It’s Wellness Week at Northeastern, a chance to focus on holistic wellness and mental health. From March 21 to 27, the university will host in-person and virtual events on meditation, yoga, mindfulness, resilience, and social wellness—with a full day off of classes on Wednesday, March 24.
Spearheaded by a coalition of students—and created in collaboration with the Resident Student Association, Student Affairs, University Health and Counseling Services, and other student organizations—Wellness Week is designed to offer students a chance to rejuvenate after a difficult year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was important to me that we create a space for students to be able to take the time to focus on their own well-being,” says Anna Birnholz, a second-year student who helped organize Wellness Week.
Birnholz and fellow students Shantavia Craigg, Ruthie Olowoyeye, Cole Hayhurst, and Alexandra Nieto led the effort to create the weeklong schedule of events, collaborating with various student groups and university organizations across Northeastern’s campuses.
“This week gives students time to take a break and to emphasize that their mental health is just as important as their classwork,” says Christine Civiletto, interim executive director of University Health and Counseling Services. “It’s a chance to connect with themselves and with each other.”
Students will also get a break from the rigors of coursework on two Care Days—Wednesday, March 24 and Monday, April 12—during which classes at Northeastern’s North American campuses will be canceled.
Here’s a schedule of events on the Boston campus:
Monday, March 22
Take a break to meditate
Join a 30-minute meditation break with the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue, and Service (CSDS) every weekday this week at 12 p.m. EDT.
Take a yoga class
Tune into a yoga class hosted by CSDS over YouTube Live. Get in the zone on Monday, March 22, at 4 p.m. EDT.
Connect with Active Minds
Join a Zoom discussion, “Unpacked: Mental Health and the Pandemic” with Active Minds on Monday, March 22, at 6 p.m. EDT.
Tuesday, March 23
Try out art therapy
University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) and NU Sexual Health, Advocacy, Resources, and Education (NU SHARE) will co-host an art therapy workshop, led by UHCS therapist Laura Huebner. Tune in on Tuesday, March 23, at 3:30 p.m. EDT. Reserve your spot here to learn about on-campus location information for the event.
Learn about wellness living
Join the Resident Student Association (RSA) in Wellness Trivia, held over Zoom on Tuesday, March 23, at 8 p.m. EDT.
Wednesday, March 24
Swing by the Sexual Health Pop-Up
Stop by Curry Crossroads from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 24, to learn more about responsible sexual health from the Office of Prevention and Education at Northeastern (OPEN), Sexual Assault Response Coalition (SARC), UHCS, NU SHARE, NU Mutual Aid, and the Department of Residence Life.
Break some plates to relieve stress
Head over to the Smash Rage Room on Wednesday, March 24, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT located on Centennial Commons by Meserve Hall to safely relieve tension by breaking plates inscribed with your own frustrations. Plates and face shields will be provided.
Discuss Zoom fatigue
Tune into a Zoom discussion with Laura Dudley, clinical professor of applied psychology, to debrief experiences of Zoom fatigue and learn helpful ways to ground yourself in the pandemic. Join the event, which is hosted by Bouvé College of Health Sciences, on Wednesday, March 24, at 2 p.m. EDT.
Practice mindfulness
Learn more about how practicing mindfulness can be an effective form of self care in a Zoom discussion with CSDS executive staff on Wednesday, March 24, at 3 p.m. EDT.
Color and chat with SARC
Jump on a Zoom call with SARC to color and talk about mental health and sexual safety. Tune in on Wednesday, March 24, at 7 p.m. EDT.
Ask a question about sexual health
Submit anonymous questions about sexual health and have them answered by experts at Peer Health Exchange throughout Wednesday and Thursday. You can submit questions through their Instagram at @northeastern_phe.
Thursday, March 25
Relax a little
Stop by the Relaxation Station sponsored by Sports Performance outside Cabot Testing Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 25.
Participate in a food pantry
NU Mutual Aid will host a campus food pantry on Centennial Commons on Thursday, March 25 at 2 p.m. EDT for those experiencing food insecurity.
Chat about intuitive eating
Join NU Dining and UHCS nutritionist Christine Clark on an Instagram Live to learn about “Intuitive Eating on Campus and Beyond” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 25.
Friday, March 26
Share your self-care routine
“Share How You Take Care” on Instagram with Instagram story reflection prompts created by members of the UHCS staff throughout Friday, March 26.
Saturday, March 27
Volunteer at Fair Foods
Join students from NU Mutual Aid to volunteer at Fair Foods, which supplies food for NU Mutual Aid’s food pantries. Stop by 52 Ellery St. on Saturday, March 27, from 12 to 2 p.m. EDT. Sign up here.
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