Transitioning from college into the proverbial “real world” can be challenging at times. Going from having classes four days per week, three hours a day, to a full-time 8-5 Monday-Friday job is a huge shock to the system.

I am less than a year removed from college and am experiencing the full brunt of this shock now. I’m still in the process of adjusting to adult life, but one of the methods I’ve found very useful in coping with this is setting time aside every evening before bed to reflect on what I have accomplished that day. With all the negativity in the world, you owe it to yourself to take some time every day to focus on the positives, even if it’s just little things here or there.

Many people seem to have a misconception about what the idea of wellness entails. When people think of wellness they often only think of running, going to the gym, or lifting weights. In reality, wellness can include many of these things, but would not be holistic without addressing mental wellbeing.

I grew up in a household with a psychologist and a social worker as parents. Ever since I was a child, they stressed to me how important mental health and mental wellbeing are to overall wellness. Mental wellbeing is key to becoming the best, healthiest version of yourself.

One of my favorite things to do is to combine my approach to mental and physical wellness. I live right by a trail that extends into some woods near my apartment, and if I’m ever feeling down or discouraged, I like to take a walk down the trail just to clear my head and reflect on all of the good things I have in my life. It seems simple, and honestly even a little cliché, but it can be very effective. Combining exercise from walking and the peacefulness of nature has become my go-to wellness routine.