Wellness Wednesday Submissions: Look At The New Hobbies Graduate Students Have Picked Up
This year for Graduate Student Appreciation Week, we hosted Wellness Wednesday where we asked students to share with us their hobbies that they’ve picked up during this period of self-isolation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Congrats to all our gift card winners from Graduate Student Appreciation Week!
Alia Mallah and Desiree Denman won the two $25 gift cards to Amazon for Wellness Wednesday.
Samantha Yee, Melodi Bowman, Manpreet Semwal, Courtney Johnson, Paulino Ramirez and Angelica (Angie) Salinas won gift cards from the Ask Me Anything Chat with the Dean.
Also special thanks to everyone who participated in Wellness Wednesday, take a look at the submissions below!
Manpreet Semwal
I have always wanted to explore the creative side of me and had been reading a lot about diamond paintings. 5D diamond painting is a cross between cross-stitch and painting by numbers. After a week of social distancing, I needed a creative outlet to cope with the anxiety and stress. I picked up a full drill 5D diamond painting project that took me almost 12 hours but the end result was beautiful. The project helped me to relax, provided me with a creative outlet and gave me hope that patience yields beautiful results.
Alex McCoy
Trying out acro yoga has been on my bucket list for years, but I’ve never really had the time (or a willing partner) to commit to practice. Now that Max and I both are working from home, we finally have time set aside to try it out. I love yoga! The postures help stretch and relax my muscles, and the measured breathing helps me feel focused and calm. It’s like exercise for the body and mind.
Sam Yee
I really enjoy my non-scientific reads from authors, like Malcolm Gladwell, as they help bring perspective into a wide range of situations that I experience. i.e. conflict, bias, success, and uncertainty. It’s very easy to get caught up with emotions in the moment, so taking a step back from any given situation provides an opportunity to better communicate with others and remain open minded. “David and Goliath,” by Malcolm Gladwell, is a great read that refers to historical events and elaborates on how those events could have been considered as disadvantages, but they were also filled with advantages. I highly recommend reading “Outliers” as well.
Mustafa Mithaiwala
“Sweat your stress out–2 mile run, 2 mile elevation walk, 3X15 push-ups. #sweatthestressout #justdoit #wellnesswednesday”
Alia Mallah
I’ve always loved to bake, cook and try new recipes. There usually isn’t enough time for that in grad school though. Now, that we have more time by working at home, I’ve found that cooking and trying different recipes helps me keep my mind active on something different and positive, and I can see and enjoy the results of what I’m doing!
Desiree Denman
Curiosity and creativity go together like PB &J. For me, art has always been on the other side of science, and my creativity has always fueled my curiosity. Having an outlet to keep me centred during these tumultuous times is more important than ever.