Wellness Student Spotlight: Banafsheh Nazari, MBS19
How do you balance your academics and your personal life?
Various life experiences have taught me the value of maintaining a balance among work, academics, and my personal life. One of the main methods I use to achieve that balance is to plan a fixed schedule for myself, where there is allotted time in the day to work and study, plus other time I set for relaxing and doing things I enjoy. I also owe this balance to the support I’ve had from my friends and family, for all of whom I’m deeply grateful.
What do you do for fun?
I like spending time in nature, whether it involves hiking, camping, honestly, any activity related to the outdoors! Besides that, I also enjoy reading novels and poetry, most of them in Persian. Sometimes, I also write some of my own poems and short stories. I was a playwright and costume designer for my college’s theater group, so whenever I find the time, I draw and design clothes just for fun. At this point, I have made my own collection.
What is your favorite healthy snack?
My favorites are nuts. I love nuts to such an extent that a friend joked that I probably have some chipmunk genes.
How do you de-stress?
My biggest de-stressors are exercise and meditation, besides some breathing exercises that I have found helpful. Sometimes all I need is just a short walk to better handle a stressful situation.
What surprised you about the MBS program and living in Boston?
I came from the north of Iran from a town with very nice weather that isn’t that much different from that of southern California. Plus, during my education at Tehran University, I never experienced anything close to Boston’s weather, which was a shock. Here I learned how to shovel for hours to get my car out of the driveway. So I think in Boston I have learned some pretty good life skills. About the MBS program, I was so surprised to see how deeply professors and staff care about the students’ success in the program and throughout the application process for professional schools. I feel lucky to have been part of the program!