#WellnessWednesday: Intellectual Wellness
Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Wellness Wednesday Blog! Today’s focus is Intellectual Wellness, so here are a few tips on how you can stay informed about current events without taking too much time out of your day.
As college students, we often find ourselves stuck in the mindset that education is just about going to class and memorizing PowerPoints. Yet, I know that I constantly find myself in the middle of conversations with friends saying something to the effect of “oh! I’ve heard about *insert thing going on in the world*. I really need to look into that more.” But we can’t gain this kind of knowledge through textbooks or going to class. It comes from learning about the events going on around us in the here and now by staying informed!
And I know you’re probably thinking…I don’t have time between my classes, billions of clubs and activities, and intertube waterpolo team to stay informed about all the stuff going on with myself, let alone the rest of the world. Well, no need to worry! I have compiled a couple of my favorite ways to stay informed that I guarantee can be done in under 15 minutes! Try some of these out or find some of your own ways to stay informed and share them with a Wellness Ambassador!
1) Sign up for the Skimm. The Skimm is a daily email news summary of sorts. It gives you all the major news headlines in a few easy-to-read paragraphs full of wit and sarcasm. It is free and is only sent on the weekdays! (So, it won’t clog up your inbox with excessive emails.) It can also link you out to longer articles if something catches your attention!
2) Listen to a podcast. I have recently become obsessed with podcasts and love to use them to get my daily news. One in particular that I like is called Up First by NPR. It is usually no longer than 15 minutes and gives you the quick rundown of the daily headlines. It is perfect to listen to while getting ready in the morning or on your ride to campus, because who doesn’t like being efficient and informed, right?
3) Download a newsstand app. Sometimes, you just want to read a little bit more than a blurb about something going on in the world. I love having a good newsstand app on my phone. Usually when you set up the app, you can select some of the topics you are interested in and the articles will be tailored to your unique tastes! For example, my article feed usually consists of a mix of genetics articles, human interest pieces, and weird health hacks. I’ve tried to set a goal of reading one article a day which may or may not actually happen depending on how crazy my schedule is for the week. Either way, it gives me more of a plan and allows me to be more intentional about gaining some new knowledge on topics I actually enjoy learning about!
Regardless of which form you get your news in, it is a good practice to start incorporating into your daily routine. It allows you to be informed on the events of the day and can even be a good break from the monotony of studying and going to class. Not to mention, you can be up to date on the events and topics going on in your career field which can always be helpful in future interviews or job opportunities. You may even learn something cool that you never knew about! So take a minute and stay informed! It may just inspire you!