For many of us, the friends we made in college have become our friends for life. Between roommates, teammates, and classmates — personal connections infuse the collegiate experience. Unfortunately, today’s college students are spending more time on their phones than they are interacting with other students. This lack of personal interaction, which used to be the center of college life, is leading to a devastating rise in depression. Last week, a group from Henderson Engineers attended NIRSA’s Annual Conference in Boston, MA. The focus of this year’s conference was the health and well-being of today’s college students and here are a few key takeaways from those conversations:

Connecting Students for Better Mental Health

Recreation centers have always been a place for people to connect on campus. However, a recent study found 40 percent of college freshmen spend less than 5 hours per week with friends, compared to more than 8 hours per week on their phone. The same group surveyed also reported suffering from symptoms of loneliness and depression. Experts suggest group exercise classes and organized events to drive connections among students and help combat the rise in depression. Some universities are even creating resilience programming that emphasizes self-care, mental well-being, and peer-to-peer (student-student) wellness coaching.

Balancing Exercise and Sleep

Exercise is proven to increase cognitive function, elevate mood, and improve mental and physical health. With exercise, your body feels more alive and your brain actually performs better — which is extremely important on a college campus. One of the leading studies in this relationship of mental and physical health is Dr. Wendy Suzuki, author of Healthy Brain, Happy Life. Dr. Suzuki discovered that there is a biological connection between exercise, mindfulness, and action. To promote exercise among the student population, recreation facilities must be environments that take a holistic approach to wellness. Additionally, exercise promotes healthy sleep cycles. This is causing recreation facilities to take a look at how their programs support sleep schedules. Some are evaluating the benefits of 24-hour availability while others are considering adding sleep pods.

Attracting More Students Through Esports  

Today’s college students have been raised on technology so it’s no surprise that esports have taken college campuses by storm. This million-dollar industry is attracting world-wide interest. Esports can be played by anyone, which creates an opportunity to draw a historically untapped demographic off their dorm room futon and into the student community at the recreation center. This is motivating universities to adapt to this new normal and set aside funds to help cultivate the correct environment for these students. Esports is considered the “Wild West” as it is constantly on the move. One university official even described their experience as “building the airplane while you are flying it.” Universities are moving quickly to identify key stake holders, potential gaming spaces, and how it factors in with other programs.

To view our work on sports and recreation projects, click here.