OPINION: Mindful USC is a good effort but needs to promote healthy habits

Think about the average college student’s goals: managing homework, maintaining a high GPA, establishing a solid social life and mastering independence after leaving the nest. Mindful USC is an initiative to help combat the unnecessary stress, but it overlooks some of the immediate symptoms of stress, including poor self-care. Mindful USC needs to promote a healthier image of a successful college student, so students can not only practice mindful activities but also  build healthy habits.

Mindful USC was created to help students cope with stress, create healthy work environments, encourage emotional intelligence and promote artistic expression. Recently, Provost Michael Quick sent the student body an email regarding Mindful USC’s progress.

According to Quick, more than 4,000 people have utilized the program, and many find it beneficial. This program was a great first step in the right direction — however, students still struggle with their mental health and poor self-care.

Despite efforts to improve mental health conditions on college campuses, depression and anxiety are increasingly common in the sphere of higher education, but this shouldn’t be the case. USC recently published its Healthy Minds Study, in which over 4,500 students were asked about their mental health. The survey showed that 22 percent had moderate to severe anxiety. Additionally, 1 in 4 students reported facing moderate to severe depression.

Mindful USC’s programs are neither required nor widely advertised, which could affect their ability to help students on campus. Students are unlikely to make time for events that aren’t very visible on campus or marketed well on social media.

The combination of a busy schedule and shortage of funds results in malnourished and unhealthy students. Most college students do not prioritize habits like shopping for fruit and vegetables or checking their physical and mental health, which are  essential to success in college. Without fundamental self-care, it’s hard for students to tackle additional topics like mindfulness.

Some might argue that healthier eating requires more money, but this is untrue. In 2013, Harvard University conducted a research study that analyzed the cost of a healthy versus an unhealthy diet. They concluded that it costs an extra $1.50 a day to eat healthy and roughly $550 annually. However, the study advocated for a healthy diet regardless, because the cost is much less than the cost of a medical bill for issues arising from unhealthy eating habits.

Healthy habits also include a proper sleep schedule, something uncommon among college students. Staying up for a test all night will only cause one to be exhausted and cause the brain to function more slowly than it would with a proper rest.

Although late nights are inevitable, stress and poor living habits should not be normalized or encouraged.

The stress students experience entering USC is enormous, but mindfulness initiatives can alleviate this problem by helping students develop and maintain healthy living habits. Simple changes in diet and sleep are great steps toward changing the image of a typical college student, but they missing from Mindful USC’s platform.