The Lumberjack

Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: self-love

EDITORIAL: Self-love is self-care

Remember to take time for yourself and stay mindful of stress factors

Here at Humboldt State University, we’re in week five of the semester. We understand that for some this semester will be stressful and we want to encourage you to love yourself by promoting a healthy body and mind.

The most important thing you can do is sleep for eight hours or more, don’t fret on getting assignments done and absolutely do not cram assignments. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the number of students who are lacking sleep or are sleep deprived are at an all time high. Not only can this lead to poorer work quality, but it can also lead to mood swings and higher potentials for motor accidents.

Here are some things that can help you get a good night’s sleep. Drink Chamomile tea before bed; chamomile is known to have properties that induce sleep and it’s a mild effect so it won’t completely knock you out. Another thing that can help you sleep is to exercise often, go on walks or do a full cardio workout. What matters is exerting enough energy to make yourself tired so you knock out when you hit the bed.

Speaking of exercising, it’s very important keep your body active when in college. The NCBI has said that students in university are lacking in physical activity; that is not surprising since we are juggling classes each semester that we don’t have time to even take care of our bodies.

If you are one of those people who don’t have time then walking to class is a good enough exercise, doing stretches is also a good way to exercise. If you do have time and energy to exercise, HSU students are able to use the HSU Student Recreation Center, you just need to bring your student ID to sign up for a membership. It beats having to spend hundreds for a gym membership.

It’s also important to budget your money wisely. Instead of eating out, cook something instead. It’s not only cheaper, it’s also healthy. Another plus side is that it’s also very rewarding to make something delicious. HSU also has the Oh SNAP! pantry that offers HSU students with food, spices and recipes, it’s a good alternative for those who are on a tight budget.

Last but certainly not least, step away from assignments for a little bit and do something that’s fun for yourself. Play a video game, read a book, watch a movie, talk with friends…whatever keeps your mind away from all your stresses.

Stress is a dangerous baggage to carry, which is why you should keep a level head. Some students come from far away locations, HSU has its own Counseling and Psychological Services Resource if you are dealing with stressful events.

Thursday, February 21, 2019
Love ya’ self queen

Black Humboldt hosted a self love workshop on Feb. 16

Black Humboldt founders Dionna Fletcher and Mo Desir provided a safe space for women of color to join and have fun with each other. “Love Ya’ Self Queen” was an event that allowed guests to enjoy themselves as they took part in yoga practices, dancing lessons, hair care tips, essential oils, music and laughs Saturday night, Feb. 16.

Sangria, chocolate and other treats displayed on a table for guests to have. Feb.16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.

The night started off with a short yoga practice instructed by Fletcher. Yoga mats were placed in a small circle, inviting all the guests to come together and share the space. Fletcher is an instructor-in-training, with a focus in teaching Afrocentric-based yoga. She led the session beautifully; taking deep breaths and loosening up the muscles proved to be an excellent way to begin the event.

After relaxed guests finished one more deep breath, a workshop with essential oils was next on the list. The air quickly smelled of citrus and peppermint as Rosemary Grady, longtime friend of both Fletcher and Desir, shared the benefits of natural medicines and oils in a short workshop. Grady has had an interest in essential oils for a while. After discovering what different smells can do to a person’s sensory memory, she dove in deeper with her research.

Essential oils scattered around the room for all guests to see and smell the different scents. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.

Grady said citrus reminds her of the times she would visit the orange trees with her family in Riverside. She also mentioned that lavender has helped her many times with anxiety and stress. Natural resources also help benefit your health, instead of using products that contain harmful chemicals that can affect your body.

Rosemary Grady leading a workshop with essential oils and other natural medicines. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.

Later, after a choreographed dance lesson uplifted the room with many smiles, Desir and Fletcher shared helpful tips for those struggling with different hair types such as thick, curly hair. As participants created hair masks, they suggested using coconut oil in your hair last rather than first, because it blocks out other products from entering your hair, and, for curls, it’s best to wash it once a week to prevent it from getting dry and brittle.

Desir presented an easy recipe for a hair mask consisting of Mayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise is an option), honey, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. An avocado or banana can be added to make it thicker. Everybody was given a sample to use at home along with a homemade sugar scrub.

Ingredients being used to create a homemade hair mask. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.

After that, the circle opened up about their experiences with their hair and other difficulties that they’ve gone through being women of color.

“I straightened my hair for a really long time throughout middle school and high school,” Grady said. “It wasn’t until I went to college… it was actually black women telling me what to use for my hair; it wasn’t until I lived in that environment where I was supported by women of color, I started to embrace myself and love myself a lot more.”

With an entire county that lacks in diversity, Fletcher and Desir wanted to establish reliable and entertaining spaces for people of color to express themselves without having to feel restricted because of an uncomfortable or unfamiliar environment.

“Every month we try to find new themes and innovative ways to be together,” Fletcher said.

Body High Pole Dance studio sign. “Love Ya’ Self Queen” was held at a POC local owned business. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.

Black Humboldt normally holds events in black-owned businesses, to promote and give the black community a variety of places to visit and so people of color can explore new spaces and find more diversity in this county. “Love Ya’ Self Queen” was held at the Body High Pole Dance Studio, owned by Naomi Leitu and Natalie Abeja, both women of color.

“We specifically chose this space because it is black-owned,” Fletcher said.

Desir said that they hold events in black-owned businesses to support and display a positive place for people of color to attend.

“This is a POC owned facility,” Desir said. “I think a big emphasis we are trying to do is to create that safe space.”

Mo Desir and other women taking a break in between workshops. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.

Fletcher and Desir both knew that having a group that works toward building a strong black community in a largely white population would be great for Humboldt. They want to share inviting environments as well as values and support for local people of color.

“We are hoping to create a strong black community, create black economic empowerment for black businesses the most that we can,” Desir said.

Look for more events from Black Humboldt by checking out their official website.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Swipe right on self-love

Don’t cheat yourself, treat yourself.

Whether you’re dating or single, you should actively practice self-love for healthy relationships and interaction with others.

Dating is complicated. If you’re swiping, texting, snapping or sliding into the DMs, navigating the dating culture requires a lot of time, energy and self-love.

Single and ready to mingle, sort of…

Dating without the integration of social media was bad enough. Now you’re connected and available on multiple platforms.

As a single individual looking for the companionship of others, apps like Tinder or Bumble can place extra pressure on your dating timeline. These apps allow access to a wide range of people with different personality types and preferences. Not everyone is kind or understanding. This often leads to strangers lashing out at you, because your interests or schedule don’t align.

Take some time to remember that you are allowed to say, “No, I can’t hang out this day,” or “I had some obligations and was not able to respond right away.”

Do not ever feel compelled to apologize for being busy or not responding before you’re ready, unless you mean it. Social media has created a demand for immediacy that is not always reasonable.

Self-love can also be very physical and intimate. Masturbation, often a taboo subject, can be considered fulfilling needs and confidence. This means taking the term “self-love” literally and exploring safe options on pleasuring yourself. For the inexperienced or shy, the beginning stages of this could be a research stage for what works. As an article on This Body Is Not an Apology states, just orgasming from masturbation is like “scratching an itch.” Explore other options to pleasuring yourself, and open your mind to considering this method as a form of self-love.

Another option to explore is exercising. Exercising can blow off steam and increase self-confidence. It is also a great way to combat depression and relieve dating frustrations. Incidentally, don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with and take it easy. After all, this is about making yourself feel better.

What’s also available on a local level are workshops designed to promote communication skills between friends and couples.

Humboldt State Health Educator Ravin Craig, who created and runs the Peer Health Education program, said there are several workshops put on through the library that are designed to do just this.

She said one of these is focused on relationships and communications with friends as well as sexual partners.

Taken and confident, kind of…

Even in a relationship, self-love is necessary and promotes positivity in a relationship. Maintaining individuality is important towards promoting self-love and a healthy relationship. This doesn’t mean isolating yourself, but it does mean knowing your boundaries.

Craig said it’s hard to be in an effective relationship where you can give something to someone else, but can’t give it to yourself first.

Self-love is often proven to benefit relationships. According to an article on goodthereapy.org, research has shown that practicing self-love is likely to improve well-being in the context of interpersonal relationships.

Developing positive habits and relationship communication between you and your partner can also lead to self-love. Taking time to be your own person and understand what makes you happy can also promote self-love and in turn strengthen your relationship.

In between and fluid, maybe…

Maybe you’ve mastered the dating scene, but your confidence still gets low. Taking similar breaks and efforts to improve your self-love is important.

Craig said students looking for help with self-love practices should consider Community Care Workshops on campus. During these workshops, students are encouraged to “build their board of directors.”

Craig describes this board as the people you can trust to help guide your relationship when suffering from the dating scene or relationship blues. Finding trusted peers who are able to lift you up and think are important.

At the end of the day, choosing healthy and positive practices of self-love is up to you. Sometimes it takes understanding that you need the help of others, a break or space. Be aware of when dating might be too much and recognize when you need to make some time for yourself.

Utilize on campus resources or turn to your most trusted friends. More importantly, swipe right on self-love.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018