For many people, ‘thriving’ means doing well in every aspect of life.
This is increasingly the case when society puts so much weight on a person’s success and accomplishments, and failure is generally criticized.
This mindset is true of many students, and with the academic reputation and prestige that comes with being a student at UW, these feelings can be intensified.
Thrive Week is filled with opportunities to learn how to improve one’s mental health destress.
Each year, different groups from across campus come together to provide different events and activities in areas such as psychoeducation, self-care, and skill-building to help students relax from the stress of classes and midterms.
For Charlotte Fulcher, an ERS student, thriving means staying positive despite everyday challenges.
“To accomplish the little things throughout the day that I struggle with, like getting out of bed or brushing my teeth, all while trying to smile,” she said.
“It’s difficult as a student working full time [and caring for two pets] to find time to myself, so I genuinely thrive off of making it through life one day at a time,” Fulcher said. “Mental illness is debilitating, and I’ve definitely got the butt end of it, so I make a point to recognize the small things that make me happy, and, as long as I can do that, I’m thriving,” Fulcher said.
There were different panels, activities, workshops, and educational events set up over the week, which allowed students and staff at the UW to come together to focus on their mental well-being, strength, and resiliency.
Events ranged from dog therapy at Renison College to Crocheting for Wellness at SJU Library.
Pet therapy is a tool used, to help with stress, anxiety, and depression and crocheting offers a creative outlet.
The Committee on Student Mental Health (CoSMH) set up a panel which allowed students to ask questions and receive updates on how the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Mental Health (PAC-SMH) is being implemented.
Mental health experts were available at the end of the panel to answer questions about mental health and well-being.
“During the workshop we were given the chance to identify automatic stress responses, identify current stressors, come up with some healthy coping strategies, made a list of social supports as well as received a list of supports both on campus and in the community,” Dirks said at the From Surviving to Thriving workshop.
To finish off the week, students could leave a positive message on a balloon to inspire others. This event provided a platform for positive conversation about mental health issues.
During this week the engineering department lunchroom was converted into a “thrive room” for the week. It included a variety of mental wellness resources.
The W Store set up a wellness display which included books and items focused on promoting mindfulness, mental and physical wellness, and self-care practices.
