The Flourish, May 2023

Taking Care of Your Mind and Body

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Whether you are looking to cultivate wellness, support a friend, or manage a mental illness, this month’s edition provides you with resources and support to improve your mental health and well-being.

Join us on a student's mental health healing journey living with a mental illness. We further explore the relationship of nutrition and sleep on mental health, specifically how it can impact those coping with a mental illness. We then address common stressors that you may be experiencing, from career stress to financial stress, and share advice and resources from students and alumni to cope with these stressors. No matter the challenges you may be experiencing, we hope this edition provides you with the support you need to care for yourself during this time. 

What’s Flourishing This Month?

Upcoming Events

• Fentanyl Awareness Day: Tuesday, May 9 at 11 a.m. The PEERs are hosting National Fentanyl Awareness Day to share the many ways we can reduce risks around fentanyl and keep our communities safe. From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. there will be tables with giveaways, harm reduction resources including free testing kits and free Narcan, and information about campus community resources such as Cardinal Recovery. PEERs will also be facilitating a Narcan training at 12 p.m. to teach participants how to reverse an opioid overdose. Fentanyl Awareness Day will take place in White Plaza and is open to all students, faculty, staff, and Stanford affiliates. 
• Honoring Lives, Remembering Losses: Tuesday, May 16 at 12 p.m. We invite you to come together for our university’s annual service of hope, healing, and to remember our losses and honor those who have passed. Participate in rituals to honor those who have died; take in soothing music and sacred readings about loss and hope. All losses, whether recent or in the past, will be honored. Join us on Tuesday, May 16 at 12 p.m. at CIRCLE Sanctuary, Old Union, 3rd floor.
• Narcan Training: Tuesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. This one hour PEER led workshop will cover how to recognize and reverse an opioid overdose, the history and impact of the opioid epidemic, and provides FREE Narcan and other harm reduction tools/resources to all participants. Narcan Training will take place on Tuesday, May 16 from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. at The Well House on the Row. Open to all students both undergrad and graduate, all faculty, all staff, and other Stanford affiliates. Partners/families are welcome! Please RSVP here.
• Student Grief and Loss Gathering: Wednesday, May 24 at 4 p.m. If you are currently or have ever experienced the death of a significant person in your life, or are experiencing feelings of grief in a time of uncertainty, this is an opportunity to share your experiences, suggestions, and concerns with others in a safe and supportive environment. Student Grief Gatherings are held 3x/quarter and facilitated by staff from ORSL, Well-Being, CAPS, and GLO. This event is free and open only to Stanford students. Session takes place on Wednesday, May 24 from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. in CIRCLE Sanctuary, Old Union, 3rd floor.
• Maximizing Mental Health & Wellness at Stanford: Thursday, May 25 at 6 p.m. Join the Graduate Life Office and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for a discussion about the FAQ’s and resources to support our community and individual mental health. This is an opportunity for CAs or TAs to learn more about the mental health resources available to the student community. You may also attend to learn more about the resources available to you as a graduate student. Discussion will take place on Thursday, May 25 at 6 p.m. in EVGR B 144. 
• Action Plan for Mental Health: An Action Plan for Mental Health helps to identify feelings, behaviors, and triggers that threaten well-being while building a toolbox of coping strategies and other supports. This group is open to all students and will be in-person on Thursdays, from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. at CAPS (Remaining sessions are: 5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/1). To join, please contact CAPS at 650.723.3785 during business hours (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays) and ask for a pre-group meeting, or message your therapist/contact person at CAPS.
• Dissertation Support Group: This group is a place to vent, meet other people like you, share goals and perspectives on navigating common themes (isolation, motivation, relationships), and learn some helpful coping skills to manage the stress of dissertation writing. If you're an enrolled student, located inside the state of California, and in the process of writing (whether you are just starting, or approaching completion), please consider joining us! This group will meet virtually on Mondays, from 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. (Remaining sessions are: 5/15, 5/22). Join at any point in the quarter. Sign up on the Graduate Life Office roster.
• Koru Meditation Workshop: This workshop will introduce you to the practice of mindfulness and meditation to assist you with managing stress and enriching your life. This is an educational class series, led by two CAPS therapists. This workshop is a virtual class format with four sequential Monday sessions from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.(Remaining sessions are: 5/15, 5/22). Sign up today! 
• Mixtape: Creativity and Mental Health Workshop for Black Students: This workshop series for Black creatives and creativity enthusiasts will help participants use their creative outlets as tools to manage life stressors. Workshops will be virtual on Thursdays from 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Remaining sessions are: 5/11, 5/18, 5/25). This series is for BIPOC students who are creatives or want to engage in a creative space. Sign up on the INTEREST LIST for the workshop you are interested in (sign up for one or all of them).
• OCD Support Group: This is a group for all students who live with OCD to support each other and have a safe space to connect. Sessions will take place via Zoom on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Remaining sessions are: 5/16, 5/23). Meet with the same group of people each week, including two CAPS therapists who will hold the space. Sign up to register for the interest list on the Vaden Portal or call CAPS at 650.723.3785 for more information.
• QTrees: QTrees is a process/support group for LGBTQIA+ undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford. Connect with other LGBTQIA+ to process and support each other around your identity and how that may impact your experience. Group will meet weekly on Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. in person (Remaining sessions are: 5/16, 5/23, 5/30). Sign up on the "INTEREST LIST- QTrees" in Vaden Portal rosters, in the "Groups and Workshops" section.
• Queer Yoga: Join the Weiland Health Initiative, Well-Being, and YogaX in a queer community space of movement, group discussion, and reflection time focused on yoga and life beyond. All bodies and identities are welcome! This class will be on Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Class is open to all levels of yoga experience and will provide variations for poses and props to meet ALL body needs. Extra mats, blocks, straps, and blankets will be provided! Meet outside of Kingscote Gardens (weather permitting). (Remaining sessions are: 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 5/31).
• Questioning: A discussion, support, and community space series brought to you by QSR, Weiland, and CAPS. Each meeting hopes to create space for a particular group to explore the unique experiences, challenges, and positives of questioning identity. Sessions to take place in person at QSpot from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. (Remaining sessions are: 5/16, 5/23, 5/30). Snacks provided and no RSVP necessary! Please join the discussion only if you identify with the week’s topic.
• Rooted! Black Graduate Student Support Group: Rooted! is a support group for Black-identified Stanford graduate students that is designed to be a confidential space for community, coping, connection, and support in managing graduate life at Stanford. This weekly support group will meet via Zoom on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. (Remaining sessions are: 5/10, 5/17, 5/24). To join, please contact CAPS at 650.723.3785 during business hours (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays) and ask for a pre-group meeting, or message your therapist/contact person at CAPS.
• School of Medicine BIPOC Student Support Group: This is a student-led virtual support group that will take place on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (Remaining sessions are: 5/11, 5/18, 5/25). This group is open to registered BioSci PhD/MS, MSPA, and MD students of all genders who identify as people of color. A pre-group meeting with a facilitator is required. Sign up on the “INTEREST_LIST_SOM_BIPOC Student Support_SPRING Q” in Vaden Portal in the "Groups and Workshops" section.
• Yoga and Guided Meditation: Check out these weekly opportunities to engage with others in the community for meditation and yoga. Open to Stanford affiliates. Sessions are free and no pre-registration is required. Bring your own yoga mat for yoga sessions. Sessions to take place Mondays - Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at CIRCLE Sanctuary, Old Union, 3rd floor. 
• 2023-24 Weiland Health Initiative Needs Assessment: This is a survey designed to assess the needs of the Stanford LGBT2QIA+ community and gather feedback on potential groups/workshops/community spaces that can be offered through collaborations between Weiland, QSR, CAPS, Well-Being, and other campus departments for the academic year. Complete the survey today! If you have questions about Weiland or this survey, visit weiland.stanford.edu or email weilandhealth@stanford.edu.

For additional upcoming events, check out the Office of Student Engagement