Events | FeaturedFebruary 27, 2022

Wellness Week Takes Flight at UAFS

Written By: Rachel Rodemann Putman

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith offices of Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have partnered to offer A Week of Wellness, a week-long program focused on self-care and emotional wellbeing from February 28 to March 4.  

Dave Stevens, Dean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at UAFS, said he pushed for the idea after experiencing first-hand the menta health crisis facing students, faculty and staff alike over the past two years.

“I know how much we’ve all been through over the past couple of years,” Stevens said. “We live in a complicated and stressful world, and we don’t always know how best to deal with it. It is so important for students, faculty and staff to identify healthy ways to manage all of the stress and pressure we deal with on a daily basis.”

According to reports by Inside Higher Ed, nearly nine in 10 students nation-wide believe there is a mental health crisis on college campuses, and seventy percent say they are experiencing pandemic-related distress or anxiety.

Stevens said he hopes the week-long slate will help provide practical skills and exercises that each individual can implement in their daily lives. “I believe supporting the emotional and physical health of our campus community fulfills our mission as an institution to improve the quality of place here in the River Valley.”

Events will take place throughout the week. To foster engagement across campus, the Lion’s Den Dining Hall will also offer $7 meals all week.

 

Monday, February 28
Mindfulness Walk - noon to 1 p.m., The Recreation and Wellness Center (RAWC) will take an invigorating walk around the indoor track on the second floor of the RAWC.  Everyone who attends this event will receive a recommended list of resources from our Counseling Center that focuses on the topic of Mindfulness.

 

Tuesday, March 1
Paint and Sip - noon to 1 p.m., located in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center 129. Light refreshments will be provided for the first 30 participants. 
Local artist Aaliyah Knowles will facilitate.
This event doubles as a kickoff to the Women’s History Month slate of events on campus.

Wednesday, March 2
Burnout Boot Camp – 4-5 p.m., located in the Windgate Auditorium.
Ms. Cheya Thousand is the founder of CT Wellness Co. and a prolific author, speaker, and Stress + Self-Care Consultant. Thousand teaches students and corporate teams the importance of managing stress and leveraging self-care tactics to thrive at work, school, and in everyday life. 

(Attend this Burnout Boot Camp workshop via Zoom by registering here.)

 

Thursday, March 3
Holding Space for Self - noon to 1 p.m., in the Baldor 101.
Ms. Cheya Thousand will hold a workshop intended primarily for students but open to faculty and staff. This session will discuss the benefits of creating a self-care routine.
Lunch will be provided for the first 25 attendees.

(Attend this Holding Space workshop via Zoom by registering here.)

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