The Bama Balance

Finding your True North – your purpose and meaning in life – is an important and foundational journey to take for your mental health. Having a sense of purpose and meaning can help dissipate anxiety and insecurity and provide confidence and self-assurance in times of doubt. Following up on Season 1, “Finding Your True North,” in this episode we take a guided journey to explore the 3 questions that...

The Bama Balance kicks off its 2nd season with 2 new co-hosts, Brooks Barbaree and Edward Fountain, welcoming students back to UA and the different ways that new students can begin to engage on campus and find their community.  

As this inaugural season of “The Bama Balance” draws to a close, we take time to reminisce on highlights and memorable moments over the past 15 episodes as Nick and Johnny prepare to graduate and wrap-up their undergraduate years at UA. We also welcome and introduce our new co-hosts for the fall semester, Brooks Barbaree and Edward Fountain and get their take on stepping into their new roles. Than...

Join us as we look at the highs and lows of dead week and exam week and ways to manage the stress and balance your wellbeing.  

Carter Scott joins us as our guest for this episode as he talks about his mental health experiences. In this episode, Carter and Nick share their experiences facing mental health challenges in college, their openness to engaging in counseling, and their learnings along the way.  

Grief is hard and painful. It can also be difficult for college men to know how to share their grief and find the words to truly express the depth of their feelings around loss. This episode explores the nature of grief for college men, the role of socialized expectations, and how men can find their language to express their grief in healthy and healing ways.  

How much do your achievements define you and your self-worth? Are your achievements and involvement in organizations consistent with your values? In this episode, we follow-up on our previous episode on “The Hustle Culture at UA” as we further explore the role that achievements and involvement in organizations have on feelings of self-worth and defining your “True North.”  

Tyler Le (VP, Culverhouse College of Business Student Ambassadors; Executive VP, UA Interfraternity Council) joins this episode as our first guest co-host as we talk about the allure of hustle culture for some men on campus and its connection to aspects of competition and college men’s feelings of self-worth.  

Sheena Gregg, MS, RD, LDN, is Director of the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness at UA and co-host of the show, Fit2BTide, broadcast on WVUA-FM, The Capstone. On this episode, Ms. Gregg joins us to share her experience and expertise in examining the role that diet and nutrition play in college men’s mental health.  

Body image for college men plays an important role in their self-esteem and psychological wellbeing. However for some college men, factors that might impact developing a healthy body image may lead to developing less healthy strategies that affect men physically and psychologically. This episode raises awareness about issues related to college men’s body image and ways to better understand it and...

Many college men can feel ambivalent about seeking help for their mental health concerns. Dr. Perez, Nick, and Johnny discuss some of the perspectives that college men may have when it comes to reaching out for mental health support, the strength that comes from reaching out for support, and how college men can support each other on their mental health journey.  

Anxiety is a major concern for many college students and the top reason for which students seek out counseling. In this episode, we examine the nature of anxiety for college men, explore the underlying reasons for some anxieties, as well as some ways to cope and manage.  

How can Valentine’s Day be thought of in a different way? Dr. Perez, Nick, and Johnny explore the notion of “Valentineusall” and the meaning of intentional friendships.  

Luke Dille, a graduate student in the Manderson School of Business, shares some of his experiences and insights on mental health challenges as a graduate student and some of the usefu approaches he has used to be successful in graduate school.  

Nick and Johnny discuss the undergraduate experience and ways that different factors can impact the mental health of underclass students. Information on campus resources are also provided.  

How do we think about mental health? What is the difference between mental health and mental illness? The hosts discuss their experiences, the meaning of mental health from a holistic perspective, and how to consider mental health as a part of men’s all-around health and wellbeing.  

Initially intended to welcome UA students back to campus for the New Year, the hosts talk about the New Year’s Eve events in New Orleans and its impact on everyone’s mental health and ways to come to terms with the event and ways to cope.  

Welcome to “The Bama Balance,” a new podcast focusing on college men’s mental health. Dr. Toti Perez, Nick Smith, and Johnny Foster introduce the podcast and talk about their “whys” for this new project and hopes for the future.