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The month of May is designated as Mental Health Awareness Month, and here at Purdue Global, our Learning for Success Center is offering a variety of events throughout the month to help students learn about the impacts of modern life on mental health, build a resource toolkit with skills and strategies for managing stress, challenges, and difficult emotions, and advocate for mental health improvements in their communities, families, and their own lives.

We started the month with a Mental Health Awareness Month Launch Event on May 1st. This midday event is designed to energize attendees’ minds and bodies and help students prioritize their mental health for the rest of the month and beyond. We discussed resources available in our center to help students manage stress, reduce anxiety, build resilience, and develop healthier habits, including those found on our Student Wellness Resources webpage. 

From there, we start each week with a Monday Meditation. These 15-minute sessions each focus on an affirmation that students can use to improve their response to stressful and challenging situations. Meditations begin at 11 a.m. (ET) on May 6, 13, and 20. 

Following meditation on Monday, May 13, attendees can stick around to join Health Sciences Faculty Jericho Leftwich for Unlocking Emotional Freedom: A Deep Dive into Tapping Therapy at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Professor Leftwich will share the importance of self-care and stress management and explain the physiology and technique of Emotional Freedom Tapping [EFT]. Join us to learn more about EFT and the ways it can be used to manage stress and negative emotions, increase resilience and self-awareness, improve emotional well-being, and enhance the ability to navigate challenges.

On Wednesday evenings, the Learning for Success Center has partnered with the Science Center to offer a series of webinars focused on mental health issues relevant to students. On May 8, Dr. Sean Stickney’s presentation of “The Broken Mirror”:  A Journey along a Path to Body Image Understanding and Acceptance provided an introduction to body image disorders. On May 15, Dr. Melinda Linscott will present Glimmers & Triggers: Navigating Our Neuroceptive Cues, and she will present “I Think I Can”: The Power of Believing in Yourself on May 22. Dr. Stickney returns on May 29 for “When the Clouds Don’t Break”: Depression and Challenges for Higher Education. Webinars begin at 7 p.m. (ET). 

Finally, we know that social interactions are a fundamental human need and an important part of improved mental health and resilience. With limited opportunities for socializing with other students while completing an online degree, the Learning for Success Center wants to create a space where students can fellowship together while also spending time focusing on their coursework. Our students can join us on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) for Friday Fellowship & Focus, two-hour live study sessions where we study together while practicing a variety of study strategies, including the SQ3R Method, Feynman Technique, PQ4R Method, Pomodoro Technique, Mind Mapping, Color Coding, and Retrieval Practice. We begin each session with an overview of the study strategy for the day, followed by a quiet study time to focus on coursework. Students have the opportunity to interact with each other as much or as little as they would like using the chat tool, and they can share their progress, ask questions, and celebrate accomplishments together. 

We are excited to offer these programs to students in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, and we look forward to seeing you there! Students can find additional information and links for the events on the Student Webinar Calendar. 

Until next time, this is Dr. Linscott with another Learning for Success podcast. Happy learning!