NINA MARIE LIGAN
USG President
In the recent national poll, a huge number of youth voted. They have spoken. In its aftermath, the question we now ask is “how are the physical and mental state of the first-time voter?”
Over the last years, Filipino people have demanded CHANGE. And through the years, people felt that the government was not able to fulfill the changes promised by the winning candidates. As a youth, I cannot stop asking myself why we continued to demand, but prevented ourselves from being changed through education. We continued to speak up for advocacies, even if some of us are misinformed. And so, the question is, what are we afraid of?
As a young first-time voter, my heart is now full of dismay. People tended to choose disinformation and relied on sources that were not credible. People believed that the information released by the media was false and biased, and favored content from TikTok or any other social media platforms. Some of my friends and family members did the same. We always demand good governance, transparency, accountability, and unity - but we cannot even educate ourselves on what is right from wrong.
I have never thought that the elections could bring light and hope to our hearts. Which, in my own experience, I was able to fight for what my heart wanted, and that was choosing to speak up for my fellow youth and for the things that I dream of -- a dream of having a good government that would lead us despite uncertainties. Even if some of our family members rejected us because we, the youth had different perspectives in life and perceive this to be disrespectful, even going as far as to say things such as, “Bata ka lang, hindi mo pa alam ang mundo kasi hindi ka pa nagtratrabaho,” our fellow the YOUTH continued to uplift us with words like “baka ganyan nga talaga ang buhay?”
I was amazed that in the recent national election, the YOUTH spoke for what was right. They did not stop themselves from choosing the needs of their future.
The national election may not have been perfect, but I am confident to say that I am proud to be part of the youth. We, the youth may continue to sing this song and remain in our hearts, “Ang awit ng kabataan, Ang awit ng panahon, Hanggang sa kinabukasan, Awitin natin ngayon, At sa pag-tulog ng gabi, Maririnig ang dasal, Ng kabataan uhaw, Sa tunay na pagmamahal.”
Our bodies are the external machinery that keeps us going. Keeping it healthy and strong is paramount to achieving our goals. Having a healthy balanced diet, keeping ourselves hydrated, constant physical activity and exercise, maintaining enough sleep and rest and having regular check-ups are just some of the things we need to safeguard in order to stay physically well.
Our brain and mental faculties are situated on top of anatomical structure for a reason. It dictates the direction where we are going. As the seat of our logic, reason, and intellect, keeping it well is essential to our being productive beings. Reading, watching educational or entertaining materials, engaging in simple mental exercises, mindfulness practice, yoga, listening to calming music and plain mental rest are just some of the ways to keep oneself mentally well.
We often hear the expression, “emotions cloud the mind” and it couldn’t be farther from the truth. When we lose hold of our emotions, drastic actions that we may regret at a later time may happen. In order to rein in our emotions, we need to recognize and process them properly. Resources attest that mindfulness practice, yoga, artistic hobbies and daily exercise helps. Further readings also correlates physical wellness and sufficient sleep to emotional well-being. Likewise, we often hear “think before you act,” and truthfully so. Emotional wellness equates with our motion’s harmonious relations with our cognition.
Faith is complete trust and confidence on something. It is that one’s strong belief in God and the proof of His presence in our church doctrines and our daily experiences. Keeping attuned with our spirituality is one way to keep balance in life amidst struggles. Conversing with our God through daily prayers and meditation, scripture reading, listening to uplifting, inspiring gospel songs, attending mass and church services, recollections, retreats and other religious, or social civic activities, or engaging in a few moments of silence are some ways on how to keep oneself attuned to the Divine and keep balance.
We call Mother Nature as such because of human’s inexplicable connection with it. Our belief tells us that we, after all, came from dust. Spending time with nature, breathing and feeling the air, smelling the grass, flowers, feeling the leaves, barks of trees, the rain gives us a calming experience. Being Plantitos or Plantitas and engaging in green hobbies or participating in environment advocacy activities are some of the ways where we can be Environmently well.
Being secured for life emergencies give us some kind of comfort and peace of mind. Not having to worry much about the inevitable future in terms of finances is a worthy kind of wellness. Saving something for the future is a habit that should ideally be started early. Reading and watching materials on finance management or engaging in talks and discussions (and actually trying to work on it) are some ways to keep oneself financially fit.
