This fall, Union University counseling services and campus recreation will be beginning an eight-week support group to help female college students learn new ways to deal with stress, anxiety and depression. Movement has been proven to help reduce stress and to improve your mood, quality of sleep and mental clarity.
MaryLawson Day, a counselor for counseling services on campus, and Jonny Wilson, the director for campus recreation, are looking for women who want to learn more about how to care for their bodies and their minds. This is a collaborative effort between counseling services and the wellness center to equip and empower students both mentally and physically as they walk through college and all the emotions that it may bring.
“This idea was birthed out of the work I did with students and realizing that exercise is something that they weren’t capitalizing on,” said Day.
Day found that most students did not feel equipped or comfortable enough to walk into the wellness center, and it was overwhelming to them.
“The data is really clear that exercise can be as effective as talk therapy and medication,” Day said. “In sessions, I would continually ask students who were struggling with symptoms of depression or anxiety if they were integrating exercise.”
Stress, anxiety and depression can have physical symptoms as well as mental, so students cannot ignore the physical symptoms.
“You cannot separate physical and mental health,” said Day.
This group will consist of seven or more women who meet once a week, doing a different kind of exercise each week. From zumba to hiking, Day and Wilson want women to walk in and see that they can accomplish something that they did not think was possible.
“Moving Through Stress was not only a great group to consistently exercise, experience the benefits of working out and meet new friends,” said Hope Campbell, junior political science major. “But it also taught me how to set up new, healthy patterns for my life.”
After each exercise activity, Day will lead the group in a session of counseling. This provides a unique opportunity for women to build each other up and walk through life together.
Counseling services and the wellness center are here to aid students in successfully walking through college and encouraging healthy growth mentally and physically.
Students can join this group free of charge by emailing Day or filling out the registration form.
Photo courtesy of Morris Abernathy