Plan

Below, you can listen to some of our contributors discuss approaches to time management and how to create routines that promote wellbeing. In a society whose values are often opposed to our wellbeing (one that prioritizes productivity, individualism, financial gain, discrimination, competition, and so on) it can be challenging to regain control over our own lives and do what we know is best for us. It can be helpful to start small, finding power in setting a regular bedtime and making sure to not skip lunch. Once we set out manageable goals, we can then begin to plan our weeks and months in more detail. Planning helps us stay on track amidst a distracting world. By getting our values, goals, and methods written down, the action we need to take becomes clear and easier to commit to. The key is to avoid overloading your schedule and remember to be kind to yourself if you do not follow your plan perfectly. Visit our Make Plans page to help you get started.

Managing School Work and Projects with the Medicine Wheel

As students, we often feel pressure to complete our assignments as soon as possible, which can lead to anxiety and overwork. Iehnhotonkwas discusses the importance of taking a broader perspective, organizing your time over the course of a week, in order to break up your work into manageable sections. The medicine wheel can be used in this process to ensure that you are making time to balance all aspects of yourself, and also can be used longer term as a framework for one’s development. Towards the end, Iehnhotonkwas also mentions the importance of experiential, hands-on learning.

Taking Charge of Your Own Health Plan

Dr. Mulligan emphasizes the importance of knowing your life context and community resources before planning your health. It doesn’t all come down to the individual. But at the same time, as individuals we can develop new community initiatives if our communities are unable to meet our needs. It is also important to think of our social lives – eg., being members in university clubs and sports – as part of our health plan.

Finding the Best Time for Work and Play

Dr. Samson discusses the importance of knowing what time of day your cognition is strongest. If you are a ‘morning person,’ for example, then the best time to work on challenging problems is before noon. This is why knowing your chronotype is so useful. You don’t necessarily have to cut out your vices (eg., TV watching and video games), but you do have to time them correctly if you want to sleep well. This doesn’t mean we have to live by strict schedules, but we can use this knowledge as a tool whenever we need it most.

Finding Time for Mindfulness

Dr. Weisbaum compares mindfulness training to physical training: while we need to find time to dedicate to it, there are many little ways to begin, and a little goes a long way.

Making Food Choices on Campus

In this video, Dr. De Souza-Kenney begins by discussing the intergenerational factors that contribute to our health, both biological and environmental. Many traditional food choices our ancestors made are actually backed by science, making most of our homemade foods naturally more healthful than processed ones. Dr. De Souza-Kenney suggests bringing some of your own food to campus as an easy way to choose healthier eating.