A Sticky Note A Day, Keeps The Doctor Away

     Staying focused on your health in college is very hard to do when there are so many distractions around. Health doesn't necessarily just pertain to physical health.

     These are the top two health topics to stay focused on:

• Mental Health
• Physical Health & Food and Nutrition

     Food and Nutrition:

     

     On a college budget, the least of your concerns is what nutritional food you should buy from the super market. Let's be honest a 6 pack of Mac and Cheese is cheaper than some vegetables, therefore it is more convenient to eat foods that aren't good for you. 

    

     A great app to budget your grocery shopping is "Wunderlist." Usually when you make a list before hand, you avoid buying stuff out of your context. 

    When making that list make sure to include:

•      Produce
•      Protein 
•      Healthy Drinks

Hercampus.com has a great story on specifically the best things to buy for each of these categories.

      In relation to this, physical health is also important. Eating good and keeping in tune with just how your body feels on the outside can make a huge difference on the way you are motivated and confident.

     Try to go to the gym three to five times a week for about one hour to an hour and a half. A great routine to follow is:

30-45 minute cardio
30-45 minute routine switch focus workout (Abs Day, Arms Day, Leg Day)
Stretch!

It is important to take those break days in between or every other day, depending on level of fitness.

     Mental Health:

     Stress, anxiety, insomnia and depression are prone to come with the course load of work in college. Mental health is one of the most important aspects to stay on track of because it is the basis of how you stay on top of everything else.
       

5 Ways to Stay Mentally Happy :)


1. MOTIVATE YOURSELF: Find ways to motivate yourself every single day. Change your wallpaper on your phone and computer to say anything that brings your spirits up. Write sticky notes or buy artwork with positive messages and hang them all over your room. As soon as you wake up every morning you will see one and instantly feel motivated.

2. FIND TIME FOR YOURSELF: Nothing is more soothing and stress relieving than staying in and getting some alone time. It is very important to find that comfortable space with yourself: read a book, binge watch Netflix, sleep or anything else you need to do in order to just wake up the next day and feel rejuvenated.

3. STAY ORGANIZED: Keeping organized can make you more time efficient. Plan out times to do specific homework, keep tabs on your to do list, make time for friends and socializing. Writing everything down allows you to always make sure you know what to do, even if you aren't able to do it.

4. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LOVED ONES: Nobody is more motivating in keeping you on your stuff than your parents or caregivers. They want whats best for you and are your number one supporters. When you are feeling down and completly unmotivated, try giving someone you love a call.

5. GO TO THE GYM: Going to the gym gives you a sense of control of yourself even if it is only for a few hours. You can clear your mind, and feel like everything you are doing at that moment is to completly better yourself.

Healthy Mind + Healthy Body = Amazing Heart, Confidence and Attitude!

   

Feminista

     Coming into college, I had no idea what feminism was. I knew of the word, but nothing of its meaning or importance.

     Feminism is perfectly defined here by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
   
     In actual definition terms, according to wgs.eku.edu, feminism "aims to interrogate gender inequalities and to effect change in areas where gender and sexuality politics create power imbalances...feminist political activists campaign in areas such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, gay marriage, and workplace issues such as family medical leave, equal pay, and sexual harassment and discrimination."

     The video below shows exactly why we need feminism.

     It is very important to have women studies as a general requirement class for college. It teaches women and especially men the everyday challenges women face and have faced for hundreds of years.

     Some misconceptions people have of being a feminist:

• "All feminist are lesbians and bra-burning radicals who hate men."

• "Women can't be feminine and be a feminist at the same time."

• "Feminism is only for middle-class white women."

• "Feminism only liberates women at the expense of men"

     All of these myths that come with being feminist, have absolutely nothing to do with being feminist. 

    Some truth behind being a feminist: 

• "Feminist not only believe in equality between men and women, but also in equality between every gender, class, race, and sexual orientation."

• "Feminism is fundamentally about giving women choices, not about finding new ways to limit their self-expression."

• "Feminism doesn't just liberate women; it also liberates men by breaking down the standards which society has put in place for both women and men."

     Recently in women feminist and empowerment news, Amber Rose released a video called the "Walk of No Shame."

    Rose released this video in light of "a completely backwards representation of society's reaction to women openly having sexual relations; it demonstrates the big deal that people make out of women having sex," stated by hercampus.com.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

   

     "What a woman observes in the mirror is what she uses as a measure of her worth as a human being" (Lerner, Karabenick & Stuart, 1973).

     Everyday we are scrutinized for our bodies as women. We have to meet these standards of the ideal body type and if we do not meet them we are policed and deemed as less of a "perfect" woman in society's eyes. We strive to achieve a body type that only about 5% of women in the world naturally have.

     We pinpoint images of women from social media, magazines and advertisements and seek to them as inspiration to go to the gym, eat healthier, yet in all reality the women in those photos are photoshopped. This leaves women with a goal that is not realistic to achieve.

      This is a widespread problem we especially see in young women and girls. 

      Dosomething.org states that:

     "58% of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight." and "95% of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25."

     Focusing and putting such a priority status on your body image can take a toll on you while you are in college. If you feel as though you don't meet the impossible standards of todays "dream" body type, you find yourself less confident and motivated. 

     In my own experience I would find myself more focused on finding time to go to the gym, then study or do homework. This took a toll on my grades and made me feel less about myself. 

     In future posts I will speak on ways to overcome this block and prioritize to maintain a healthy schedule. 

    In the meantime, this is Gigi Hadid:

     One of today's most popular and uprising models. She recently was receiving negative comments on her posts about her not fitting up to the model standards and being too over weight or curvy. If society deems her supermodel body as "being too over weight" than just imagine how it society makes women with average bodies feel. Gigi Hadid defended herself on her body image in a very uplifting and inspiring matter. 

   
     The message she put out in response defiantly moved me. It showed me that even woman who are seen as the "ideal women" face the same body negativity as almost all young women and girls do.

     This shows that society and media is the problem behind the lack of self-esteem in women because instead of reflecting perceptions of the female body, it shapes it.

     Be sure to check out Dosomething.org's "11 Facts About Body Image." These 11 facts are very helpful and important because they pin point what body image is and the statistics of how it effects us as women.

What is Doyenne?

Welcome to Doyenne 101!

     

     I got my inspiration for the name of my blog from bustle.com's "13 Awesome Words For Women You Need To Start Using Right Now."

     "A doyenne is the feminine version of a badass leader who possesses the trifecta for power: seniority, authority and rank,"  stated in Bustle.com.

     I think that doyenne is a perfect word because we as women should all aim to be a "badass leader" who strives for success and wants to be at the top ranks. 

     My blog posts weekly will focus on the significance of becoming a doyenne by finding a balance between priorities in college such as work, school, homework, having a social life, friends, relationships and health and fitness.

     I will contribute and comment to stories that empower and inspire women and connect it back to how it could benefit you while balancing everything else college throws at you.

     It's no joke that your college years come and go before your own eyes. These 4 or more years, depending on how much time you actually continue your studies, shape you into who you are or who you want to be. You truly find yourself.

     Hopefully my blog will help make finding yourself in college a success while installing confidence and staying healthy mentally and physically.

      My goal is essentially to create a blog that will help young women in college, just like me, be the most successful they can be by providing tips, posts, links, videos and any other helpful information sites to help ease what they call the "most important 4 years of your life."