Events and Programs to Support Mental Health
By Sian O’Sullivan
Mental Health is a priority at St Catherine’s College. All of our RAs are trained in Mental Health First Aid, and our staff are always around to chat and provide support. Every event or activity that has been run during isolation has been put together with mental health in mind, so let’s take a look at just some of the opportunities we’ve offered to support our residents during this unprecedented time.
Moonlight Meditations
Meditation has been proven to have so many benefits to mental health, and we have been so lucky to be able to have guided meditations accompanied by the therapeutic sounds of the didgeridoo played by our residents Amos and Angus.
Resilience and Anxiety Workshops
In stressful, we could all use some tips on how to deal with anxiety and develop resilience. Our residents were able to access workshops run by professionals that provided practical advice and strategies to help our residents adjust to unusual circumstances.
Art Classes
Getting creative is an excellent way to relieve stress, feel productive and practice mindfulness. Many art classes were run remotely, so residents could join in from wherever they were to learn a new artistic skill or just have fun.
Sport Classes
Keeping physically active is a massive part of staying mentally healthy, so our residents have been able to participate in sports classes or activities run twice a day. Ranging from live-streamed yoga class to hard-core fitness challenges, our residents can take a break from study and enjoy the endorphins that exercise brings.
Time to Unwind
As study has gone online, it can be easy to get caught up in deadlines and revision and forget to have fun! Sometimes a simple activity like board games, Backyard Science nights, going for a hike, cycling to the beach or a movie night works wonders to relieve stress and help you feel connected.
Academic Support
Our full tutorial programme online and was supplemented by a range of events and support to ensure our residents navigated their new learning landscape as productively as possible and with minimal stress.
Volunteering
Helping others is often the best way of feeling more positive and our wonderful residents gave back wherever possible. They offered to assist neighbours who were self-isolating with chores, volunteered online and gathered donations for disadvantaged youth in Mirabooka.
Weekly Firepits
Our residents can come and share their fears and concerns, and have any questions addressed by the Head of College.
If you’d like to read more about mental health support at St Catherine’s, check out this article about our collaboration with the Blue Tree Project.
As the College is classified as a place of home, our common areas have remained open and we are fortunate to still be able to run activities. At all times we ensured that our events and activities followed the most current rules and regulations put in place by the WA Government.
