Managing back-to-school stress

2019-09-06T16:15:00-04:00

With the back-to-school bustle underway for the fall, many students have hit the ground running. As the work load begins to pile up and studio projects commence, anxiety and stress also sneak their way into the forefront. How can the architecture student tackle this intrusion?

Nicole LeBlanc, MA. and Luana Marques, Ph.D. have some insights. In their Harvard Health article, the pair delineate the current research concerning anxiety in college. Some findings are:

It's quite common. A 2018 study conducted by the American College Health Association showed that "63% of college students in the U.S. felt overwhelming anxiety in the past year." The study also found that 23% of students "reported being diagnosed or treated by a mental health professional for anxiety in the past year." LeBlanc and Marques highlight the fact that the bulk of anxiety amongst students tends to be during the initial transition into college. For the design student, first year does indeed prove to be a formidable a...

The key to peak performance lies in three different types of fitness — physical fitness is only one of them

2019-08-01T18:49:00-04:00

As architects operate in a profession so demanding mentally, the need for peak performance in the workplace can become a relevant and much-needed desire. How does one capitalize on the intellectual challenges faced on a difficult design problem, construction site, or management setback? Author and leadership development leader, Tim Tobin says that the answer lies in "thinking about fitness in new ways."

According to Tobin, there are three types of fitness: mental fitness, social fitness, and physical fitness.

Mental fitness includes seven practices that range from getting a good night's rest to having adequate "play time." It is grounded in activities that promote mental health and increase sources of energy that help us achieve focus in clarity in our cognitive pursuits and ambitions.

Social fitness "refers to how we interact with others across situations." It is our ability to communicate what's important to us amid "situational pressure" and ultimately creates fruitful collabora...

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Managing back-to-school stress

The key to peak performance lies in three different types of fitness — physical fitness is only one of them