10 Things You Must Do On Valentine’s Day

By Lauren Brose ‘15

Valentine’s Day is this weekend and I will be spending it alone this year.  I have no issue with it, as I don’t believe v-day is synonymous to S.A.D (single awareness day). Like every major holiday, it is not defined by the man or woman you wake up and go to bed thinking of, but instead being in the company of people you love. 

Coincidentally, for many, this week is greeted with midterm exams as well. Personally, I have a 10-page research paper, a French exam and a midterm for my GE 4. My school planner has small annotations under each day indicating which tasks do I need to complete in order to stay on track. Additionally, I have also indicated which days I am going to the gym to exercise. The same thing happens to me when I fail to manage my time; I forget to eat, I sleep less and my stress levels are at an all time high. My body goes through strain and suffers from something that can be prevented. This week, I plan to commit to my academic and health plans as well as another thing: treat myself.

1. Eat a hearty power breakfast

Ingredients:

·      Crunchy dough

·      1 cooked egg

·      Grape tomatoes

·      Smoked ham

·      Fresh spinach

·      Green onions

·      Mozzarella cheese

This is an all in one breakfast (and it’s pizza). Set your oven to 500F, rub olive oil onto baking sheet and pre-cook shaped crust before putting any of the toppings on. Take your time while shaping the dough into a heart shape and make sure there’s enough room to place a cooked egg on. Note: this pizza is intended to be mini-sized.

2. Now that food has been brought up…

If you’re looking at your week and find that it’s filled with due dates, exams and a number of social outings this weekend—whether it be with friends or a significant other—regularly consuming food is vital for health. Consider meal planning on Sunday and making large portions of dishes that can be reheated throughout the week.

3. Take a Yoga Class

February 10, 2015—12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Location: University Park Campus - Engemann Student Health Center

Room: Trojan Conference Room, 1st floor

Kundalini yoga is a combination of physical exercise, breathing exercises, sound current and meditation for an experience that is energizing, relaxing, healing and transformative. Every Kundalini yoga class is completely different, but you will always feel good after class!

4. Spring-cleaning for the kitchen

Toss out the instant ramen, frozen dinners, and hot pockets from your daily eating routine and trade it in for healthy, vitamin rich and immunity boosting foods. Engemann Student Health Center is full of relevant information in regards to student health and wellness. Last week Engemann’s Health and Wellness blog discussed “25 foods that will change your life.” You’ll learn just why blueberries, almonds, sweet potatoes, spinach and broccoli are good for you.  

5. Relax

Whether it’s starting a new book, taking an afternoon nap, sitting in your pj’s watching Netflix, taking a bubble bath, or getting a massage, do whatever puts you in the most comfortable state of mind. Massages are extremely beneficial to one’s health. It can reduce the stress hormone cortisol by 1/3 and increase dopamine and serotonin levels by approximately the same amount. Groupon and Living Social offer deals every week on massages.

6. Be around people you care about

This is something that we should be doing even if it isn’t Valentine’s Day. I’ve found that I mainly enjoy being around people and enjoy my alone time as well. However, when I am tied up with my schoolwork, I at times feel too mentally exhausted to even make plans to hang out with my friends. I become recluse for days at a time until I force myself to make a conscious effort to leave my apartment and surround myself with people. For this valentine’s day, make plans with your significant other—if you don’t have a significant other or are unable to share v-day with him or her, make plans with your friends who will not be going down the cliché route of wine and dining. Studies are suggesting that those with strong social relationship have a 50% lower mortality rate.

7. Consider checking out the stress clinic at Engemann Health Center

86% of people reveal that they were able to better manage their stress significantly after speaking to a mental health professional. Engemann Health Center has an entire stress clinic that is suited for students of all stress levels. Contact Andrew Shaw, LMFT, at (213) 740-7711 to schedule a consultation, a one-on-one meeting with a professional who will better assist you with determining overall health goals and which program is most appropriate for student’s needs.

8. Try one of these popular ways others use to manage stress:

·      48% listen to music

·      43% exercises

·      42% go online

·      40% watch TV or go to the movies

·      39% read a book

9. Laugh more often

Audrey Hepburn once said “happy girls are the prettiest girls” and I have to agree. Fact: it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. Moreover, laughing is considered one of the best remedies for stress. It causes a surge of endorphins released by your brain; it cools your stress response as well as the tension in your body.

10. Share your Valentine’s Day fun with us on social media!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we wanted to highlight the love that’s a key component of the Trojan Family. USC is encouraging students to share a photo with someone close to their heart onto social media (Facebook, Twitter) and tagging #LoveOn and #USCLoveStory campaign. People who do share MAY be contacted by Trojan Family Magazine to be included in the next issue. 

NOTE: This is not just about romance but about any kind of Trojan Love Story - maybe someone found a new course of study and fell in love or has a platonic love for their best friend!