Hello to all our friends of Student Wellness!
We hope the semester is off to a great start for everyone. In this month's newsletter you will find information about our programs and posters attached, information about Togetherall, and a helpful resource for you in preventing burnout.
Student Wellness Programs
Crafting Connections
Mondays | 6:00-7:00 p.m. | Wellness lounge (HSC 250)
Crafting Connections is a new program this year and is a weekly space for students to come, participate in different crafts each week, interact with peers and make new friends.
Procrastination Cafe
Tuesdays | 5:00-8:00 p.m. | HSC College Grind
Procrastination Cafe is a weekly space for students to come and do their assignments. Each student will set goals of projects or assignments they want to finish during their time at the cafe and if they meet their goals for the session they can earn prizes.
Open Wellness Lounge
Wednesdays | 3:00-8:00 p.m. | Wellness Lounge (HSC 250)
Each Wednesday, our Wellness Lounge will be open for students to come in to take a break and destress.
Wellness Workshop Wednesdays
Wednesdays | 7:00-8:00 p.m. | Microsoft Teams
The Wellness Workshop Wednesday series is another new program this semester. From September 18 through November 20, students can tune in to a webinar style workshop every Wednesday. Each week will focus on a different topic and wellbeing presentation, that may be presented by our team in Student Wellness or other campus partners and each session is named after a song.
Chilling with Chase and Friends
Select Wednesdays | 2:00-3:00 p.m. | HSC Oasis Pit
On select Wednesdays this semester, we will be hosting Chilling with Chase and he'll be bringing some of his other therapy dog friends with him! The dates Chase and his friends will be on campus are September 11, September 25, October 9, October 23, November 6 and November 20.
Chase is also celebrating his 5th birthday on September 20, and you're all invited to the party! Come to the Center for Student Assistance between 12:30 and 2:00pm to celebrate.
Togetherall
Togetherall is a free peer-to-peer round-the-clock support service that allows students to speak to other college students, via an online chat, about things with which they are struggling. This could include home sickness, relationship issues, identity issues, roommate or parent conflicts, loss of a loved one and a variety of others. Togetherall peer educators are diverse college students, who are supervised by licensed medical professionals, and are trained to talk through a wide range of issues. Students will need to use the ZID email address to verify they're NIU students to access the platform for free, and they can sign up at this website: https://nsec.niu.edu/counseling/student-resources/togetherall.shtml
Faculty/Staff Wellness Tip
At the start of a new semester, we may not be thinking about being burnt out. However, starting to address signs of stress can prevent or lessen feeling burnt out later in the semester or year. Here are seven strategies to preventing burnout, click the link for more information on each.
- Recognize and respond to signs of stress
- Set boundaries
- Develop a work-life balance
- Prioritize self-care
- Exercise the body and mind
- Regularly take breaks
- Maintain a support network
Not sure how to know if you're burned out? The W.H.O. characterizes burnout using three dimensions:
- exhaustion, or feelings of depleted energy
- feelings of negativism, cynicism, or mental distance from one’s job
- decreased professional competence
Someone experiencing burnout may develop depressive symptoms. However, clinical depression and burnout are not the same things.
Thank you all so much for being friends of Student Wellness. If you have questions please let us know!
The Student Wellness Team
