Shane Koyczan, internationally renowned slam poet, with HYP (Hamilton Youth Poets) shared inspiring words about mental health and ways to support yourself and each other while students at McMaster.

#MACTALKS is a place where McMaster students can share their ways to wellness.

As a new McMaster student, this is a time of transition and change, as you meet new friends, adapt to the demands of your academic program, and learn strategies to balance being a university student with all of the other demands in your life.
Campus life provides access to many exciting learning opportunities and engaging experiences. It can also be very stressful, with roadblocks and overwhelming pressures to overcome. Learning ways to support your mental health and wellbeing can be a helpful strategy. Taking care of our mental health and well-being is an integral part of our overall health.

“Mental Health is a state of well-being which the individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stress of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and its able to make a contribution to her or his own community”/ World Health Organization

Surrounding yourself with healthy and positive relationships with others helps to create an infrastructure of support.

Some ideas of ways to be social on campus:

Join a club: https://www.msumcmaster.ca/clubs

Visit the Student Wellness Lower Lounge https://wellness.mcmaster.ca/services/health-promotion/

Learning a new skill, trying something new, setting up goals for ourselves can be a helpful wellness strategy
Try a new activity offered at the Athletics and Recreation Centre: http://marauders.ca/index.aspx?path=actliv

Taking a few minutes every day to breathe, be mindful, take notice of the world around us can help manage stress. Mindfulness practice has been demonstrated to promote clarifying emotions, reducing stress, and improving mental focus.

Free mindfulness class on campus: https://rec.mcmaster.ca/programs/drop-ins/mindfulness

Physical activity can help to improve your mood, improve concentration and manage symptoms related to stress.

McMaster’s backyard has many forests, wildlife, trails, waterfalls to explore. To learn more: http://www.mcmaster.ca/nature/

From yoga, to a climbing wall, to fitness classes… check out Athletics and Recreation: http://marauders.ca/

Be aware of what works for you for reducing your stress, and also be aware of any changes to your mood, habits and overall behavior. Take notice and talk to others if you notice that there are changes. That goes the other way too – take notice of changes in those around you. Reach out to them and talk to them if you notice they have changed. Help and support are readily available on campus.

There are a variety of mental health resources available to the McMaster community. Here are list of some of the resources available to you on campus.

Student Wellness Centre, ext. 27700, provides counselling options, medical services and wellness education. To learn more: http://wellness.mcmaster.ca/

Peer Support Line, ext. 28888. There are many peer support programs available on campus. The Peer Support line can tell you about the peer support services available. They are also a confidential phone line that any McMaster student can call, providing phone and on-line based support, 7 days a week.

After Hours Resources

Call Good 2 Talk, a mental health support line for university students at 1-866-925-5454

Dial 88 for Campus Security

Visit a local emergency department

MacCreates: Film Contest

In March, 2015 McMaster students submitted films about student mental health.  The films were written and directed by McMaster students.

Final

Directed By: Sosnowski, Zofia

Picturing Wellness

Directed By: Kung, Craig

What’s the Hippo on Campus?

Directed By: Hanna H, Nikita A, Whitney H and Emily B

MacTalks: Mental Health and Wellness Resource Fair

Clubs, services and campus resources that support student mental health are invited to participate in the Resource Fair.

Arrive & Thrive

McMaster University, through funding provided by the Ministry of Training Colleges & University’s Mental Health Innovation Fund, will work with on/off campus partners to develop and implement a program to help students improve positive coping skills that support the transition of students from high school to post-secondary education. The program is made up of three parts:

• a website that encourages students to evaluate their own behaviours
• counselling services for students
• providing students with a link to campus and community counselling options.