As the weather changes and transitions into colder temperatures we might start to push back some of our priorities, including the ones that focus on our health. When thinking of health, many  think of the physical condition that we are in, but we have to make sure to note the mental part of things.

A mass survey conducted by The National Institute of Mental Health recorded that about 43.6 million adults over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with a mental illness.

Often mental illnesses are tied with negative stigmas that they are made up for attention, leading them to be overlooked. They can also be covered up by the individual’s personal opinion on appearing ‘weak’ or having something wrong with them.

Unfortunately, this all makes coping with mental health more difficult to help manage because many don’t want to take the time to help themselves or admit that they might need help.

On the St. John’s University Queens Campus, we do have facilities that offer psychiatric help in order to help you cope with any complication that you may face throughout the year. Transitioning into University life can be difficult and your work load may be heavy. You have to be able to tell yourself where your limits lie.

As students, we are lucky enough to have these facilities open to us when we need them. We also have the fitness center open on weekdays until 10 p.m. They offer a variety of classes that you can take with friends if you don’t want to go on your own. They range from yoga to spin classes. They even have kickboxing and boot camp classes that are sure to keep you in your best shape. I know that Montgoris Dining Hall is closer than the gym, but just because we are offered unlimited French fries and desserts doesn’t mean you need to eat them.

If you can’t seem to find a solution to your problems by working out or going to therapy, try working on both sides of the spectrum. Mental and physical health have been linked in different studies done and has been discussed in different medical articles. The World Health Organization defined health as being “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

They have also stated that, “there is no health without mental health”. In order to be healthy all around you have to make sure to pay attention to both your physical and mental needs.

With the winter slowly creeping up on us and fall just beginning, don’t let the cold demolish your motivation to get moving. The endorphins that you get from working out might keep your head a little more clear as we approach the lack of sunshine in the coming months.

Either way make sure you do not forget the importance of being both mentally and physically healthy.