Week 1 Reflection

  The first week of senior project flew by but I think I have a solid start and my project is on a good track. I learned a lot this week about all kinds of topics that involve personal health and more specifically mental health. My plan going into the week was to learn about as many topics involving mental health as possible and see what interested me for the direction of my project and what I actually produce. As I was researching I realized that most of the information on issues with mental health were topics I had never learned about. A takeaway I had after my first day was that many of the issues that involve mental health in our society aren’t from chemical imbalances caused by biological issues but rather imbalances in the way we live. Living an unhealthy lifestyle can lead to issues mentally because our mind, body, and social environment are all factors of our emotional well-being. These issues are often described as signals rather than malfunctions because there are things people do in their everyday life that puts them in a situation where it isn’t surprising they are depressed or anxious all of the time. Realizing the important role that the body plays in mental health, I decided to direct my focus toward the mind-body connection. I found all sorts of ways people focus on their body to help with mental health problems from nutrition and gut health, to exercise and sleep habits. By focusing on ways to improve mental health through daily habits that are aimed to help the body I have learned a lot and hope to continue to learn more this upcoming week. 

I have enjoyed getting to learn about this topic and I am definitely happy I have this opportunity during my senior project to learn about something that can help me in the future. Many of the topics I have learned about, in my opinion, are topics that everyone should learn because understanding these issues is crucial for our generation's future. This is a global issue that will only continue to grow in the future and therefore learning these lessons at a young age can benefit everyone. 

        Working by myself on this project definitely has its pros and cons. I enjoy having a flexible schedule and working on my own time but the work I’m doing is very different from doing work for a class because of how much freedom I have. I have started to give myself more tasks that are similar to homework because that is how I’ve learned to work best. It can be difficult to stay productive when I’m working on my own but the daily hikes and journaling have been a perfect way to get out and take a break. I am on track to achieve my goals and I just need to continue to work hard every day and stay curious about what I’m learning.