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Mind and Body Awareness Week March 7-11, 2011

This week is dedicated to helping students learn the importance of the connection between the mind and body and physical and mental health. We'll focus on a variety of aspects of health, including food, body image, sexual health, self-care resources, and campus health services.

 

Event Listing

Monday 10/24

National Food Day - see Food Day website for full details

HIGHLIGHTS:
  • Food Day Picnic
    Campanile Lawn 12-1:30pm
    WalkGreen
    Walk to The Local, then picnic
  • The Local Produce Stand
    Sproul 11am-2pm
  • Cal Dining Mini Sustainable Food Showcase
    Crossroads 5-8pm

Tuesday 10/25

Tang Tuesday @ Sproul 10am-2pm

Stop by and talk to Tang staff and peers about:

Wednesday 10/26

Self-Care Wednesday @ Sproul 10am-2pm

Learn tips and tricks to take care of your health:

Thursday 10/27

Do One Thursday, anywhere + everywhere

DO ONE good thing for yourself today in honor of Mind + Body Awareness week.

Friday 10/28

Flu/MMR Vaccine Friday @ Tang 12-6pm (line closes at 5:30pm)

Flu/MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) Vaccination Clinic. No appointment needed, just drop in . Flu vaccine avaialble to all adults; free for students with UC Ship, $25 to everyone else. MMR vaccine is free and oly available to UC Berkeley students, faculty and staff (please bring your campus photo ID-Cal 1).

Self-help Resources

did you know Studies show students who seek help for their stress and depression perform better academically than those who don't.

>Check Your Mental Health Online
Brief anonymous screenings for depression, anxiety, eating disorders and more. Find out if you could benefit from counseling.
>Stress & stress management: Be Well to Do Well
>Information about depression: Look for the Signs
>Online training on how to help with depression
>Articles on how to stay well at Cal

did you know Did you know all students get 5 free counseling visits?

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How to Help Someone Else

did you know Whether you are student, faculty, staff or just a concerned friend or loved one, you have many options for helping a student you are concerned about.

>How to connect with counseling
>Urgent help when Tang is open or closed
>Consultation on how to help someone else
>Helping a friend
>Links to online screenings and trainings

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Body Image Help

Cal's Eating Disorder Awareness Week is featured during Mind & Body Awareness Week

did you know 1500-3000 students here at Cal may be suffering from an eating disorder and up to 30% of any U.S. college may be struggling with an eating disorder

>More information about eating disorders
>More information on Tang's Eating Disorder Treatment Team
>Lots of handouts and online resources to help
>Information about the Tang Center's "Food and Feelings" group
for those with concerns about the effects of chronic dieting, exercise obsession, body image and acceptance.

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Financial Stress Help

did you know 95 percent of college students say the nation's economic crisis impacted their family's finances last year, and 93 percent have seen an effect on their own bank account.

>Get 5 hints for reducing your stress about money NOW
>Check out the many campus resources that can help

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Tang Center's Massage ChairMassage Chair at Tang

did you know “Having 15 minutes to myself really helped me get through the day (as I had a horrible day prior to my massage). Sitting on the chair and listening to my iPod took me to aplace of relaxation.  I did not want to leave; the massage was GREAT!”

Did you know the Tang Center has an electronic massage chair? To help students reduce their stress levels, this chair will be available FREE to students for 15 minute massages on a drop in, first-come first-served basis. Find out more here.

Massage Chair hours: first come, first serve, Monday - Friday 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm

Directions: Go to the Self-Care Resource Center in Health Promotion, 2nd floor of the Tang Center (2222 Bancroft Way).

 


 

Resources and Campus Services:

 

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Sponsors

University Health Services, Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation,Golden Leaf Community Acupuncture, SHAC (Student Health Advisory Committee), Health Worker Program, Sexual Health Education Program (SHEPpers), Cal Dining

 

Spread the Word

  1. Email or post this web page: http://uhs.berkeley.edu/aware

  2. RSVP on Facebook and invite your friends to join in "Mind and Body Awareness Week @ Cal"

  3. Change your Facebook or Twitter profile pic to the Mind and Body Awareness icon (jpg)

  4. Print the flier (pdf) and share it!

  5. STUDENTS: Attend an event, post the flier, share the URL and Facebook event listing with your friends, ask your professors to support and promote the events.
    STAFF/FACULTY: Support and promote the events, attend an event, post the flier, share this information with students and co-workers.

  6. Be Well @ Cal all year long by joining our Facebook fan page, following us on Twitter, and signing up for our Be Well @ Cal monthly eNews.

 

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Lead a Discussion in Your Community

Here are some activities and materials to use if you want to lead a group discussion on positive mental health.

1) Just posing a few of these questions could result in a meaningful discussion in a group.

  • What do you do to relax?
  • What do you do to maintain balance?
  • What would you say to motivate a friend or classmate?
  • What do you to motivate and inspire yourself?
  • Which affirmations motivate you?
  • What does wellness look like?
  • What does mental health feel like?

2) Get on board with some form of meditation—mindful breathing.  If every student could build up to 15 minute meditation practice a day, they would feel lots better.  See attached for a handout on this.

3) Borrowing from positive psychology, I talk about the negativity bias: Negative experiences hit us harder and stay with us longer. Negative experiences are like Velcro, positive experiences are like Teflon. So have to consciously fill our lives w/ positives, like keeping a gratitude journal. Or try these exercises:

Exercise:   Close eyes, think of a situation that makes you annoyed, frustrated, mad.  Let it land in your body.  Notice your breath, tension.  Breath is best cue of what’s going on.  Feel your frustration.  Now, two deep breaths—and let go of it. 

Exercise:  Think about a person or pet in your life who you simply adore.  Fill body with thought of that beloved.  Imagine looking in eyes.  Feel it in your own heart, body.  What does this sense of wellbeing do for you?  Open eyes, hold on to that feeling.

Packets and handouts are available at the Health Promotion front desk at the second floor of Tang and at our booth at Sproul Tues 10/25 - Weds 10/26

 

 


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