Relaxation

Green Spaces at UAMS

Ever find yourself inside on one of those glorious warm sunny days when nature seems to beckon us to come outside? Maybe, like me, you weren’t raised in the city, and you need some fresh air and a chance to stretch your arms and inhale and exhale deeply. Maybe you miss the chatter of the critters and the sounds of human living going by. It’s rejuvenating (it makes us young again) to smell the delightful aromas of the blooms or of a just-passed rain—you can almost taste the dewy sweetness. How nice to be caressed by the gentle massage of a breeze, to see green plants and birds on the wing, butterflies at a blossom. But, we live in a mini-city of concrete high rises and technological marvels. It’s not so easy to get outside and breathe free.

There are some green spaces around UAMS, don’t you know. Tucked here and there are some spaces where you might decompress for a few moments. You might even take your studies and work outside. I’ve located and noted places around the campus with benches, in some cases tables and shade. I have tried to indicate which areas are accessible to wheelchairs and to persons who have trouble navigating steps. For the most part, these are also green spaces designed with a variety of plant life and often soothing water feature backdrops. Come outside and enjoy.

Green Spaces at UAMS

The Chancellor’s Garden on Campus Drive outside the Chancellor’s suite and accessible from the sidewalk on Campus Drive. This is an accessible area.
The PRI Entrance Garden with benches and a tranquil water feature. This area is accessible from above from the hospital entrance, but only accessible by steps from Hooper Drive.
The PRI perennial beds near the west entrance.
(The PRI Healing Garden)—available to PRI patients only.
The Bruce Fountain with benches in front of the main entrance to UAMS. This is an accessible area.
(The gardens among the CHP buildings). There are 3 courtyards on the main level and a small section on the lower level. These areas are currently unavailable and being renovated. Currently the courtyards are sunken and require steps down to enter.
(The CHP lower level section). See # 6 above.
There are some shaded tables and chairs outside the student center (around the side of the building from the entrance). This is an accessible area.
Resident Hall. There are some shaded tables and chairs outside the Resident Hall Administrative Services building. This is an accessible area.
Wilson Park—on the hill behind and above I. Dodd Wilson building. This area is not accessible from IDW, but can be accessed without steps from the parking lots near the Student Center and Admin West building.
Shorey Entrance. On Campus Drive, there are benches. This is an accessible area.
Anna Mae Garden located between the back entrances to Radiation Oncology and the Outpatient Center. There are benches, a pergola, and beautiful flora. I could not locate an accessible entrance to this area.
Spine Center Entrance. There are tables and chairs and a bench. This is an accessible area.
IOA Garden.
Cancer Center Entrance includes container plants and benches. This is an accessible area.
Cancer Center Healing Garden with tables, paths, and a variety of plantings. This area is accessible, but it has multiple areas with steps between, and they are not directly accessible to each other.
Biomedical Center, tables in 3 locations.
(The Rooftop Garden). Atop Parking 1. Currently unavailable, undergoing renovation. This area has been accessible.
There are shaded tables and chairs outside the cafeteria which is located on the ground floor of the Central Building. There are often several people in this area, eating and visiting so it may not be as conducive to study and quiet. This is an accessible area.
There is a small area with a bench tucked in between the Outpatient entrance and the Jones Eye Institute entrance.

It does a body good to taste and see and hear and smell and touch these worlds of beauty. Come outside and enjoy.

See SPOT, Run See SPOT: Therapy Dogs and You

“See Spot run. Run Spot run.” I learned to read with Spot and his family: Dick and Jane and Sally and kitty cat Puff. The cute cocker spaniel Spot was the star as far as I am concerned. Later I delighted in Go Dog Go. The dogs wore hats, worked at jobs, conversed with each other and at the end of the week they raced off in their cars and on scooters, urged on by the narrator, “Go dogs, go!” Momentarily paused at the traffic light, they sped on again, parked, ran, up the big tree they went. Finally, they reached their spot, a big dog party in the sky atop that tree. Fanciful, I know, but what fun. Later still, I read my two boys the stories of Clifford the big red dog. He was easy to spot when he grew from the runt of the litter to 25 feet in height give or take (he varied somewhat from story to story).

We have our own pack to entertain us now: Bubba the aging poodle mix as non-alpha as a dog can be; Chris-O our son’s escape artist dog burrowing under or leaping over our backyard privacy fence; Maddie so named by the workers at the Pound because she resembles Eddie from the “Frazier” TV show—as a Jack Russell she owns everything in sight and expects servile compliance from the other dogs; Angel and Remington (“Remmie”), our two newest. Rescue dogs all, we spotted them along the way, and they are rescuing us too, it seems.

Now it’s your turn. When you are dog-tired the next several weeks, take advantage of the visits from the SPOT therapy dogs. These dogs and their attached humans will be visiting several times as the semester winds down. A number of studies indicate the healthful benefits of interaction with these dogs. Stress reduction along with increased energy and happiness are the benefits most often identified. In turn, stress reduction, increased energy, and an optimistic attitude are beneficial for academic success. Spot yourself a few bonus points of preparation. Come, enjoy the ministrations of these UAMS therapists. The schedule when they will visit is as follow:

Nov. 28 (Wed.) 11:00-12:00

Nov. 29 (Thurs.) 12:00-1:30

Nov. 30 (Fri.) 11:00-12:30

Dec. 13 (Thurs.) 12:00-1:30.

They come to the first floor of the library near the bottom of the stairway. Again, come be refreshed by the kin of Spot and Clifford. Come to our small dog party.

Making Memories

Contributing Author, Vanessa Lewis, the Student Services Manager, and is known for her sunny smile, warm welcomes, and for rescuing Charlie, the famous UAMS Cat.

Campus Life and Student Support Services would like to include you into one of the most anticipated student events of the spring semester. Every UAMS student and one guest are invited to this Chenal Country Club celebration. For this event there is a selected theme by the Associated Student Government representatives and this year it is a masquerade ball experience.

The ball, titled Making Masquerade Memories, will be held on Friday, April 27th from 8:00pm to 12:00am at the Chenal Country Club, 10 Chenal Club Blvd. in Little Rock. $2.00 per person will be collected for the 12th Street Wellness Center. You will need to bring your student identification for admission.

The majority of the students are finished with their finals and they are ready for an end of the semester soirée. What should students expect at this gathering? Initially, a nominal fee of 2.00 dollars per person is collected for a donation to the twelve street wellness center. Nevertheless, you will be dazed and amazed by the spectacularly decorated ambiance. Socializing, laughter, and some adult interactive entertainment such as virtual reality, oxygen bar, selfie station, candy art, and a life size operation game will start the mingling off swiftly. Additionally, you can dance the night away to the most popular music while retro lights flash on the floor. Last but not least, everyone’s favorite free delectable ‘heavy’ hors d’oeuvres will be served. It would be advantageous on your part to take this opportunity to join your friends and peers for this enchanted evening as you make masquerade memories.

Mid-Semester Adjustments

We are now more than six weeks into the semester, which is a good time to stop, evaluate your progress, and make adjustments. How are you doing overall? Are you on top of all your work? What study strategies are you using? Have you prepared for your upcoming midterms? Do you have a plan for completing all your projects, papers, and assignments before the end of the year? If not, what adjustments do you need to make?

Adjustments to your System

Many students who come into my office tell me they don’t have time. They feel unprepared, which increases their anxiety, and often results in lower performance. Usually they can turn their performance around by making a few adjustments to the way they manage their time and stay on top of their work. Here are a few common problems and some suggestions for making changes.

Things falling through the cracks: Maybe you need to make some adjustments to how you are planning. Have you listed everything you need to accomplish in your calendar or planner? Determine when you will start each one so you are not working on everything at the same time. Prioritize what you have to accomplish, and watch for lighter time periods so that you can take advantage of slower times to get work done. It helps to keep a monthly overview calendar so you can plan further in advance.

Too behind to catch up: Feeling like you can’t catch up can cause serious motivation problems, leading you to think, “why bother”, and give up. To catch up, try to figure out how you got there. Are you a procrastinator? If so, the key to solving these time troubles is to stay on top of your work so you don’t fall behind. Start by breaking down all your tasks into smaller pieces, until you can find something you can do immediately. Keep working away at those smaller pieces and check them off as you complete them. It can be very motivating to watch yourself making progress.

Overworked: There will always be times when your classwork overwhelms you. Multiple tight deadlines surrounded by long reading assignments will leave you feeling exhausted. Try making adjustments to how you track your work during your study sessions. Keeping a log of your assignments and tracking what you accomplish will tell you whether you are actually working as much as you think you are. Next, look at your weekly schedule and your dedicated study time Make a realistic list of what you will accomplish during that time and how much time you will assign to each task. Organizing your work time in this way can help you stay focused, and helps you stay within your time limits.

Feeling like you don’t have time doesn’t have to result in increased anxiety and poor performance, especially if you make some adjustments to the way you are doing things. If you would like help making adjustments to improve your academic performance, contact the Learning Specialists at the Student Success Center at https://students.uams.edu/success/learning-services/academic-coaching-request/.

Social Success

Contributing Author, Vanessa Lewis, the Student Services Manager, and is known for her sunny smile, warm welcomes, and for rescuing Charlie, the famous UAMS Cat.

Where do we find success? How do we find success? There is a perfect Webster definition for success yet I do believe how we personally define success is diverse. How we measure success can be multifaceted. When I think of success there are varying levels of success in my life. If I set a daily goal to drink 64 ounces of water and I do it, I feel like that is a small goal that I achieved! Bam! Success!

My Goal of Social Success

I was once told that I always had a frown on my face that made me look too serious and unapproachable. Whoa, that stunned me because I never thought I looked too serious. Immediately, I set a goal to smile more and strive to have a friendly presence. I made the term up in my head, “social” success! Now, years later I have people telling me that I am like their sunshine and I smile all the time. Bam! Social Success! These are just simple examples of some personal successes that I make every effort to accomplish daily. The method of small attainable goals can lead to empowerment for the larger life achievements. I acquired the confidence to start making strides toward weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.

Find Your Social Success

This juncture in your student life, I am asking you to implement your very own “social” success. Get more involved in what Campus Life and Student Services has to offer. Come network with your peers in the UAMS Student Center. It is a great place to have study groups, coffee, lunch, or relax in a peaceful atmosphere. This Valentine’s Day we will have a steel drummer playing love songs while you enjoy free refreshments. Next, you can manage March mania by going to a free event at Painting with a Twist on March 2nd. Furthermore, March and April we are extending the Student Center hours from 4 pm to 6 pm for your pleasure of studying together. This may be a small step you take with astounding social success results!

Enjoy Winter Break

With finals over,students are ready to rest and enjoy the Winter Break. It’s important to take time to have fun and relax so you can begin strong when the new semester starts, so here are four ways you should take care of yourself over the winter break.

Take Care of Your Physical Self

No doubt you want to have some fun during your break, but take time to get some rest and relax. You don’t want to return in January more tired than you were when you left. During the crunch of finals, many students don’t take time for meals or eat enough of the right foods. What you put into your body is important, so refuel your body by making good food choices. And, make time to exercise. While it is tempting to lay around watching movie marathons on Netflix, exercising consistently for thirty minutes three to six times a week will increase your ability to be proactive when you return to campus instead of reacting to all the outside forces around you. As a bonus, all the endorphins you produce will help you enjoy your break even more.

Take Care of Your Brain

After all the studying and preparing you do before your finals, you may think that you just need to empty your brain for a while. What you want to do it feed it; or more specifically, feed the creative side of your brain. Let’s face it; almost all your finals required you to use the left side of your brain. You had to practice logical thinking, accuracy, and analysis, and all that brain work has left you exhausted. To refresh your brain do something creative. Read a book, just for fun. Write in your journal, or blog, or just a letter to a friend or family member. Paint something, take some pictures, build in Minecraft, sing and dance, or play some video games. Do something that requires you to be intuitive, subjective, random, and creative. Rest the left side and enjoy engaging the right side of your brain.

Take Care of Your Spirit

Taking care of your spirit means to reconnect to your value system and the things that inspire you. This is a very personal form of renewal and people do it very differently. Some people immerse themselves in distinguished literature or surround themselves with great music. Others head outdoors to communicate with nature. Still others refresh their spirit through prayer and meditation. Whatever method you use, take the time to reconnect and recommit yourself to those things that inspire and uplift you.

Take Care of Your Emotional Self

Take some time to heal after the stress of finals. Spend time with people you enjoy: with family and friends who make you feel loved and secure. Perform at least one act of service, especially an act of anonymous service, where you will gain nothing more than the satisfaction of helping others. Make a difference to someone else on a small way. As humans, doing something that is meaningful and beneficial to others brings out the best in us and renews our emotional self.

You will find that the best self-care comes through finding the balance in each of these four areas. So enjoy your Winter Break, relax, and we will see you when you return in January.

Why Exercise?

“Why Exercise” is the second in a series of posts from the Student Wellness Center. We appreciate the expertise of the staff at the Student Wellness Center to guide our students to better health and better academic success. Our author this week is Dr. Molly Sherrill, a resident physician in the Student Wellness Center.

In addition to its physical benefits, exercise plays a vital role in maintaining mental wellness. People who consistently exercise sleep better at night, feel more energetic during the day, have higher self-esteem, and have better memory spans. Exercise plays an integral role in mental health.

Benefits for Mental Health

Depression: Studies have shown that exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medication to treat mild to moderate depression. Regular exercise can also help prevent recurrent depressive episodes. How does it do this? By inducing neural growth, reducing inflammation, and releasing endorphins, the happy chemicals in your brain. Having a schedule and some quiet time to yourself every day also helps fight depression.
Anxiety and PTSD: Exercise can be a wonderful mindfulness activity, and mindfulness is an excellent treatment for anxiety. As you work out, pay attention to all the sensations in your body and focus on the here and now, rather than on ruminating about past or future stressors. Both mindfulness and exercise relieve tension and stress.
ADHD: Exercise increases the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels leading to improved motivation, memory, mood, and concentration. In milder cases of ADHD, exercise may effectively replace stimulant medications.
Addiction: As mentioned above, exercise increases dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical also released by sex, drugs, alcohol, and food. As a result, working out can aid addiction recovery by providing a healthier way to release dopamine into the brain. Additionally, exercise can be a good distraction from using and helps to reset the body’s circadian rhythm, which is often thrown out of whack by substance abuse.

Tips for Getting Started

A little activity is better than nothing. You don’t have to become a cross-fit junkie or a marathon runner to gain the benefits of exercise. A healthy dose of exercise would be five 30-minute sessions of moderate exercise per week. If you can’t squeeze that in, a 5 minute yoga session or a walk around the neighborhood is better than no exercise at all. In fact, starting small is the smartest thing to do. If you push yourself too hard in the beginning, it will be difficult (and possibly dangerous) to maintain your new level of activity – leading to feelings of failure if you can’t follow through.
You don’t have to make yourself miserable. If you feel like you can’t breathe, take a break. Don’t push yourself too hard. You should be able to chat comfortably with someone next to you, but aim for a slightly elevated heart rate and slightly more difficult breathing than your baseline. You should feel warm as you exercise, but you don’t necessarily need to be extremely sweaty. If you start to feel overheated, take a break and grab some water. Schedule your workout at a time of day when you feel the best. If you’re not a morning person, don’t make yourself get up at 5am for a jog. You’ll start to dread that alarm clock, and it is unlikely you will maintain the routine. Also, choose an activity you’re likely to enjoy – dance, yoga, jogging, biking, soccer, hiking – the possibilities are vast. If you hate running, don’t run. If you hate going to the gym and lifting weights, don’t.
Recognize obstacles you are placing for yourself. It’s easy to make excuses about why we can’t exercise today – recognize these as excuses and push through the barriers. Too tired? Good news: exercise boosts energy. Too overwhelmed? Take some time for yourself and go for a walk. In pain? Talk to your healthcare provider about safe options for your limitations, then keep in mind that movement can improve most causes of joint and muscle discomfort. Feeling hopeless about getting into shape? Remember that any little bit of exercise can help, and you have to start somewhere.

For more information and ideas about exercise and how to get started, visit https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/how-to-start-exercising-and-stick-to-it.htm.

References:

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/mental-health-benefits-exercise_n_2956099.html

Come Outside: Green Spaces at UAMS

Ever find yourself inside on one of those glorious warm sunny days when nature seems to beckon us to come outside? Maybe, like me, you weren’t raised in the city, and you need some fresh air and a chance to stretch your arms and inhale and exhale deeply. Maybe you miss the the chatter of the critters and the sounds of human living going by. It’s rejuvenating (it makes us young again) to smell the delightful aromas of the blooms or of a just-passed rain—you can almost taste the dewy sweetness. How nice to be caressed by the gentle massage of a breeze, to see green plants and birds on the wing, butterflies at a blossom. But, we live in a mini-city of concrete high rises and technological marvels. It’s not so easy to get outside and breathe free.

There are some green spaces around UAMS, don’t you know. Tucked here and there are some spaces where you might decompress for a few moments. You might even take your studies and work outside. I’ve located and noted places around the campus with benches, in some cases tables and shade. For the most part, these are also green spaces designed with a variety of plant life and often soothing water feature backdrops. Come outside and enjoy.

Green Spaces at UAMS

The gardens among the campus buildings behind the student center and the COPH building. There are 3 outdoor spaces, each of which is lined with greenery and includes benches:
- Between building 4A and building 5A.
- Between building 7A and buildings 2 and 3, next to 5A.
- Between building 7A and 6A, this is the “Legacy Garden.”
There are some shaded tables and chairs outside the student center (around the side of the building from the entrance).
There are benches on the hill behind and above I. Dodd Wilson building.
There are some shaded tables and chairs outside the Resident Hall Administrative Services building.
There are several balconies with tables and chairs in Rahn Education building. The largest (also the most used) is outside the Metro Deli 2 indoor seating area. It appears to me that there are balconies facing north toward the Hillcrest area, facing east toward downtown, and facing West.
The UAMS Garden, also called the Chancellor’s Garden on Campus Drive outside the Chancellor’s suite and accessible from the sidewalk on Campus Drive.
There are shaded tables and chairs outside the cafeteria which is located on the ground floor of the Central Building. There are often several people in this area, eating and visiting so it may not be as conducive to study and quiet.
The Healing Garden outside the Gathering Place café on the first floor of the Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
Off the first floor lobby of the hospital toward parking one and looking toward the VA center there are some outdoor benches.
Outside of the Psychiatric Research Institute (PRI) there is a small green garden space with bench seating.

The weather appears to be moving slowly toward cooler Autumn. It’s a good time to be outside.

Good Sleep is Important for Wellbeing

We welcome the Student Wellness Center to our Student Success Blog. This is the first installment in an anticipated series addressing important self-care topics. We are relying on the expertise of the staff at the Student Wellness Center to guide our students to better health and better academic success. Our author this week is Dr. Kelly Kilgore, M.D., a resident physician in the Student Wellness Center.

Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by altered consciousness. Good sleep plays an important role in physical health, mental health, and quality of life. It is vital to many of the body’s mechanisms including restoration of the immune, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems and is important in maintaining mood, memory, and cognitive performance. The body resorts to an anabolic state during sleep which allows these restorative processes to take over. The sleep state is also important in hormone regulation including insulin and plays a role in decreasing risk for ailments such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Good sleep promotes improvements in cognitive function, in better overall health outcomes, in immune function, and in weight maintenance.

Sleep is a time for development of new neuronal connections, and these pathways are essential to learning and remembering new information. Good sleep also promotes focus, concentration, decision-making, and emotional stability. These benefits are especially important for students who rely on optimal focus and retention of learned information to be successful. It’s clear that good sleep is needed for us to be at our best. However, sleep is often the first thing that busy (and stressed) people squeeze out of their schedules. Good sleep habits are practices that can help busy people in improving sleep quality.

Here are some tips:

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to avoid disruption in sleep-wake rhythm.
Use the bed for sleeping and sexual activity only. Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark. White noise machines, fans, eyeshades, blackout curtains, or earplugs can be helpful.
Avoid large meals close to bedtime, but a light snack such as milk, cheese or peanut butter can be helpful. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, especially in the evenings.
Spend some time outside every day. Get moderate physical activity, but avoid exercising right before bedtime.
Avoid naps as this disrupts the drive to sleep at night. But, if you must nap, keep it before 3 pm and brief (ideally 30 minutes or less).
Have a bedtime routine that incorporates relaxation practices. During this time, avoid artificial light provided by electronic devices. If you have difficulty quieting your thoughts, try setting aside some time in the evening specifically for thinking, planning, and problem-solving. Jot down your thoughts so you can set them aside for the next morning.
If you are awake in bed for more than 20 or 30 minutes, get up out of bed and do a quiet activity such as light reading and return to bed when you feel that you could fall asleep with ease.
If you find you are not falling asleep, do not “try” harder to go to sleep. This can backfire and stimulate you to be more awake. Just think of something “soothing” and “relaxing”.

Chronic insomnia affects 10-15% of the population. If you are having trouble sleeping, know that you are not alone! There are numerous reasons for poor sleep including genetics, mental health problems, substance abuse, and sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless legs, narcolepsy, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Warning signs for sleep disorders include unrefreshing sleep with adequate sleep time, witnessed apneas, snoring, or falling asleep at inappropriate times such as while driving, or during a conversation. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder or an untreated mood disorder affecting your sleep, please see your doctor for an evaluation.

Hot Summer Days

There are many summer activities to enjoy on the beautiful rivers, lakes, trails, and mountains here in Arkansas. However, with temperatures climbing up to triple digits, it’s wise to be sun-safe, and take a few precautions.

Heat-related illnesses can affect anyone, so it’s best to follow these tips to avoid dehydration, heat-stroke, and other heat-related illnesses.

Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic beverages. You want to try to get more fluid in than you are losing.
Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that is light in color;
Reduce strenuous activities or do them during the cooler parts of the day, like before 10:00 am or after 4:00 pm.

Being sun-safe also means avoiding sunburn and limiting your exposure and protecting your skin. The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause damage to the skin, eyes and immune system, and can also cause cancer.

Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), when UV rays are strongest and do the most damage.
Cover up with clothing to protect exposed skin. Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
Wear sunglasses that provide UV protection.
Use sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and reapply it every two hours after being in the water or exercising and sweating.

UAMS has resources to help you beat the heat as you enjoy summer fun. Learn more about staying safe in the sun in Don’t Sizzle this Summer from Living Healthy. You will find more information about heat related illnesses from Here’s to Your Health. Stay sun-safe and enjoy yourself this summer.