Between homework, studying for midterms and keeping up with extracurriculars, student life can be overwhelming. Even as a senior, I still struggle with balancing the demands of my academics and my body’s needs, especially my mental health, in times of high stress. While it’s hard to make time for yourself with everything else going on, I’ve found that one of the best things I can do to limit stress is literally as simple as getting up and going outside.
Access to greenspaces and spending time in natural environments can significantly lower stress and anxiety, improving concentration and focus. Interacting with greenspaces can also boost memory and creativity levels, improve quality of sleep and increase overall levels of happiness. These psychological benefits are largely linked to an increase in vitamin D as a result of sun exposure and certain aromatic compounds released by trees, meaning that time spent outside in green spaces directly correlates to the felt effects.
Now, while the weather is certainly still on the warmer side, there are a plethora of greenspaces both on Trinity’s campus and close by for anyone to enjoy — it’s just a matter of finding them. For starters, on lower campus, the courtyard between the Harold D. Herndon and the Albert Herff-Beze Residence Halls is a nice, simple space to enjoy a meal outdoors.
Tea Garden
My favorite place on campus sits behind the John W. Murchison Residence Hall in the secluded Tea Garden. The little waterfall here provides such soothing sounds, and the enormous elephant ear plants contribute further to the sense of atmosphere. A stone bench has been carved into the hillside for some seating options. It’s also a prime habitat for frogs, so be on the lookout!
Prassel Lawn
Prassel Lawn tends to be busy this time of year with football tailgates, but the staple Adirondack chairs and giant sycamore trees make it a great spot for picnics, bird-watching or sitting down with a good book. Speaking from experience, people also love taking their emotional support animals out to play here, making it a perfect place to get some puppy love for those needing an additional pick-me-up.
Community Garden
If you have classes in the George M. Storch Memorial building, you’ve probably noticed the garden area along its front walkway (and all the butterflies it attracts). This space is managed by the Trinity Community Garden group, and over the year, it goes through a transformation. Flowers will come and go and crops will sprout up from the garden beds, but the two picnic tables remain front-row seats to the seasonal beauty.
Chapel Meditation Garden
Tucked away in the courtyard of Margarite B. Parker Chapel, the Chapel Meditation Garden is a serene little corner of campus that many students don’t know about. There are three small fountains, garden lamps and benches, making it an underappreciated site for rejuvenation and relaxation.
In a city like San Antonio, trees and other plants are vital in reducing the urban heat island effect by providing shade and preventing concrete structures like roads and buildings from absorbing and reemitting the sun’s heat. However, not all parts of the city are lucky enough to have access to green spaces and their psychological benefits. Greenspaces can foster community engagement by creating common areas where people can recreate, relax and connect with each other — when we don’t have them, it’s easier to overlook the benefits they bring.
I’ve listed just a few of the many spots on campus that provide the benefits of greenspaces to eager students. San Antonio offers a collection of its own wonderful areas, ranging from those as close as Brackenridge Park and the Japanese Tea Garden to others like Confluence Park and Government Canyon a bit further away. If you have the time to pull away from your textbooks and go for a hike, great. If not, you always have greenspaces at your fingertips — just remember to look for them.
