Be kind to your mind with Mental Health Awareness Week

Colin McCann

UPDATE: Trivia Night was rescheduled from Tuesday at 6 p.m. to Monday at 6 p.m.

Many people, especially students, struggle with mental health on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. To help raise awareness, Student Government will be hosting numerous events from Jan. 22 through Jan. 26 for students to learn more and get involved.

The week will begin with tabling in the Student Union on Monday, Jan. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. SG plans to hand out foam brains as stress relievers and pins with the slogan “Kind to my mind.” Students can stop by the table to learn more about improving mental health and UNF resources available to them. A mental health-themed Trivia Night with free food will be held at 6 p.m. in the Boathouse.

On Tuesday, Jan. 23, there will be another tabling event on the green from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to the stress relieving foam brains and pins, SG will be handing out coloring books, another great tool for relieving stress.

Also, don’t miss out on expressing your creative side with Twisted Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This Twisted Tuesday may be different than the usual Twisted Tuesdays, as Student Body President Thomas Beaucham mentioned in an interview with Spinnaker that he would like to see the creative activities focus on mental health.

On Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., there will be an open house in the Counseling Center, which is located in Bldg. 2 , Room 2300. Students can visit to learn more about mental health and what the counseling center offers. At 7 p.m. there will be a basketball game at the UNF Arena, during which SG will continue to talk to students about mental health, available UNF resources, and ways to “be kind to your mind.”

From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25, SG will be on the green with “fun and games.” SG encourages students to relax and have fun during those extra free minutes between classes.

To end the week, SG will be working with the Women’s Center on Jan. 26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to host a talk about mental health. Although the activities end with the week, President Beaucham reminds us that the issue of mental health is “ongoing.”

Although you may be stressed out and feel like you never have enough time for yourself, keeping up with your own mental health is important. With this week full of events, students are given the opportunity to take that much needed break and embrace healing of the mind.

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