One of UCF Counseling and Psychology Services 麻豆精品 S� newest strategies in helping students alleviate anxiety and depression can be found on a 4陆-by-5陆-inch slip of paper.
Recently, CAPS mental health clinicians began carrying a 麻豆精品 S減rescription 麻豆精品 S� pad for gardening at the on-campus Arboretum. The department took a beat from Student Health Services 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淔ARMacy 麻豆精品 S� program, which launched last fall.
麻豆精品 S淲e want students thinking about their own wellness, health and self-care.”
Associate director Teresa Michaelson, who helped foster the partnership, says it is part of a larger initiative to identify spaces on campus where students can engage in a peaceful environment through activities such as mindfulness, mediation, quality social interaction with a friend or outdoor hobbies, just like gardening.
麻豆精品 S淲e want students thinking about their own wellness, health and self-care, and that 麻豆精品 S檚 why we 麻豆精品 S檙e calling this 麻豆精品 S楾hrive with CAPS, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚nstead of focusing on, 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓 depressed and sad all the time, 麻豆精品 S� let 麻豆精品 S檚 shift it to, 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓 struggling right now, so I need to take extra steps to care for myself. What are some things I can do to help me feel better? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
After rolling out the idea at a meeting in September, one of the CAPS staff members used a script that day with a student.
麻豆精品 S淥ur clinician shared that the student was incredibly excited. The student had never thought about it as an opportunity to go out and be involved, 麻豆精品 S� Michaelson says. 麻豆精品 S淲hen she got the slip, it felt all official. Like she could go to the Arboretum and say, 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓 here! 麻豆精品 S� It helped legitimize the concept. 麻豆精品 S�
Grow and Thrive
Larry Marks, a member of the CAPS clinical staff, says gardening and being out in nature leads to a number of health benefits and positive feelings, which ultimate contribute to a state of well-being.
麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 something inherent in connecting with nature, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t taps your senses in different ways from seeing the greenery and expansive views, and allows you to get away from the hectic campus life to a more calming atmosphere. You might hear some nature sounds, smell the fresh air, feel the sun and the warmth on your skin. It taps into a lot of your senses, which contributes to a sense of calmness. 麻豆精品 S�
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Additionally, the act of volunteering itself enhances those positive feelings. The community garden supplies produce to the Knights Helping Knights Pantry, where students in need can pick up some for themselves for free.
Arboretum coordinator Kelsie Johnson 麻豆精品 S�16 says the staff helps guide and teach volunteers through the steps of maintaining the community garden, and anyone within the community is welcomed and encouraged to sign up for a 2-hour morning or afternoon volunteer shift.
麻豆精品 S淲e get a couple hundred volunteers every semester, and we offer all of them the chance to provide feedback through our volunteer log. We have many students who tell us after a shift that they 麻豆精品 S檝e had fun and relieved stress, 麻豆精品 S� Johnson says.
Ways to Live a Better Life
CAPS is the only free-of-charge campus agency designated to provide comprehensive psychological services to university-enrolled students.
Thee department continually sees an increase year to year in the numbers of students served and appointments provided.
It 麻豆精品 S檚 difficult to pinpoint what 麻豆精品 S檚 causing the increase of stress and anxiety among students 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S渢hat 麻豆精品 S檚 the million-dollar question, 麻豆精品 S� Michaelson says 麻豆精品 S� but they 麻豆精品 S檙e hoping the Thrive with CAPS movement will help provide viable, pre-emptive strategies for healthier coping.
In addition to the Thrive prescription, Marks created a flyer with nearly 100 suggestions for ways to enrich one 麻豆精品 S檚 life, take care of one 麻豆精品 S檚 body and live efficiently. The list includes examples ranging from developing a personal mission statement to deep breathing exercises to arriving to school early.
麻豆精品 S淭he Thrive concept is a non-stigmatizing way of approaching mental wellness, 麻豆精品 S� Michaelson says. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e wanting you to engage in wellness behaviors not because you 麻豆精品 S檙e depressed or anxious, but because this is how you live a better life and learn to better cope with life 麻豆精品 S檚 challenges. 麻豆精品 S�
