How to Slow Down
Ever feel like you just can’t slow down? Always rushing from one thing to another? Is your mind always thinking about the next thing on the to-do list?
Students and staff filled the historic Toland Hall on Jan. 25 to attend the Mindfulness 101 workshop organized by UCSF’s Student Health & Counseling.
The educational workshops on student health take place every Wednesday at Parnassus or Mission Bay from Jan. 18 to March 22, noon to 1 p.m.
Topics focus on staying well throughout the year and previous workshops have consisted of stress management, developing healthy relationships, and coping with post-election distress.
Free lunch is provided to student attendees with an RSVP but seats fill quickly. For a complete list of student health outreach events and to sign up, visit studenthealth.ucsf.edu/calendar.
This particular afternoon, lunch consisted of a vegan ancient grain salad catered by Moffitt Catering. Lindsey Brooks, a psychologist at the Student Health Counseling Service, played a soft rock, mindful themed music video while attendees got settled in.
After an opening introduction, a meditation exercise proceeded where students and staff closed their eyes and became fully present in the moment. There was a sense of calm before being shepherded back into the busy world by Lindsey. Happiness is a skill and this workshop helped us to navigate it with just a little more ease.
The next event on Feb. 8 will be a conversation about how microaggressions impact marginalized communities and the relevance to your professional work. Learn more about microaggressions, explore how to recognize your own biases, and gain tools to navigate difficult dialogues. Learn more on the event’s registration page here.
