Take a free zumba class this week on both the Charles River and the Medical Campus. Photo by Lexi Pline (COM’19)

Wellness

Focus on Your Well-Being This Week

BU’s new wellness initiative events are centered on mental, physical, and spiritual health

Self-care isn’t always front-of-mind for college students, with their late nights, high stress levels, and grab-and-go diets. The University is asking you to hit pause and reset this week as the newly launched Wellbeing Project holds its inaugural Week of Wellbeing: Terriers Thrive Together, a series of events promoting mental health and well-being. It’s a chance to take a free zumba class, learn about addiction, take a confidential screening for depression, learn about mental health resources on campus, even hang out in a hammock for an hour or two. 

“The week is meant to bring greater visibility to campus resources that focus on student well-being,” says project cochair Katharine Mooney (SPH’12), University Wellness & Prevention Services director. “Well-being is a critical factor in how students feel and perform in the classroom and other areas of their life. And it’s not always a primary topic of conversation. The week will bring resources and generate conversation and is an opportunity for students to engage in their overall well-being, from mental health to physical health.” 

The Wellbeing Project, which launched at the Sustainability Festival on September 19, is run by the Office of the Provost and its goal is to support the health and wellness of the BU student body. The initiative is a joint effort of Student Health Services, FitRec, Sargent Choice Nutrition Center, the Dean of Students office, the Office of Graduate Affairs, Innovate@BU, the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Graduate Education, and the School of Medicine.

“Boston University, as an institution, is working to shift the culture of our campus to think more about health and well-being as an important part of student success,” says project cochair Carrie Landa, Student Health Services Behavioral Medicine director. “We want faculty, staff, and students to think broadly about wellness and the many things that can contribute to it. For some, it’s regular exercise or meditation, for others it’s about community or spirituality, and it could even be about supporting a cause that is important to you.” (The project challenges offices and departments to host their own wellness events; they can apply for funding for these events or initiatives through the Wellbeing Project’s grant program.)

Approximately 35 percent of college students are dealing with mental health issues, says Dori Hutchinson (Sargent’85,’96), a Sargent College associate clinical professor and director of services at BU’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. A member of the Wellbeing Project steering committee, Hutchinson says the idea was to build a week of events surrounding National Depression Screening Day, an annual event (this year it’s October 10), where BU students, faculty, and staff are invited to take a short survey to gauge their mental health (read more below).

“At this time of year, six weeks in, the shine has come off the ball, midterms have started, people are homesick, maybe they’re not getting off to the start that they wanted,” she says. “We want to remind people that BU is here, we want to listen, we want to help. We advertise the resources at Orientation and on websites, but we also want to talk about the resources face-to-face and have an opportunity to make connections. BU is an incredible campus because we have so many resources; there are many ways to engage and build community at the University.”

The following is a list of the events taking place this week:

Monday, October 7

Can We Talk about Race?

Discuss the topics in the book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race, with book author and licensed clinical psychologist Beverly Tatum, former president of Spelman College and a nationally recognized authority on racial issues in America.

Can We Talk about Race? sponsored by the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, is Monday, October 7, at 10 am, at the George Sherman Union Metcalf Ballroom, 775 Commonwealth Ave., second floor; free and open to the public. 

Compassion & Wellness Table

At this event, students on the Medical Campus can explore ways of showing self-compassion and learn about wellness resources available to them.

The Compassion & Wellness Table, sponsored by the School of Public Health and the School of Medicine, is Monday, October 7, from 10 am to 12:30 pm, at the School of Medicine Instructional Building, 72 East Concord St. 

The Belonging Café

Share conversation and refreshments, celebrate our various identities, and write encouraging postcards to fellow students to help them through midterms. Various departments and student organizations will be on hand to share information about how to get involved in community life at BU.

The Belonging Café, sponsored by the Dean of Students Office director of student outreach and engagement, is Monday, October 7, from 11 am to 4 pm, at the George Sherman Union Link and Plaza, 775 Commonwealth Ave. 

Zumba

Take a break from classes at this Latin dance party/workout mash-up. Students must bring their ID to sign in.

The Zumba class, sponsored by the Fitness & Recreation Center, is Monday, October 7, from 6 to 7 pm, at the Medical Campus Fuller Gym, 85 East Newton St. 

Tuesday, October 8

Create Space 

Feeling crafty? Marsh Chapel is hosting a Create Space event, where  you’ll have a chance  to connect your brain with your fingers and mindfully create using origami paper, yarn, knitting needles, coloring books, and other arts and craft supplies.

Create Space, sponsored by Marsh Chapel, is Tuesday, October 8, from 3 to 6 pm, at Marsh Chapel, 735 Comm Ave.

Addiction, Community & Impact

A night of short talks and stories from founders, artists, and activists who are addressing addiction from all angles.

Addiction, Community & Impact, sponsored by Innovate@BU, the BU Arts Initiative, and the Collegiate Recovery Program, is Tuesday, October 8, from 6 to 7:30 pm, at BUILD Lab, 730 Comm Ave. Register for the event here.  

Sometimes What Hurts Can’t be Seen

Hear from activist and speaker David Woods Bartley as he shares his journey from mental “hellness” to mental wellness and offers advice on how to help ourselves and others.

David Woods Bartley, sponsored by Active Minds, will speak Tuesday, October 8, from 6 to 7 pm, at the College of Communication, Room 101, 640 Comm Ave. 

Wednesday, October 9

BU Mental Health Community Resource Fair

Learn about the numerous mental health resources available on campus, from training programs like Terriers Connect to assessment services offered through Behavioral Medicine.

The BU Mental Health Community Resource Fair, sponsored by the BU Student Government Mental Health Committee, Behavioral Medicine, and the Student Activities Office, is Wednesday, October 9, from 11 am to 2 pm, at Marsh Plaza (rain location: George Sherman Union).

Zumba

Take a break from classes at this Latin dance party/workout mash-up. Students must bring their ID to sign in.

The Zumba class, sponsored by the Fitness & Recreation Center, is Wednesday, October 9, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, at FitRec, 915 Comm Ave.

Thursday, October 10

National Depression Screening Day

BU is holding its annual free and confidential screenings for depression and anxiety on National Depression Screening Day. The screenings are open to all students, faculty, and staff; participants will take a short multiple-choice questionnaire and learn about resources available on and off campus. 

Depression screenings, sponsored by the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, will be available Thursday, October 10, on the Charles River Campus at the GSU Link, 775 Comm Ave, from noon to 3:30 pm, and in the FitRec lobby, 915 Comm Ave, from 4 to 7 pm. On the Medical Campus, the screening will be in the BU School of Medicine lobby, 72 East Concord St., from 4 to 7 pm. The screenings are free, confidential, and open to students, faculty, and staff. 

Minority Mental Health Panel

Join this student-led panel discussion on the mental health of minority communities at BU.

The Minority Mental Health Panel, sponsored by the BU Student Government Mental Health Committee, Alianza Latina, the Society for Professional Hispanic Engineers, and Student Health Ambassadors, is Thursday, October 10, at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, 808 Comm Ave., from 7 to 9 pm. 

Friday, October 11

Couch Talk with BU Hillel 

A safe space to talk about how students can continue to stay stable and be happy.

Couch Talk with BU Hillel, sponsored by Hillel, is Friday, October 11, at Marsh Chapel, 735 Comm Ave., from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. 

Yellow Tulip Community Hope Garden

Plant yellow tulip bulbs in honor of those loved and lost to suicide.

The planting of the Yellow Tulip Community Hope Garden, sponsored by College Mental Health Programs at the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, is Friday, October 11, at 940 Commonwealth Ave. West (entrance on Pleasant Street), from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. 

Hammock Hangout

MED students can swing on hammocks in between classes. 

Hammock Hangout, sponsored by the Wellbeing Project and the School of Public Health, is Friday, October 11, at the BU School of Medicine Talbot Green, from 11 am to 2 pm. 

Sunday, October 14

Marsh Chapel Sunday Sermon: Spring Tonic

This week’s sermon will focus on a holistic approach to taking care of ourselves, those around us, and doing so with gratitude. 

The Spring Tonic Sermon is Sunday, October 14, at Marsh Chapel, 735 Comm Ave., at 11 am. 

Those interested in seeking confidential mental health counseling can contact Student Health Services Behavioral Medicine, the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, the Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders, the Samaritans of Boston suicide hotline, and BU’s Faculty & Staff Assistance office.