Overall Reflection Page

Throughout this course, each of the three projects helped me gain a deeper understanding of my overall health. Even though each assignment focused on a different area, together they showed me how interconnected health really is and how nutrtition, mental health, and physical activity can effect ones health.

The case study on Katya taught me the importance of mental health and how academic pressure can overwhelm students.Working on her case study I learned how important it is for people struggling with their mental health to speak up. I learned that simple strategies like deep breathing, positive reinforcement, and using support resources on campus can make a major difference. Understanding exam-related self-efficacy also helped me realize how confidence plays a huge role in performance—not just for Katya, but for myself as a student and athlete.

The nutrition tracking assignment, shifted my viewpoint on daily eating habits. Recording my meals for a week made me see how quickly calories can add up from snacks, sugary drinks, or convenience foods. At the same time, it also showed me how easy substitutions can be to improve ones diet overall swapping out a candy for fruit or a juice with an energy drink will help anyones overall health. This project helped me understand what balanced nutrition actually looks like, and it pushed me to set realistic goals: drinking more water, choosing whole foods, and including lean protein and vegetables in every meal.

The health self-assessment, tied everything together. It forced me to look at my lifestyle as a whole—not just as a baseball player, but as a person. While I’m strong physically because of sports and weightlifting, the assessment revealed major weaknesses in my sleep habits, nutrition consistency, and time management. Staying up late, eating whatever is convenient, and letting stress pile up were all things that held me back. This project helped me understand that health isn’t just about physical strength; it’s about maintaining balance in sleep, nutrition, mental health, and time use. Because of this, I set three long-term goals to improve my life: establishing a consistent sleep schedule, cutting out processed foods, and managing my time better so I don’t fall into unhealthy habits.

Looking at all three projects together, I can see how much they connect. Katya’s story reminded me of the importance of mental health, the nutrition project opened my eyes to how fuel affects my performance, and the self-assessment showed me that balance is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. These assignments helped me recognize areas where I’m strong and areas where I need improvement, and they motivated me to build habits that support both my athletic and personal goals. Moving forward, I plan to apply everything I learned so that I can maintain a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.