Monica Contreras

Monica: Week 1

April 8, 2020April 8, 2020Monica Contreras

Wednesday 3/25

I studied at my apartment in order to finish two exams the following day so I wouldn’t have a lot to do during my weekend. Studying is something that all students are doing during this time; however, what I did that made this stress-relieving was turned on my Christmas white lights I have in my living room and lit up a candle.

Thursday 3/26

I am an early bird and sleep very late as well. This means that it makes my day longer in my opinion; therefore, I must find things to keep me busy. So what I did to reduce stress and restore my attention was open my balcony door to let air in, made a yogurt parfait, opened the blinds to let light in, and sat on my couch to watch a quick episode of “Containment” on Netflix (I recommend it!) before my first class started.

It’s the little things that count.

Friday 3/27

If I can’t go to Dunkin as often as I liked to, I’ll find a way to have my iced coffee. So… I just finished making a DIY iced coffee I saw from TikTok while I took notes for my only class this morning. It was actually very good and in turn, boosted my positive emotions.

Saturday 3/28

I arrived home and will only be here in Chicago for a few days since I can not concentrate on homework here. But I must admit the 2 hours and 30-minute drive really made me miss being outside and overall boosted positive emotions along with restored my attention.

You may not believe when I say this but getting outside of my apartment and into my car was VERY pleasant because I was able to breathe the fresh air and I wanted to go for a walk.

The outdoors is a good way to spend time with others…

March 31, 2020March 10, 2020Monica Contreras

As a child, I was never inside playing video games or stuck sitting behind a glowing screen like today’s generation. I have always been one to prefer being outdoors. Even now when I have an option to get on the next upcoming bus, I prefer to walk to class instead. I encounter new experiences such as seeing people that I’ve never seen before. Each day, I see a different face, never the same one. The outdoors is a good way to spend time with others because you can encounter new experiences with someone else rather than being non-verbally inhibited by social media.

-Adrian Reynoso

Benefits of Communication within Nature Settings

March 4, 2020March 1, 2021Monica Contreras

Research shows that the nature aspect of the outdoors plays a large factor in the way we communicate with one another.

Having conversations with one another outdoors might be easier and result in more positive outcomes compared to conversations we may have indoors. The overall points and topics of our conversations may not change in the different settings, but being outdoors may influence the way we perceive these conversations as well as the quality of interactions. A variety of studies suggest that spending time outside may improve our daily interactions.