Scots Prioritizing Self-Care

Wellness Wednesdays is a counseling service initiative established to involve students in caring for their own mental health and wellness. Activities are held every Wednesday from 3:00 to 3:30 pm in the upper level of Poling Hall. Led by Monmouth College counselor Tom Caudill and Cindy Beadles, the Monmouth College Director of Counseling and Accessibility Services, Wellness Wednesday participants can partake in various activities designed to promote self-care, mental health awareness and mindfulness. Wellness Wednesdays is a conglomerate of ideas from Caudill, Beadles, and the Mindful Monmouth Student Organization. “Mindful Monmouth is targeted towards the students on campus in promoting mental health awareness, as well as student outreach that also provides resources. The main goal of this organization is to maintain a healthy and supportive environment on campus” said Miracle Sims, senior Psychology major and co-leader of Mindful Monmouth. “I got involved with Mindful Monmouth because I relate strongly to the mission of maintaining good mental health.” Mindful Monmouth, in association with A.S.A.P., also sponsored Yoga on the Quad and recently, on September 23rd, sponsored the Walk for Suicide Prevention. Sims’s role with Wellness Wednesdays includes being an active participant and coming up with new ideas for crafts and activities. “My favorite part of the program is being able to do fun activities while also being with my friends. The most fun was when we made slime,” said Sims. Sims encourages students to join Wellness Wednesdays stating “I’d want students to know that Weekly Wellness Wednesdays is a safe space to come join in, have fun, and be themselves.” Tom Caudill is a licensed professional counselor with bachelor degrees in History and Psychology and a masters degree in Psychology. Caudill, who joined the Monmouth College counseling staff in 2017, describes Wellness Wednesdays as “ an open hour for students to come and practice a variety of different ways to de-stress from a busy college week… Since not everyone uses the same form of self-care, we change it up on a weekly basis to have people practice old positive habits, or to learn about new things they could do to help manage their stress and difficulties of college.” Caudill defines self-care as “as an ongoing process of taking care of ourselves with purposeful actions that help promote a healthy mind and body.” “My favorite part of the program is the variety of options we offer students,” said Caudill. “It is important that we have a variety of self-care skills and tips that we can use to manage life from day to day, so I find it exciting to see people getting to try things that they have both tried before, as well as new ways to promote positive mental health and wellness.” Options offered in the past have included Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation, and a Make and Take Craft Hour. “This past Wednesday I had Janis Wunderlich from the Art Department come in and do some art therapy prompts with the students, to focus on encouraging a positive sense of self, and improve self-esteem,” said Caudill. “Next week we will be focusing on ways in which we can become more aware of the emotions we feel and experience, and ways in which we can become comfortable with what happens to us from day to day.” Caudill explained that even though the activities change weekly, students can expect each session to begin in a similar fashion. “We do a short deep-breathing exercise to help ourselves relax and feel calmer. After this initial activity, we then move on to the coping skill or activity that is the focus of that particular week, which is what we spend the rest of the hour doing.” For students who may experience anxiety approaching new activities, Caudill offered the following advice, “It is completely understandable to be nervous to attend a group that is based around coping skills and mental health. We are welcoming for anyone who would like to come join us for these events, and feel free to bring a friend if it helps make you more comfortable. Coping skills and self-care are both important things that everyone uses from day to day, so come by the Morgan Room and join us if you have an interest in attending.”

Melanie Delbridge - Staff Writer