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BERKELEY'S NEWS • NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Mental Health 2022: It's PsychologiCAL!

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OCTOBER 05, 2022

World Mental Health Day is around the corner, and with that comes a dialogue particularly important to today’s college students: How do we balance looking after our well-being while reckoning with exams, essays, our careers, personal responsibilities and the myriad of social, political and environmental issues plaguing our generation?

The Daily Californian’s staff have grappled with this question, sharing personal narratives of struggle, perseverance and grief. Simultaneously, our staff contend with modern-day interpersonal challenges. In this special issue, you’ll encounter commentary on social media, research on exercise and analyses of impactful court cases on our mental health. Mental health means something different to everyone, but we hope that after reading these stories, you walk away feeling both less alone and better equipped to sustain your own well-being.


Blue bird bears bad news: Finding joy while doomscrolling on Twitter

 

Photo of Merve Ozedmir

When my world gets too overwhelming, I like to imagine I’m with Chanel underwater, swimming with the fish where, momentarily, nothing really matters. I remind myself that while scrolling through my depressing Twitter feed past midnight on midterm week may make life seem dull and hopeless, there is still so much joy and beauty in the world.

— Merve Ozdemir


Photo Essay: Rewinding the roll of tranquility, stillness

 

photo of people sitting at a lakeside in Amsterdam

These carefree and instantaneous moments remind us that life is more than the troubles we’re currently enduring and the better times — just like the final shots we waited so long for — will come in due time.

— Izza Ahmed and Defne Karabatur


Mental health resources in, around UC Berkeley

 

photo of tang center building

UC Berkeley offers a wide variety of resources for students and staff through University Health Services, or UHS, and other programs. Here are a few of the resources you can start using today to help navigate your mental health journey.

— Vani Suresh


My Toxic Ed

 

Mug of Mahika Singhal

I won’t go back to him, but I’ll keep his hoodie if I can’t get rid of it yet. He taught me a lot about beauty, it’ll take time to forget

— Mahika Singhal


Self care tips for a bad mental health day

 

Illustration of self care tips for a bad mental health day

Moving to a new city, 350 miles away from home, made it necessary for me to develop healthy and proactive habits to relieve myself after a bad mental day. Although some of these were hard to adapt to and took a lot of self adjustment, they were essential to repair my relationship with myself.

— Ari Cortes


Overruling my mind: Mental impact of Dobbs v. Jackson

I could handle feeling angry with the decision — I could even handle feeling betrayed. What I wasn’t ready for was feeling utterly helpless when reading rights I thought I had.

— Adriana Temprano


Activities to do when you are feeling overwhelmed

photo of guy facetiming home town friend

College can be difficult and tiring, so it’s really important that we find ways to relieve stress and avoid burnout. Between studying for your upcoming math exam and applying to dozens of internships, feel free to take a break and check out these relaxing and enjoyable activities to help you unwind!

— Caitlin Wang


The longest day of my life in a mere 24 hours

 

Photo of Emma Solomon

Maybe I was at ease, or maybe I was exhausted, but my mind reclined into a relaxed state. Through the exhaustion, tears, and anger, I had somehow found peace.

— Emma Solomon


College decor tips to improve mental health

 

photo of cozy bedroom

Here are some tips and tricks to help make your dorm, apartment or wherever else you live as stress-free as possible!

— Stella Kotik


Forget (for now) about finding true happiness

 

mug of chanyoung chung

At the same time, that day-to-day is what you feel, what affects your state of mind most. It’s what will weigh you down or lift you up on your walks to campus. And reaching a better state of mind can be a good first step in reaching those larger goals.

— Chanyoung Chung


Objectifying humanity: The social theory behind social media

 

photo of someone using technology

Our very lives are a commodity on social media; the content we post is the main unit of consumption. Social media companies profit off of our lives. When you reduce humans into units of consumption, you objectify humanity.

— Aarthi Muthukumar


Finding eternal-internal joy

 

Photo of Michael Temprano

Still, the journey to joy is riddled with obstacles and illusions. Happiness is subjective to time, identity and experience. Though my current perception of happiness will surely change in the future, I know there will forever remain sources I cannot outgrow.

— Michael Temprano


Exercising shown to improve mental health, overall quality of life

 

photo of weights in the weight room

In today’s age of diet culture and constant monitoring of bodies, it’s easy to get caught up in seeing fitness only as a means to an end. For many people, that end involves a certain body shape or fitness levels, a goal that can be as impossible as it is harmful.

— Sebastian Cahill


How art became one of my best friends

 

mug of nadia farjami

Paint was all over me. My fingers were blue, the floor was brown and my camera was bombarded with hundreds of “artsy” photographs. I got in so much trouble for spilling paint all over my family’s rug, but it was all worth it.

— Nadia Farjami

Contact Vani Suresh at 

LAST UPDATED

OCTOBER 10, 2022