GBM Number One Recap

This Tuesday Dr. Joseph McNamara joined us at our first general body meeting (GBM). His presentation covered how to manage sleep and anxiety, two very important pillars within functional medicine. These two topics are also extremely important for college students in order to be successful in balancing school, involvement, and wellness. An interesting point Dr. McNamara debated, was if having anxiety is only a negative thing. Despite the connotations, anxiety actually is an important skill for survival, and it helps us as students to perform at our optimum ability. However, too much stress and anxiety are dangerous for student health. Too much anxiety can contribute to irregular sleep patterns. Sleep and anxiety are closely related, which is why it is important to balance both from day to day. Another highlight from our first GBM, was a tip to challenge the different interpretations of random thoughts, which often can induce anxiety. The thoughts that result from different stimuli in the many environments can be overwhelming but being mindful and self-reflecting honestly can help lead to healthier levels of anxiety.

Finally, Dr. McNamara shared a few resources which share more information and tips for sleep assistance. Check them out at:

https://psychiatry.ufl.edu/covid-19-resources/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6fO87acUQI&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJWuMBoY4jMpVTEXe_cWU2f8SvDV5ZnXc

As a reminder, our first social event is approaching quickly! On September 30th, one of our very own club members will be instructing a 30-minute HIIT workout class on Zoom. Stay posted for an email with the meeting ID code. We hope to see you there! Our service and social calendars on our website have been updated as well for our club members.

As always, stay healthy and stay safe. Go gators!