includes how you might know when you get to this point and who you will call for help and support. And lastly, how you will recuperate and restore yourself.

Without a Plan, You Do What's Passive and Easy | by Thomas Oppong | Better Marketing | Medium
Image Courtesy of Medium

 

  1. Practice kindness and gratitude

Whether it’s giving it to yourself every day and/or to others. We can all use more kindness and gratitude. Take a deep breath and share what you are most grateful for and spread that kindness forward each day. Consider adding some deep breathing and mindfulness meditation to your days too! Here’s an introductory video to get you started.

Seven Ways to Cultivate Gratitude — Mindsoother Therapy Center
Image Courtesy of MindSoother Therapy Center

 

  1. Find Joy

Challenge yourself to find the joy in each day. Whether that’s a smile, a laugh or even a cry. There is joy to be found everywhere. Sometimes we just have to reframe our vision and sometimes we will find it in unexpected ways.

Arlington Animal Services Home 4 the Holidays Event: Dec. 5, 2015 - City of Arlington
Image Courtesy of Arlington Animal Services

 

The holidays are never easy, but if we take care of ourselves first and then others, it will be much more manageable.

 

Wishing you a very healthy, safe and joyous holiday season.

Take Care of yourself, Take Care of Each Other, Take Care DePaul

 

-HPW

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Holidays During a Pandemic

Natalie Altenburg Links

We are finally at week 10 of Fall Quarter!  Once we get past finals, we get to rest and relax for a long winter break.  During this break, many of us will be celebrating a variety of holidays.  With the pandemic, some of these holiday plans may look different.  While this may be initially upsetting, there are ways to still have a great holiday season, even with all that is going on in the world.  Here are a few ways to do this! 

  • If you do plan to travel and meet up with others, do so safely.  Adhere to guidelines like wearing masks and staying 6 feet apart from others to ensure that the risk for getting COVID is as low as possible.   
  • If possible, find new ways to connect with others.  A silver lining of this time is that it allows us to come up with new and creative ways to do things like connecting with others.  This may look like sending cards to your friends and family to tell them why you are thankful for them on Thanksgiving or having a virtual celebration over Zoom for New Year’s Eve.   
  • Look for joy and excitement in the little things.  Maybe you are going to try a new Christmas cookie recipe or you are just excited to see holiday lights and decorations up around your neighborhood.  Looking for joy in the little things can help you focus on what is going well, as opposed to focusing on what may not be going as well.  While it is okay to feel however you are feeling about the changes that come along with celebrating holidays during a pandemic, showing gratitude for the little things may help cope with these feelings and boost your mood.  
  • Create boundaries to protect yourself and your health.  Maybe there are some topics that you are not comfortable discussing with family members due to differing opinions.  Maybe you are struggling with your relationship with food and need a little help coping with food-focused holidays, like Thanksgiving.  If this is the case, set clear boundaries both with yourself and others to ensure that you are protecting your health.  If you need help coming up with appropriate boundaries to set, speak to a friend, family member, or therapist to help you brainstorm. 
  • Take time for self-care.  While this is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year”, it can also be stressful for many reasons, even without a pandemic.  It is okay to take time to yourself to ensure that you are able to cope and re-energize as well as possible.  Be sure to schedule in time for rest and self-care activities, especially if you know you will be busy and less likely to prioritize self-care.  

 

With these tips in mind, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season and winter break!  Be sure to take care of yourself for a successful finals week so you can push through to a nice, long break.  If you need any 1:1 help, always feel free to contact us via email (hpw@depaul.edu) or our social media (@HealthyDePaul on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)! 

Coping with Disappointment During the Pandemic

Natalie Altenburg Links

Due to the pandemic, many things have been postponed or cancelled.  From concerts to film premieres to family gatherings, many of the events that we look forward to simply will not be happening when we want them to or how we want them to.  It is easy to feel disappointed because of all these changes.  While it is okay to feel however you feel, it is also important to have healthy ways to deal with these feelings.  Here are a few ways to help deal specifically with disappointment during the pandemic.   

  • Look for things to be grateful for and take time to recognize them.  When there are so many things going wrong or making us feel negative emotions, it can be easy to get caught up with those emotions.  However, finding things that we are grateful for can help with lifting moods and focusing on more positive things.  One way to do this may be to write down what you are grateful for.  Another thing to do may be to identify people that you are grateful for and send them a nice note to let them know that you are grateful for them.   
  • Find ways to add excitement and happiness throughout your daily routine or weekly schedule.  Maybe you plan to make yourself a really great latte midway through your day.  Maybe you and your friends schedule a weekly zoom call.  Whatever it is, try to plan something that you can look forward to that you are also able to control.  This way, you are still having some fun, but because it is on your own terms, it will be much harder for something to get in the way to prevent it from happening.   
  • Find ways to express your disappointment.  Having an outlet to express how you are feeling is an important self-care strategy that helps to manage difficult emotions.  For many people, being creative is a great outlet.  Some benefit from painting, dance, or playing an instrument.  Doing something as simple as writing down your feelings can help.  
  • Talk to someone.  Knowing that so many people are dealing with disappointment right now, it may be a good idea to talk to friends and family members about how you are feeling.  This way you may be able to feel some comfort by verbally expressing your feelings and speaking to someone who may be able to empathize with how you are feeling.  If you need more support than a friend or family member can provide, it is always a great idea to talk to a professional, like a therapist.  

Again, it is completely okay to feel whatever feelings come up during this time.  It is important to honor and acknowledge those feelings.  However, it is equally important to find healthy ways to deal with those feelings.  If you need any further support with dealing with these tough emotions, do not hesitate to reach out to us via email (hpw@depaul.edu) or our social media (@HealthyDePaul on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)! 

Trick or Treat: How to Have a Fun and Safe Halloween

Peter Wild Crea Wellness Wednesdays

It’s spooky season! For many of us, that means pumpkins, spooky decorations, candy, and costumes. Halloween is often a time of celebration with friends and family but it can look like and mean different things for different people. For some of us, it might involve alcohol or other substances. Alcohol and substance use doesn’t have to be a part of your Halloween plans, though. There are many ways you can have a fun substance-free holiday. If you do choose to use, we hope that you choose to do so with safety strategies in mind. We’re here to help give you some tools and strategies for keeping yourself, your friends, and your community safe when it comes to alcohol and substance use. Here are a few things to keep in mind on Halloween weekend and into the future! 

Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategies 

  • Eat before you consume spooky drinks: Having food in your stomach before you begin consuming alcohol will slow the absorption of the alcohol which means it’ll take a bit longer for the alcohol to affect your body. 
  • Alternate alcohol & water: Alternating alcoholic drinks with water will help space out the amount of alcohol you consume and can help reduce the overall amount you consume in one night. Giving your body more time to process each sip of alcohol will help keep your body at a safer blood alcohol level throughout the time in which you are consuming. If you’re concerned about how drinking water instead of alcohol may be perceived by those around you, try drinking water out of the same cup you had alcohol in so it looks the same. 
  • Plan ahead, know your limits: If you know you’re going to be drinking, plan ahead. Be sure to have a sober ride or a safe place to sleep arranged beforehand. Knowing your limit will help keep you safe. If you know two drinks are too many for you, stick to one. Making tally marks on your cup or your hand can help you keep track of how many drinks you’ve had and help remind you when to stop drinking. Use this BAC tracker to help estimate the impact: BAC Calculator. 
  • Be aware of binge-drinking limits: Know that binge-drinking is having 3-4+ drinks on one occasion. Beyond knowing your own personal limits, it’s important to challenge common myths about what a “normal” amount of alcohol use is. If you do decide to engage in binge-drinking, be aware that greatly increases your risk both that night as well as in the long-term. 
  • Don’t mix alcohol and other drugs: It can be extremely unsafe to mix alcohol with other substances. Whether it’s a medication you take daily that has been prescribed to you by a doctor, a substance you got from a friend, one you brought yourself, or any other substance it’s never a good idea to take drugs at the same time as consuming alcohol. Alcohol and drugs can have complex interactions with one another that may produce severe reactions in your body that could be extremely damaging or fatal. 
  • Mix your own drinks: Mixing your own drinks is a great way to monitor how much you are consuming. If you make your own drinks, you always know how much alcohol you put in and you can gauge when you need to stop more easily. Additionally, if you make your own drink, you always have the option to make your drink and not put alcohol in it. 
  • Know standard pour: When mixing your own drink or drinking out of a can, know one cup/container is not always one drink. One drink, based on the standard pour, is 12 oz. Of a 5% beer, 5 oz. of a 12% wine, and 1.5 oz. of an 80-proof liquor. Pre-plan and stay mindful so you know just how many drinks you’re actually consuming. 
  • Drink in a safe environment: If you choose to consume, drinking with people you know and trust is best. Whether you’re planning a night without alcohol, a little bit of alcohol, or too much alcohol, you want to be confident that the people around you will be there to take care of you and keep you safe. 
  • Follow COVID guidelines: What can make this Halloween even more spooky is the thought of transmitting COVID. Please take precautions – plan virtual celebrations, wear face coverings, wash your hands. If you are gathering, keep groups small and know who you’re with for contact tracing purposes. The safest option is to stay home and gather virtually. 

Other Substance Use Harm Reduction Strategies 

  • Know what substance you’re taking and where they come from: Controlled substances can come from many different places and be mixed with all sorts of foreign substances that make what you consume even less safe. If you choose to use, ensuring that you know the substance you are using, and knowing that it is coming from a trusted source, is very important.  
  • If using for the first time be in the presence of an experienced user that you trust: If you’re choosing to use a substance for the first time, experimenting in the presence of someone who has experience with that substance can help keep you safe. They may know signs of overdose and be able to keep you safer than someone with little or no experience. Additionally, ensuring you trust them will help keep you safe should anything bad happen. 
  • Don’t share needles: Sharing needles can transfer viruses and bacteria easily from one person to the next. Ensuring you use a sterile needle will help keep you safer from outside infections and illnesses. If you don’t know where to get clean needles, TPAN and The Center on Halsted offer safe, trusted syringe exchanges and other support and resources. 

Ideas for a Fun, Virtual Substance-Free Halloween 

  • Watch Spooky movies with friends through plug-ins like Netflix party​
  • Decorate or carve pumpkins​
  • Have an “Among Us” showdown ​
  • Play Scribble.io, a Pictionary style game​
  • Make a delicious meal that you always wanted to try with a roommate​
  • Do an activity that relaxes you (reading, baking, painting, writing letters) ​
  • Check out fun activities clubs are hosting on DeHub ​

As with all of our outreach, we want to remind you that it’s important to remember, you can still have fun without using alcohol or substances. However, if you choose to use, it’s important you use as safely as possible by ensuring you’re taking the necessary steps to mitigate the risk that comes with using alcohol or other substances. Below are some other resources that you may find useful on the topics of alcohol and substance use. Additionally, The Office of Health Promotion and Wellness is always here as a resource for you. If you aren’t sure where to start, if you’re struggling, if you need support, someone to talk to, or you just want to learn more and are looking for other resources, please reach out to the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness. We are always here for you! 

 

Office of Health Promotion and Wellness 

Phone: (773) 325 – 7129 

Email: hpw@depaul.edu 

Social Media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook: @healthydepaul 

 

DePaul’s Substance Misuse Prevention Specialist – Katie Bellamy, LCPC 

Email: kbellamy@depaul.edu  

Phone: (773) 325 – 4550 

 

Alcohol & Drug Abuse Action Helpline 

Phone: (800) 662 – 4357 

 

Do you enjoy our Wellness Wednesday articles? Subscribe to our blog for more!

Harm Reduction for Spooky Season

Nikhil Kulkarni Links

The week of Halloween can be often be an exciting time for college students. However, one of the factors that comes with spooky season is substance use so here are some harm reduction tips if you choose to use and some fun sober activities as well!

If choosing to use, here are some things to keep in mind:  

Alcohol is a depressant,

which means that even if there are initial stimulating effects, it will end up with less desirable effects. However, to maintain the stimulating effects longer, drinking less actually helps. Here is a graph to showcase how a higher BAC, or Blood Alcohol Concentration, will actually cause a harder crash with more undesirable effects.

 

Pace Yourself

To pace yourself, know how many drinks or “standard pours” you want to use prior to an event. Here are the conversions of one drink in beer, alcohol, and 80-proof liquor.

  • 12 fl oz of a 5% alcohol beer = 5 fl oz of a 12% alcohol wine = 1.5 fl oz shot of 40% alcohol liquor

Lastly, sobering up takes time.

The liver removes alcohol from the blood at a constant rate so things like hot showers or coffee may provide temporary relief, but they don’t truly address the alcohol in your system. Make sure to stay hydrated but the best sobering up technique is time.

Here is a harm reduction list you can reference:

  • Make a plan
  • Set a limit (BAC safe zone)
  • Eat before drinking
  • Alternate drinks with non-alcoholic drinks
  • Avoid drinking games (as it is hard to pace yourself this way)
  • Don’t Mix
  • Stay with friends
  • Use caution when sex is a possibility
  • Call for help when needed

Call for help if the person is

  • Passed out or unresponsive
  • has mental stupor/confusion
  • slow or irregular breathing
  • vomitting or seizures
  • pale or blueish skin tone

(NOT ALL SIGNS NEED TO BE PRESENT FOR HELP TO BE CALLED)

By calling Public Safety at 773-325-7777 if a friend is in danger for alcohol poisoning, no disciplinary action will be taken against you. This is known as the Blue Demon Duty and it’s to help keep the DePaul community safe.

Cannabis

Important to note: Even though the state of Illinois has legalized cannabis for individuals 21 and over, it is still illegal federally, and since DePaul is federally funded campus, the Drug Free Schools and Campus Act prohibits use, possession, or distribution of cannabis on university campuses.

2 Important Harm Reduction strategies if choosing to use cannabis:

  • Buy from a dispensary
  • The dangers of mixing substances also known as the Synergistic Effect. 

Buy from a dispensary

Benefits:

You are able to ensure the cannabis you are buying is safe and is not mixed with any other substance that could potentially harm you if taken incorrectly. Additionally, it provides you a resource to ask direct questions about the dose and cautions about certain types of cannabis. This is incredibly important for something like edibles where the there is a higher level of ambiguity and it helps to avoid bad trips or dangerous experiences.

Synergistic Effect

An interaction between two or more drugs that causes the total effect of the drugs to be greater than the sum of the individual effects of each drug. In other words, mixing substances is not 2+2=4,  but rather 2+2 becoming 10 

This is due to the difference of absorption that can occur. For example, alcohol increases the absorption of THC, a chemical found in cannabis, which increases the desirable effects such as euphoria, but also heightens the undesirable effects too like feeling fuzzy, disorientation, and anxiety or paranoia. This is also another reason to buy from a dispensary as they can provide you with an even more direct explanation based on specific substances types too. 

Sober Activities

And last but certainly not least, here are some fun sober activities you could do!

  • Watch spooky movies with friends through online plug-ins like Netflix party that help you watch at the same time
  • Decorate or carve pumpkins
  • Have an “Among Us” tournament
  • Play Scribble.io, an online Pictionary equivalent
  • Make a delicious meal that you have always wanted to try with your roommates
  • Do an activity that relaxes you (ex. reading, baking, writing letters, scrapbooking, playing Minecraft, painting ect.)
  • Check out the fun activities clubs are hosting on DeHub

And don’t forget to use a mask.

If you want to learn more about harm reduction with substances come to our event Nightmare on Sheffield on Monday October 26th at 7pm CST. Register on DeHub with this link.

Hope to see you there!

 

How to Create a Self-Care Plan

Natalie Altenburg Links

At the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, we often talk about self-care.  Self-care is the specific, intentional tactics we employ to ensure that we are taking care of our physical, emotional, social, and environmental health.  One of the great things about self-care is that there are many ways to practice it.  The activities that we incorporate into our self-care practices can be anything from running to listening to music to cooking.  However, with there being such a wide range of ways to practice self-care, it can be challenging to find the self-care routine and practices that work for you. 

If you are struggling to create and perfect your self-care plan, consider some of these tips: 

  • Assess your needs.  It is important that we have self-care practices that address our physical, social, emotional, and environmental health.  However, some of us may need to focus more on one are of health than another.  Try to look objectively at your overall health to see if you need to spend more time on activities for one type of health over another.  For example, if you find that you struggle with stress, you may want to prioritize self-care activities that will help you cope emotionally. 
  • Try new things.  When it comes to having self-care activities lined up, it is important that you enjoy said activities so you are even more motivated to do them.  While you might already have some things in mind that you know you like, be sure to try something new every once and a while so that you can add to your tool kit of self-care practices.  
  • Consider your schedule.  Take note of how much time you have for self-care activities during each day of the week.  Maybe your weekends have larger open periods of time than your weekdays.  If this is the case, have a list of self-care activities that last 5 to 10 minutes to do during weekdays and have a list of activities that take a bit longer than you can utilize over the weekends.  Be sure to customize your plan to your schedule so that you are able to practice self-care every day. 
  • Be prepared for your plan to grow and evolve with you.  As human beings, we are all always learning and growing.  Because of this, it is understandable that your current self-care plan may be different from what your self-care plan is a year from now- and that is okay!  Take time to reassess what is and is not working and adjust your plan from there.   

With these tips in mind, it is important to create the best self-care plan that will work best for you.  Moreover, it is equally important that you begin utilizing these strategies as soon as possible so that you have tools in your toolkit before you get stressed, burnt out, or run down.  For example, if you wait until finals week to start creating a self-care plan, it will be harder for that plan to feel effective and to find the time to begin employing these strategies.  However, if you begin a few weeks before finals, you will have a set routine that feels more comfortable and natural to help prevent you from feeling entirely overwhelmed once finals do come around.  All in all, be sure to do what you can to take care of yourself every day, even if it is just for a few moments.  If you need any support, always feel free to reach out to us at hpw@depaul.edu.