Ways to Flourish: Recent Episodes
WellnessWM
Ways to Flourish is the podcast of W&M Health and Wellness that addresses how to be mentally healthy and flourish through our challenges. Each podcast focuses on a wellness strategy that contributes to our mental health. Featuring wellness experts and the voices of our campus, we focus on strategies that are relevant to our community.
Albeit belatedly, the Ways to Flourish is wrapping up their eighth season and fourth year in the usual fashion, by sitting down with the whole team to chat about the past, the present, and the future. Lindsay, Ginny, Calder, Lilly, Jazzy, and Cher reflect on the past semester, our upcoming summers, and the future of the podcast. We hope you all have a wonderful summer break!
P.S. It has been such an honor to have been able to work with this podcast and this team for so many years! I'm always going to treasure these little conversations, and thank you to everyone who's tuned in :) --Ginny
The health and wellness industry is currently thriving, but this success can come at the expense of accessibility and authenticity. Dr. Phil Wagner is a Clinical Associate Professor at William & Mary. He is also an instructor with Les Mills, and he hosts the podcast Diversity Goes to Work with the Mason School of Business. Today, we chat about wellness as a business, the toxic messaging that can result from the pursuit of profit, and the future of accessibility in fitness and health.
Resources:
W&M Health & Wellness
W&M Campus Recreation
Diversity Goes to Work podcast-- Phil Wagner & Mason School of Business
Maintenance Phase podcast -- Michael Hobbes & Aubrey Gordon
Environmental wellness is one of the eight Dimensions of Wellness, and it refers to not only nature, but also any physical space that one surrounds themselves with. Creating a physical space that is welcoming to all identities is vital, so in this week's episode, we're sitting down with junior Kenny Ferguson to talk about inclusive spaces on our campus. We go over what initiatives the organizations he is a part of plan for students of color, what factors go into whether a space is inclusive or not, and what we could do better as individuals to be more mindful about creating spaces that are welcome to everyone.
Resources:
Center for Student Diversity website
TribeLink cultural & identity organizations
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of drug addiction.
Azad Ashim Sharma is a writer and publisher, director of the87press, based in South London. He recently published his latest collection of poems, Boiled Owls, in which he explores drug addiction, mental health, and their relationship to capitalism and personal connection. Azad visited us in the Wellness Center to talk about the place of poetry in history, the role of creative expression in the recovery process, and his own personal experiences navigating through struggles using his art.
Resources:
Boiled Owls by Azad Ashim Sharma, available now
Azad's bio on Nightboat Books
the87press website
W&M webpage about substance abuse
W&M Counseling Center
Some of us aren't huge touchy-feely people, and some of us are. No matter what, though, physical touch has proven benefits. Kay Hamlin is our new Massage Therapist at the Wellness Center, and she's excited to be here today to talk about why we all need physical touch in our lives. We talk about what touch can do for us, how COVID has impacted our reactions to touch, and how underdiscussed yet important consent is when we're talking these subjects.
Resources:
Book a massage with a touch professional at W&M!
W&M Wellness therapeutic modality staff webpage
Taking the initiative to learn about ways to make our campus more inclusive for LGBTQ+ students is crucial! Wellness Ambassador Audrey Murcko has been building relationships between the Wellness Center and campus organizations Lambda Alliance and the Rainbow Coalition to help queer students on campus access resources. Today, we go over some of their work by talking about what programs they've been planning, how LGBTQ+ students are sometimes excluded, and what kinds of activism strategies are most impactful for creating a community of inclusion.
Resources:
Lambda Alliance Instagram
Rainbow Coalition Instagram
Center for Student Diversity LGBTQ+ Resources webpage
W&M Counseling Center
W&M TimelyCare webpage
As we continue through cold and flu season after the peak of COVID-19, it can be difficult to decide as students when we can still make it to class and when we ought to stay home. Dr. David Dafashy, Medical Director and Staff Physician at the W&M Student Health Center, is here to clear up some misconceptions. We talk about the difference between upper respiratory infections and bacterial illnesses, what we should do when we experience a particular set of symptoms, and when we should consider making a visit to the Student Health Center.
Stay healthy!
Resources:
Student Health Center website
Health Center appointment webpage
On Ways to Flourish, we're often talking about transitions. One of our biggest questions as students is what we're doing and where we're going after college, and it can turn into a big source of anxiety. Luckily, we're not alone! W&M seniors Lily Dines and Richie Carr and UVA graduate Kaitlyn Baker join us to chat about what feelings arise with graduation, what school traditions we're still trying to fit in, and what some coping strategies are for managing our anxieties.
Resources:
W&M Counseling Center
W&M Career Center
So far in our Music & Wellness series, we've been talking to people who consider music to be a huge part of what they perceive as their well-being. Today, Dr. Max Katz, Associate Professor of Music at W&M, helps us turn a critical lens to music as a form of wellness, as well as what music and wellness are in general. We chat about what role music has in his life, how music can be used in ways that may not qualify as "wellness," and what questions we should be asking to remain curious in our perspectives.
Acupuncture services are now available at W&M! But, chances are, you haven't experienced it before and you don't know much about it. Luckily, Dr. Haunani Chong Drake, our Licensed Acupuncturist and Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, is here to explain to us how she got into the field, how Acupuncture works, and what positive benefits the practice can have on our physical and mental well being.
Interested learning more? Want to book a session now? Check out the resources below!
Resources:
Learn more about Acupuncture at W&M
Book an Acupuncture session (30min Acupuncture Lounge or 45-60min individual session)
Conditions treated by Acupuncture:
The Acupuncture Evidence Project
Evidence Map of Acupuncture for Pain
Acupuncture research:
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Evidence Based Acupuncture
World Health Organization
U.S. Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development
Welcome back to Part 2 of our conversation with Candice Fox, Assistant Director of Health Promotion and Sexual Violence Prevention! We are finishing up our conversation about how social media affect relationships, this time with the lens of creating healthy boundaries and knowing what we want in our romantic or sexual relationships. We cover what it takes to start thinking about your boundaries, what some examples are of seemingly healthy or unhealthy famous couples, and how different forms of media can alter our views on what's right for us.
If you missed the first part of this conversation, don't forget to check out Part 1!
Resources:
loveisrespect.org
The Haven at W&M
Sexual & Relationship Violence Prevention webpage
W&M Counseling Center
W&M Student Health Center
Ways to Flourish is back with another Valentine's Day special! We sit back down with the Assistant Director of Health Promotion & Sexual Violence Prevention, Candice Fox, to do a little gossiping--what role does social media play in our relationships and the ways we perceive others'? We chat about some examples of couples using their platforms to show off their relationships, signs of an unhealthy relationship based on what they show on social media, and some red flags that could occur in our own relationships.
Stay tuned next week for Part 2 of the conversation!
Resources:
loveisrespect.org
The Haven at W&M
Sexual & Relationship Violence Prevention webpage
W&M Counseling Center
W&M Student Health Center
Balancing mental health with life is a difficult task for anyone, but this topic sometimes gets pushed aside in the world of sports and being a student-athlete. Amy Schwem, a Psychology and Kinesiology major and member of the Tribe Women's Volleyball team, comes in to continue the conversation about how important taking care of mental health is, not only as an athlete, but also simply as a college student. We talk about what barriers exist to talking about mental health, how student-athletes' lives be glamorized, and what strategies we can use in our busy lives to focus on our mental well being.
Note: This episode was recorded by the Ways to Flourish team in October 2023.
Resources:
W&M Counseling Center
The Hidden Opponent
Tribe Volleyball Instagram page
Tribe Athletics website
Welcome back to another semester of classes and the eighth season of Ways to Flourish! Our team has grown: Cheryl will be taking the mic, and Jazzy will be helping out behind the scenes. We're so excited to get started this semester and have some fun conversations with new and familiar faces alike! Stay tuned every Wednesday for a new episode.
Questions? Feedback? Know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to our email wellness@wm.edu or DM our Instagram account @wellnesswm!
It's the last episode of the season, which means the Ways to Flourish team is once again getting together to talk about the semester. Lindsay, Ginny, Lilly, and Calder have a cozy chat about how we've been, our favorite episodes of the semester, and what we're looking forward to in the future.
Have an idea for an episode? Questions? Just want to reach out to say hi? DM us on Instagram @wellnesswm or email us at wellness@wm.edu.
Thank you so much for sticking around with us--we're so excited to see where the next few months take us. Good luck on finals, and have a wonderful Winter Break!
In the second episode of our Music & Wellness series, we are talking about the benefits of making music. Sound and the body have a strong relationship, and creating music is the livelihood of many. Today, we talk to Townsend T, a singer-songwriter and mental health advocate from Arkansas. We go over how she got into music, how it has helped her during challenging times, and what she has learned by doing her You're Not Alone project. Keep an eye out for Townsend next time she is in Williamsburg, and check out her new EP!
Resources:
Townsend's website
Townsend's Spotify profile
College is supposed to prepare us for real-world workforce. However, most people will find at their first job that the learning curve can be quite steep. Nikita Khandheria, a W&M senior and CEO of the fine dining restaurant Ditas in Marin County, has experienced workforce culture shock firsthand on an especially extreme level. Today, she talks about how she got to where she is, how difficult it can be to balance all of life's demands with mental health and success, and what advice she has for those stepping into the workforce.
Resources:
Ditas Marin website
Nikita's Instagram
It's almost Thanksgiving, so we're all probably thinking about food. Luckily, we have Abe Konick, owner of Abe's Kitchen and previous contestant on MasterChef, as well as Wellness Ambassador Anne Ryan Gareis, to talk to us about how food can appeal to all 8 Dimensions of Wellness. Abe tells us about where his love of food came from, how food brings us all together, why national food insecurity is a problem, and how we can improve our cooking in college.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break too all, and remember to use more salt!
Resources:
Abe's Kitchen website
Abe's Kitchen Instagram
The Matoaka Bottom Feeders' Instagram page reads "Tight lines and good times. Conservation, Mental Health, Sustainability." The student org was established a few years ago to allow William & Mary students to engage in their favorite hobby while contributing to local research. This week, we are casting our lines out to Co-Founders Xavier Starrs and Dudley Harmer to talk about why fishing can be wellness, too. We discuss how the club came to be, how getting on the water improves our mental health, and how the club supports conservation efforts.
Resources:
Matoaka Bottom Feeders TribeLink
Matoaka Bottom Feeders Instagram
matoaka.bottomfeeders@gmail.com
Hey, what kind of music do you like? Listening to music provides a way for us to connect with our emotions and the people around us. In this first episode of our new Music & Wellness series, we talk to senior Lauren Peterson about what her relationship to music is, how she feels like music can change her emotional state, and what she does to expand her music taste.
We are back this week with Part 2 of our Wellness in Greek Life series! We are continuing the conversation with seniors Emma Brooks and Peter Semaan, but this time, we're coming at the topic from a different angle. We recognize and deconstruct systemic issues and barriers within Greek life, as well as explain how these obstacles look from the inside perspective.
Make sure to catch Part 1 if you missed it before!
Resources:
W&M Kappa Alpha Theta Instagram page
W&M Kappa Alpha Order Instagram page
Greek life and wellness are not necessarily things you'd immediately think of going together, but being a member in a social sorority or fraternity goes deeper than people outside that sphere sometimes realize. Seniors Emma Brooks and Peter Semaan join us for a two-part series to discuss the role of well-being in their Greek life organizations. In Part 1, we talk about what their favorite parts about being involved in Greek life are, how their organizations address the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, and how W&M's specific culture of Greek life is especially unique. Stay tuned next week for Part 2!
Resources:
W&M Kappa Alpha Theta Instagram page
W&M Kappa Alpha Order Instagram page
One must define their own personal wellness. Luckily, the Wellness Center has a new face around to help us do that--meet Dr. Khaliah Wilson, our Assistant Director of Health Promotion! In this week's episode, we chat about what she has noticed about our campus since arriving, how she practices wellness, and how the Office of Health Promotion can be a resource for students.
Resources:
Health Promotion Wellness Mindset website
kwilson02@wm.edu
Food insecurity and historic food-related inequity is a topic at William & Mary that does not necessarily get talked about enough, as it is something that many students have never had to experience themselves. The Campus Food Exchange is a confidential program that provides access to nonperishable food, household products, and personal hygiene products to students, faculty, and staff. Campus Minister with the Wesley Campus Ministry Max Blalock joins us today to talk about what the Campus Food Exchange does, how food insecurity is a real historic (and often ignored) issue in the City of Williamsburg, and what some misconceptions are about the Wesley House.
Campus Food Exchange Hours:
Sadler Location, Rm. 157
Sunday-Thursday 7:00am -- 12:00am
Friday-Thursday 7:00am -- 1:00am
Wesley Location (526 Jamestown Rd.)
Mondays 1:00pm -- 3:00pm
Thursdays 4:30pm -- 6:30pm
Saturdays 3:00pm -- 5:00pm
Resources:
Max's email: mwblalock@wm.edu
Max's phone number: (757) 634-7406
Campus Food Exchange website
Dr. Kelly Crace, Associate VP for Health & Wellness at the Wellness Center, joins us once again! This time, we are talking about authentic excellence in organizations, as well as how to create flourishing "&" cultures instead of "or" cultures. We also touch on the Life Values Inventory, which helps individuals determine their personal values and in turn help them flourish in their teams.
Kelly's book about authentic excellence for organizations is available now!
Resources:
Life Values Inventory website
Center for Mindfulness & Authentic Excellence (CMAX) website
Authentic Excellence for Organizations: Creating Flourishing "&" Cultures by R. Kelly Crace, Charles J. Hardy, and Robert L. Crace
Meet Candice Fox, William & Mary's new Assistant Director of Health Promotion and Sexual Violence Prevention Specialist! Candice is incredibly excited to be on campus and begin connecting with students. We talk about her background, her passion for prevention, and what healthy relationships mean (and don't mean) to her. Stay tuned for future episodes with her!
Resources:
clfox@wm.edu
The Haven
The Avalon Center
The Avalon Center's 24/7 Helpline: (757) 258-5051
If you use the dining halls on campus, you've seen the changes this year. Aramark is William & Mary's new food service company that is going to focus on quality and innovation while being accessible to all students on campus. Becky Vick is Aramark's Health and Wellness Manager who is a resource for our students. Today, she talks to us about her background, her passions regarding diet and nutrition, and her role at William & Mary.
Resources:
vick-rebecca@aramark.com
Today in our bonus episode, find a comfortable seat and get ready to quiet your mind. Becca Marcus, psychotherapist with the W&M Wellness Center, leads us in a guided meditation session. To learn more about mindfulness and get to know Becca better, check out our previous episode "Even You Can Practice Mindfulness." And, whenever you want a few moments of peace and calm, feel free to come back here!
Resources:
bnmarc@wm.edu
"Mindfulness" is one of those words that can have the tendency to draw someone away if they don't completely understand what it is or how to practice it. Luckily, psychotherapist Becca Marcus is here to explain how mindfulness can be beneficial to anyone's life, no matter if they're practicing a formal or informal version of it. If you'd like an extended tutorial on how to be be more mindful, consider signing up for one of Becca's free Introduction to Mindfulness classes! Also, stay tuned for Friday for when Becca leads us through a mindfulness meditation session!
Resources:
Link to Introduction to Mindfulness: Bit.ly/MindfulnessWM
Becca's email: bnmarc@wm.edu
Season 7 of Ways to Flourish is here! Lindsay, Calder, and Ginny are back in the recording room after a semester and a summer away. We talk about our past few months, our hopes for the upcoming semester, and some of this season's guests. Ways to Flourish releases every Wednesday, and you can listen to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or however else you get your podcasts. We hope everyone has had a spectacular FDOC, and we'll see you back here next week!
Have an idea for an episode? Have a question? Want to give us feedback? Email us at wellness@wm.edu or DM our Instagram @wellnesswm!
It's once again that time of the semester where we get to sit down and reflect on how the past few months have gone, as well as look forward to the future. Ginny and Calder have a long-distance chat about the expectations versus realities of our semesters, some work culture differences between William & Mary and France, and what we're looking forward to come summer and fall.
If you're still tuning into our little conversations, thank you so very much for being here! We love creating this podcast, and we hope our listeners can get as much out of it as we do making it. Good luck on final classes and exams, and Ways to Flourish will see you back here in the fall!
The month of May is Women's Health Month, which means that there is all the more reason to learn about what resources are available on campus that pertain to women's health. W&M VOX: Planned Parenthood Generation Action is a club that advocates for reproductive justice. Today, we talk to Becca Gaylin, President of VOX (and our very own Wellness Ambassador!), about what the club stands for, what meetings typically look like, why one may choose to use the term "pro-abortion" over "pro-choice," and how reproductive justice is for everyone.
Resources:
W&M VOX Instagram page
Planned Parenthood website
Youth ASC Resources
REPRO Rising Virginia
Sister Song website
Center for Reproductive Rights
Being at William & Mary, we've probably experienced imposter syndrome at some point. Although common, it is not insurmountable. Today, we unpack imposter syndrome with Kelly Crace, Associate VP for Health & Wellness. We chat about how imposter syndrome manifests, what factors can lead to imposter syndrome, and how we can create a healthy sense of "enoughness."
Join yoga therapist Patti DeBlass as she leads us through a real-time breath work session! As we talked about last week, breath work includes various techniques that involve our breathing, and it can be a pretty broad definition. Though there are many different techniques for various situations, the session today is meant to help you take a little pause to work on your physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness during a busy time of the semester. So, grab a chair, close your eyes, and hit play!
Yoga therapist Patti DeBlass believes in the power of breathing. In this week's episode, we discuss how mindful breathing can help us through our day, what some misconceptions are about breath work, and how certain techniques are integrated into other meditational practices, like yoga. Stay tuned for next week's experiential episode when Patti leads us through a session of breath meditation!
We have talked a lot on Ways to Flourish about meditation and its benefits, but did you know that you can even take classes about it? Dr. Mark McLaughlin leads a class called "Meditation & Wellness" during which students have the opportunity to learn about how meditation can be integrated into everyone's lives, and with registration coming up, it should definitely be on your list! Today, we sit down with Prof. McLaughlin and three of his students (who also happen to be Wellness Ambassadors!): Kevin Aviles, Max Beers, and Anne Ryan Gareis. We chat about what students learn about in Prof. McLaughlin's course, how meditation has impacted these students' senses of self, and how they integrate meditation into their own daily routines.
Ways to Flourish hopes that you have had a great spring break and that you are entering the second half of the semester feeling refreshed and mentally well. Speaking of mental wellness, the new wellness tracking app WeBe is launching right now at William & Mary!
WeBe allows its users to track their mental health while engaging with their chosen communities. In today's episode, we talk to Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, co-founder of WeBe Life, Inc., about what the WeBe app is capable of, how it differs from other available mental health technology, and how her extensive background in mental health relates to her work with WeBe. Download WeBe today from the App Store or Google Play!
Resources:
WeBe website
WeBe YouTube channel
WeBe on the App Store
WeBe on Google Play
More about Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen
We all love our furry friends, but did you know that pet therapy is actually supported by science? We sit down to chat with Dr. Mark Sullivan, the handler of therapy dog Stella, as well as senior Grace Phillips about what pet therapy is, what kind of traits make an animal good at animal therapy, who benefits from pet therapy, and what Grace's research about animal therapy has found.
Make sure to visit the Wellness Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 1pm to visit Stella, and keep posted with other pet therapy events around campus!
Our beautiful campus has practically been made for biking, and the recent nice weather means that getting outside is becoming easier than ever. The W&M Bike Alliance has existed for a long time, but it has seen renewed life in the last couple of years. Today, we chat with student Bike Ambassadors Charlotte Russell and Drew Laird about what can be the physical, mental, and environmental benefits of cycling, what amazing places cycling can take you, and how the Bike Alliance can offer a great community (and free bike fix-ups!) to W&M students.
Resources:
Bike Alliance webpage
Bike Alliance Instagram
People always say that studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and this is certainly true. However, like most things, study abroad brings its own challenges that we sometimes don't talk about enough. In today's episode, we sit down with students Ciara Curtin and Zak Zeledon to talk about how study abroad has changed their habits and worldviews, how study abroad can bring unexpected obstacles, and what advice they have for students thinking about going abroad.
Resources:
Global Education Office website
In celebration of Valentine's Day, this week, Ways to Flourish is again diving into conversations about healthy relationship practices! Hannah Artiles-Stravers from the Office of Health Promotion and sophomore Krithika Layagala discuss an article posted to the New York Times entitled "Dating is Broken. Going Retro Can Fix It." We talk about what we agree with in the article, what the benefits and drawbacks are of the popular event "Marriage Pact," and how some "retro" dating practices can be reincorporated back into our modern dating society.
Resources:
Original article
Office of Health Promotion website
The Haven website
The Black & Brown Girl Expressive Arts initiative seeks to provide a therapeutic environment for Black and Brown women on William & Mary's campus. Today we talk to the creator of the initiative, Wellness Ambassador Raven Pierce, about what the Black & Brown Girl Wellness Series is, how art can be effective as a form of therapy, and why it is necessary to have spaces on campus dedicated to different cultural groups. Stay updated with upcoming wellness events on the Wellness Center's website!
Resources:
Wellness Events Calendar
Nutrition and diet never have to be boring. Today, we have a great chat with the school's new Dietitian Julia Green about the history of dieting, some common misconceptions that we can bust open, why we often get caught up with "diet culture," and how the Campus Dietitian can be a great resource for students. If you see Julia around campus, don't hesitate to say hello (and in the meantime, don't forget to drink water)!
Resources:
Dietitian's webpage
Contact Julia at jgreen01@wm.edu
Happy FDOC! You may have heard of or seen Fun Max by now, but do you know why he exists? Today, we sit down to chat with Wellness Ambassador Max Beers to discuss what the Fun Max initiative is, why he dons the Fun Max mantle, and what some upcoming plans are during the new semester.
Catch up with Fun Max's shenanigans @wmfunmax on TikTok or at @wellnesswm on Instagram!
Ways to Flourish is back for Season 6! We hope you feel ready to return to campus and begin the year of 2023. Once again, campus will be bustling, but this time the weather will be warming us over the weeks.
We've had some really incredible conversations this semester. Although they have been pre-recorded, we are still around, so please do not hesitate to reach out! Email wellness@wm.edu, or visit our website to learn more.
Whether this past semester for you has been filled with vigor, lethargy, or both, it seems to have left many of us feeling drained and in need of some well-deserved rejuvenation. As Winter Break gets underway, the team chats about the past few months as well as what we're looking forward to in the new year.
We at Ways to Flourish wish you peace and warmth wherever you are, and we'll catch you back here very soon for Season 6!
During finals week, we at Ways to Flourish hope you are taking time for yourself and caring for each and every one of your dimensions of wellness! We are finishing out our two-month 8D series by talking to Wellness Ambassadors Rebekah Cohodas and Punnammal Gross. We take a deep dive into how spirituality is related to religion, how we can tell we should better tap into our spiritual wellness, and what we can do to seek activities that leave us feeling fulfilled and spiritually satiated.
Resources:
8 Dimensions webpage
Spirituality & Faith webpage
As we are continuing on with the last week of classes for the fall semester, we may be thinking about making plans with friends for the weekend, which means it's as great a time as ever to talk about the social dimension of wellness. We chat with Wellness Ambassadors Emma Herber and Raven Pierce about how to find your people at W&M, how social interactions can and should make us feel, and what we do to care for our social well being. Have a wonderful and safe LDOC!
Resources:
Nod app website
8 Dimensions webpage
We at Ways to Flourish hope you've had a rejuvenating Thanksgiving! Today, we're forging on with our 8D series by talking to Wellness Ambassadors Lily Dines and Marion Biondi about physical wellness, one of the most well-known (but neglected!) dimensions. We chat about how physical wellness encompasses more than just exercise, how important sleep is while in college, and what ways we like to care for our physical well-being.
Resources:
Campus Recreation webpage
8 Dimensions webpage
We are continuing on with our 8D series today by talking about occupational wellness! "What are you doing after college?" is the dreaded question that so many college students are asked on a daily basis, and while it definitely isn't necessary to know quite yet, taking steps to care for our occupational wellness can lower stress and add meaning to our lives. We talk to WAs Claire Aminuddin and Emma Voorhees about when we should begin worrying about our careers, how we can care for occupational wellness without having a long-term plan, and what resources on campus will help us explore our career options.
Resources:
Career Development & Professional Engagement website
8 Dimensions webpage
8D is back! Today's dimension is intellectual, a dimension we often engage in given our roles at a university, but for which there are also many ways to tap into outside a classroom. We talk to Wellness Ambassadors Anne Ryan Gareis and Audrey Murcko about what we should prioritize in relation to intellectual wellness, how we can find motivation to seek intellectual stimulation outside school, and how we can share our intellectual hobbies with others.
Resources:
8 Dimensions webpage
Welcome back to the 8 Dimensions series! Today, we are talking about financial wellness, a dimension that is often overlooked but is applicable to everyone no matter their life stage. The financial world can seem convoluted at first, but Sam Gruber, a Peer Educator from the Boehly Center's Financial Literacy Program, breaks down why it's important to care about finances while still in college, how we can begin productive conversations about money, and what we can do to take care of our financial well-being.
Resources:
8 Dimensions webpage
W&M Financial Literacy Program
Welcome back to the 8D Series! We've talked about environmental wellness on the podcast before, but we've talked a little less about the fact that environmental wellness is not just nature surrounding you. We unpack this fact with Wellness Ambassador Elena McCullough as we also talk about what spaces make us feel the most ourselves, how much contact with the outdoors will make a difference in our lives, and where the best outdoor study spaces are on campus.
Resources:
8 Dimensions webpage
We often reference the Eight Dimensions of Wellness on the Ways to Flourish podcast, but we know that eight different dimensions are a lot to keep track of and truly understand. To help with this, we're beginning a series to tackle each dimension in more depth: Welcome to the 8 Dimensions series!
Today, we are kicking off the series with Wellness Ambassadors Becca Gaylin and Katie Diehl to talk about the emotional/mental dimension of wellness. We chat about how a college environment can place stress on our mental well-being, how we can be positive without ignoring our negative emotions, and what resources we can access if we need a little help.
Resources:
8 Dimensions webpage
Ways to Flourish is on the run! William & Mary Homecoming 2022 just took place last weekend, and amidst all of festivities, Ways to Flourish set up on Sadler Terrace to ask W&M alumni and current students a couple questions. To the alumni, we asked the question, "What is one piece of advice you have for your past self?," and to current students, we asked, "What is one way that you flourish on this campus?"
Take a listen to what they choose to reflect upon, and have a happy belated Homecoming!
College is confusing. The college dating scene can be even more confusing, and it's often difficult to figure out what's "healthy" when there are competing pressures of new experiences, other people's opinions, and the media. Today, we talk to Hannah Artiles-Stravers, Assistant Director of the Office of Health Promotion and Sexual Violence, as well as student Eli Svoboda about what challenges arise when dating in college, what effects "hookup culture" has had, and how to know what is best for you in a relationship.
What sounds better to you: learning behaviors that make you feel better temporarily, or learning behaviors that intend to make you holistically healthier for the long term? The answer's clear! SOS (Self-Care Over Soothing) is a program available to W&M students that takes an integrative approach to wellness. Today, we talk to T Davis, Assistant Director of Health Promotion, about the structure of SOS, how the model developed, and how it meets students where they are to help them reach their health goals.
Resources:
SOS website
Organizations on our campus have a lot of opportunities to support specific causes and organize events to raise awareness. It is still Suicide Prevention Month for the month of September, so today, we are talking to Cole McAndrew, William & Mary alumnus and the previous coordinator for the Out of Darkness Campus Walk planned in conjunction with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We talk about what Cole's role has been in organizing the walk, how campus organizations advocate for their causes, and how college students could show support for the topics that they care about.
Resources:
W&M Suicide Prevention Coalition website
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website
September 16-18 is W&M Women's Weekend, a time for attendees to gather back on our campus to connect and reconnect. It is a continuing initiative philanthropically supported by the Society of 1918. Today, we speak to Dr. Val Cushman, Senior Director of Engagement and Inclusion Initiatives, about what her experience has been as a woman leader at W&M, why establishing a network is so vital, and how young women can take steps to reach a phenomenal life.
Resources:
Women's Weekend website
Society of 1918 website
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide and self-harm.
Suicide Prevention Week 2022 is September 4 to September 10, right in the middle of Suicide Prevention Month. This episode is posted in the midst of various initiatives the Wellness Center has planned for this week. In today's episode, we have a valuable conversation with Dr. Kevin Clancey, Assistant Director of Clinical Services at W&M, about what can cause a person to become suicidal, what common misconceptions exist about suicide and suicide prevention, and how William & Mary addresses crisis situations in the short-term and long-term.
Resources:
988 is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (for emergencies, call 911)
W&M Counseling Center: 757-221-3620 (available 24/7)
W&M Police: 911 or 757-221-4596
More about Suicide Prevention Month/Week
Everyone at William & Mary knows about Student Transition Engagement Programs (STEP), and every student went through STEP's Orientation program when they were new to the school. No matter how important one thinks STEP may be for the school, it's probably more vital than they think. We talk to Lauren Garrett, Director of STEP, about what she organizes, why college transitions are specifically so difficult sometimes, and what advice we have for college freshmen. Have a wonderful FDOC!
Going to college is one of life's biggest changes. We meet new people, learn new things, and have experiences we never would have imagined before. But transitioning from one phase of life to another can be hard. Today, we welcome back Dr. Kelly Crace, Associate VP for W&M Health & Wellness, to talk about why college transitions are difficult, why it's so hard to navigate change in general, and how to shift our mindset to be more healthy and manageable.
Welcome back to Ways to Flourish! We are booting up the fifth season of the podcast and our 81st episode with a smaller, but still familiar team. We're kicking off the season by talking about things we've learned in the past, advice we have for incoming freshmen, and resources that might help you kick off the year. Stay tuned every Wednesday to listen to our episodes on Buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts. We can't wait to get started!
It's the Season 4 finale! The entire Ways to Flourish team sits down to talk about the last couple of years, during which this campus and this team have seen many shifts and changes. Lindsay, Ginny, Ben, Daria, and Calder have loved producing the podcast this season, and although we bid farewell to Ben and Daria, we also look forward to what Season 5 has to bring. Thank you for a wonderful semester, and we'll see you back here in the fall!
It's finals season, and that means we're all looking for ways to destress. The Climbing Wall at the Rec Center is a great way to do just that! Today, we talk to Claire Hutcheson, a Climbing Wall Attendant and TAP Leader, about how to access the Climbing Wall, how rock climbing is beneficial physically and mentally, and what jobs are available for the Climbing Wall.
Resources:
Climbing Wall webpage
Rec Center Employment Opportunities
Tribe Adventure Program (TAP) webpage
Wellness Rocks is an initiative began by Wellness Ambassador Marissa Del Zingaro to help connect and destress the W&M community. Today, we talk to Marissa about how Wellness Rocks work, what benefits this initiative can have on our well-being, and what other projects the WAs are working on at the moment.
Resources
Upcoming May 2 Wellness Rocks Signup
For our Q&A episode a few weeks ago, we received a question after recording that we did not get the chance to address. Even though COVID-19 isn't over, getting back into the "flow" of socialization is a problem that all of us have been experiencing. Today, the entire Ways to Flourish team comes together to talk about how social anxiety can affect our day-to-day interactions, how COVID has changed our approach to socialization, and what steps we can take to find our place in such a vibrant, bustling community.
William & Mary gives students the opportunity to join a wide variety of dance groups on campus, even if they have no previous experience. Today, we talk to Shriya Pothireddy of W&M Afsana, Meeran Khan of Griffin Bhangra, and Heidi Zmick of W&M Heritage Dancers about their respective cultural dance groups. We discuss how they got involved in their groups, how dance has helped them maintain their physical well-being, and how their groups have contributed to their sense of identity on campus.
Resources:
Afsana email: afsana@email.wm.edu
Afsana Instagram
Heritage Dancers email: heritagedancers@email.wm.edu
Heritage Dancers Facebook Group
Bhangra Instagram
Bhangra Venmo: GriffinBhangra
Discrimination in health care is unfortunately still very present, and LGBTQ+-identifying people often experience unique challenges in seeking medical care. Today, we are joined by Vincent SheaBerry, President of the Rainbow Coalition, to discuss what obstacles queer individuals face in health care, how we can increase equity at our school and wider health care industry, and what events the Rainbow Coalition has planned in the next few weeks. W&M Pride Week 2022 is April 10-17!
Resources:
Get in contact with Vincent at jrsheaberry@wm.edu
Rainbow Coalition Instagram
Tribe Card Form
Virginia Transgender Resource and Referral List on the W&M Wellness website
The Trevor Project website contains even more resources for LGBTQ+ individuals
April is Undergraduate Research Month! Engaging in research as an undergraduate is not an opportunity everywhere, but at William & Mary, the possibilities are endless. Today, we are joined by Director of Undergraduate Research Dr. Dan Cristol, as well as student researchers Daniel Posthumus and Leo Murphy. We discuss what our own undergrad research journeys have been, why research is so fulfilling, and how one knows if research is right for them.
Resources:
Charles Center website
The libraries are here to help! If you keep up with campus opportunities at all, you have probably heard of or participated in Swem's destressing events, especially during exam seasons. Today, we talk to Tami Back, Director of Communications & Strategic Planning, about how library facilities promote student wellness, why it tries to help students destress, and what events are coming up this semester.
Resources:
W&M Libraries website
Sustainability is often misunderstood-- it's a lot more than turning off lights and not using plastic straws. Its goals are often much more far-reaching than most people realize, which means there are a lot more ways people can get involved! Today, we sit down Graduate Assistant Maddie Saul from the Office of Sustainability to discuss how to define sustainability, why we should care about it, and what events the Office of Sustainability has planned for this semester.
Resources:
W&M Sustainability website
How about a semester check-in? This week on Ways to Flourish, we open the floor to questions submitted by students of William & Mary. We talk about how to add things to your plate when it's already getting full, how to manage busy schedules, and how to talk to acquaintances who may be struggling.
Resources:
SLD Depth Over Breadth
Seize the Awkward website
Looking for something fun to do around campus that will get you outside and enjoying everything nature has to offer? This spring, consider picking up a kit from the Wellness Center to participate in the Bird Scavenger Hunt! Today, we sit down with project organizers Caroline Taylor and Lauren Lam to discuss what the scavenger hunt is, how it can benefit one's physical and mental wellness, and how one can get involved.
Resources:
Bird Scavenger Hunt website
Making decisions about life after college or applying to jobs during college is often something dreaded by college students, but William & Mary's Career Center is a resource for students to make the most out of their career journeys. Today, we sit down with Kelly O'Shaughnessy, Associate Director of Career Engagement, to talk about how occupational wellness fits in with our 8 Dimensions of Wellness, what effects work dissatisfaction can have on one's life, and how the Career Center can help students make important career choices.
Resources:
Contact Kelly at kellyo@wm.edu
Office of Career Development & Professional Engagement website
Esports is a $1.1 billion industry that is becoming ever more popular, and William & Mary's Esports program is flourishing, too. Because Esports players face some unique challenges from that of other sports and competitive groups, our program has members who are dedicated to helping players look after their mental health. Allen Ngo and Caleb Rivers join us today to talk about what the Esports program does, what Wellness Esports Pioneers do to help players, and how the advice they give to players can apply to any one of us.
Resources:
W&M Esports website
W&M Esports Discord
Welcome back to Season 4 of the Ways to Flourish podcast! We are so excited to get started and dive back into wellness this semester. Today, we are talking about a skill that everyone needs, but many struggle with: time management. We talk to Claire Forbes (Assistant Director of Academic Enrichment Programs) and Ashley Kohl (Academic Coach), both from William & Mary's TutorZone. We discuss why time management is so often a struggle, how a lack in time management skills affects our overall wellness, and how individuals can take steps to better manage their time.
Episodes of Ways to Flourish are published every week on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the W&M Wellness website, or wherever else podcasts are found!
Resources:
TutorZone website
tutorzone@wm.edu
Welcome to the season 3 finale of Ways to Flourish! For our final episode of the season, we sit down with Reggie Williams, writer, civil rights activist, Disney executive, and former NFL player. He talks to us about building resilience, giving gifts, tackling the unknown, and speaking truths, all through the lens of his incredible life experiences. As we continue finals season, find your resilience.
Enjoy your break, and we will see you next semester for the next season of Ways to Flourish!
As we head into finals season, it is natural to feel overwhelmed, but it's not something we want to experience. Today, we sit down with Dr. Kelly Crace, Associate VP for Health and Wellness, to talk about "chronic too-muchness," why we tend to fall into negative mindsets, and how we can employ strategies to foster self-compassion. When we rethink trust and compassion, we can rethink our relationships and how to get the support we need and deserve.
Resources
Center for Mindfulness and Authentic Excellence (CMAX)
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of diets and unhealthy eating patterns.
Diet culture has become pervasive in our society in large part due to misinformation spread through social media. Wanting to try new diets and eating patterns is especially common during and after the holidays. This week, Stephanie May, William & Mary's Registered Dietitian, talks to us about the unhealthy practices many people often fall into around the holidays, common misconceptions about nutrition and dieting, and trustworthy resources people can consult for reliable nutrition information. Most importantly, enjoy your Thanksgiving, and while being mindful, enjoy your food!
Resources
Stephanie's page
eatright.org
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 14 million Americans are newly infected with HPV each year. Nancy Moul, a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner at W&M, talks to us today about how HPV impacts college students, what some common misconceptions are about HPV, how one can get the HPV vaccine GARDASIL 9, and how one can take precautions to prevent HPV.
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of self-harm and suicide.
Today, we sit down with Dr. Jennifer Cross, Director of Research at the Center for Gifted Education and Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted Students. We discuss how to check in on friends, why suicide is so prevalent in the college age group, and how William & Mary's suicide prevention efforts differ from other colleges.
Resources:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741
W&M Campus Connect website (to contact, email campusconnect@wm.edu)
W&M Suicide Prevention Coalition website
The Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted Students
The Jed Foundation website
The term "spirituality" often gets misunderstood, with many thinking it is the same concept as religion. Even though it is one of the eight dimensions of wellness, spiritual wellness is often overlooked and neglected, particularly in higher education. Jenny Call, Wellness Professional and Health Coach, talks to us today about how spirituality has developed, how it benefits our well-being, and how someone who may want to tap into their spirituality can begin their journey.
Contact Jenny Call about spiritual wellness at jfcall@wm.edu.
The Bee McLeod Recreation Center offers many services and resources to help you keep up your physical (and, therefore, mental) health. These include FitWell classes and personal training. Today, Devin Pereira, Personal Training Supervisor, joins us to talk about what personal training at W&M looks like, how regular movement benefits our mental well-being, and what someone should do if they are interested in becoming more regularly active.
Information on applying to become a personal trainer at W&M can be found here. Fall 2021 applications are due 10/29/21.
Email dmpereira@email.wm.edu if you have any questions about personal training.
Relationships in college are often filled with new experiences, and with new experiences can arise new problems. For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we have a discussion with Liz Cascone (Director of the Haven), Hannah Artiles-Stravers (Sexual Violence Prevention Specialist and Asst. Director of the Office of Health Promotion), Priya Singh (member of HOPE), and Erica Eubank (Haven employee). We talk about what healthy relationships look like, what red flags people should look out for, where we often get our expectations of relationships, and what someone should do if they begin to question the health of a relationship.
Resources:
The Haven websiteThe Avalon Center of Williamsburg
All too often, we find ourselves getting caught up in our day-to-day lives and struggling to keep going by ourselves. Today, Eric Garrison, co-host of the Ways to Flourish podcast, gives a talk that everyone should hear: seeking sensible support shows strength. There are resources available to help you. Be open to reaching out to them, because everyone deserves to feel less alone.
Regular contact with nature is a huge part of improving mental well-being. Today, Dr. Dorothy Ibes, Senior Lecturer, sits down with us to explain what the Parks & Ecotherapy Research Lab does, what the Campus Nature Rx Symposium on October 22nd will be like, how nature benefits mental health, and how the W&M community can access nature resources around campus.
Resources:
parksresearchlab.com
campusnature.com
Content warning: episode contains discussion of self-harm/suicide.
October is LGBT History Month, and October 10 is World Mental Health Day. For queer-identifying individuals, mental health resources are often severely limited. Vincent SheaBerry, Co-President of the Rainbow Coalition at W&M, joins us today to talk about barriers for LGBTQ+ individuals in seeking mental health care, the experience of going to W&M as a queer-identifying person, and how one can be an effective ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
Locate Transgender Resources and Referrals in the Resources section of wm.edu/wellness
W&M Students can contact the W&M Counseling Center at 757-221-3620.
Connect with the W&M Rainbow Coalition at https://tribelink.wm.edu/organization/rainbow.
The Trevor Project is a 24/7 information and support hotline for LGBTQ young people. Text 678-678 anytime to connect with an off-campus counselor, and for more resources, go to www.thetrevorproject.org.
Listening to one's body and self-awareness are two practices that often fall by the wayside when getting caught up in our day-to-day lives. Yoga therapy is a service offered at William & Mary, and today, we are joined once again by certified yoga therapists Patti DeBlass and Cindy Crace to hear about how yoga therapy is beneficial for not only the mind, but the entire body.
Chances are, you've already interacted with a Graduate Assistant (GA) somewhere on campus! GAs play an integral role in the functioning of William & Mary, as they often act as liaisons between the undergraduate body and faculty. Today, Mary Ndukwe joins us to discuss GAs as resources for others, as well as her own experiences as an Integrative Wellness GA.
Wellness Ambassadors (WAs) are student-staff whom you've probably interacted with around campus, whether it be a friendly face at the Wellness Center's front desk or behind the scenes coordinating wellness events. Kevin Aviles, Raven Pierce, and Kelsey McAlister join us today and go into more depth about what it is WAs do, what it's like, and how they lead our community!
Today, T Davis, Assistant Director of Health Promotion from the Wellness Center, sits down with us to discuss health coaching. Integrative health coaching is a service provided at W&M that helps people get their health on track and reach their goals. We talk about what health coaching is, what it isn't, why it's helpful, and how to seek it out.
Hello, and welcome back to the third season of the Ways to Flourish podcast! We are so excited to get started again and show you what W&M Health & Wellness has to offer this new year. Today, we talk about all the ways students and faculty can take care of their health at the Bee McLeod Recreation Center and McLeod Tyler Wellness Center. For any and all information about campus Health & Wellness, including signing up for programs and services, download the W&M Wellness app or go to wm.edu/wellness. Episodes of Ways to Flourish will be published every week on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the W&M Wellness website, or wherever else podcasts are found!
The 2020-2021 school year has been one like no other. Last fall, there was a vision to create a podcast around mental health & wellness and we hit the ground running with a two-person team. We were able to grow our team to now have seven people and some new equipment to continue on with the Ways to Flourish podcast during this spring semester. While there may have been some growing pains throughout this process, we made sure that providing ways to help this community continue to flourish as our core value. We hope you have enjoyed listening this semester and we will catch you guys next fall!
Have suggestions for topics or guest speakers next fall? Please email wellness@wm.edu.
Class of 2021 Class President Aria Austin sits down with us to take a look back not only at the 2020-2021 school year but also her four-years at W&M. She shares some ways the campus continued to flourish over during this pandemic and some of the ways the campus community has attributed to her personal development. She then leaves us with some ways she feels the Class of 2021 has left for the future of W&M and a welcome message to the Class of 2025.
Today is a day of celebration and the collective community that has brought us to this point! For the second semester, we have successfully been able to hold in-person classes all the way to the end of the semester. While it is a time of excitement at the end of the semester, we do want to make sure that students continue to be smart in celebrations and remember to abide by the Healthy Together Commitment. We hope that everyone can then take some time this summer and really use it to restore and rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit!
Finals Week is here! As we push through the final weeks of the semester, it is important to keep up healthy study habits that will help our wellbeing. Our team shares some ways to create some healthy study habits as you enter these challenging weeks here at the end of the semester.
With the warmer months right around the corner, Associate Director of Facilities & Aquatics, Bob Gough talks with us about water safety. He discusses why it's important to know about water safety shares some ways we can make sure everyone STAYS SAFE and has a fun time out on the water.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/water-safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/water-safety/drowning-prevention-and-facts.html
Lindsay Heck and Eric Garrison share with us four key components to include in to our everyday lives to help us continue to flourish. They had the opportunity to join in on the Prolog app that touches on these four key points: sleep, hydration, appropriate servings of fruits and vegetables & movement.
Resource: https://moreofthe4.com/wm/
Registered Dietician Stephanie May and Nurse Practitioner Nancy Moul talks with our team about what exactly does it mean to be following a plant-based plan. They explore some of the reasons that going plant-based can have an impact on our everyday lives. Their biggest take-away is that going plant-based does not need to be all or nothing; there are many ways to slowly and sustainably increase your plant intake, maintain your energy, and support your long-term health.
Emails: Stephanie May - ssmay@wm.edu& Nancy Moul -nfmoul@wm.edu Social Media Handle: @wmdining
Doctoral Candidate in Clinical & Counseling Psychology at the University of South Alabama Nicholas Borgogna and Doctoral Practicum Student candidate in Clinical Psychology at the Virginia Consortium Madison Smart-McCarthy talk to us today about the importance of sleep. They share with us that sleep should be a priority, not a luxury. Tune in as they discuss with us some various sleep issues and how we can work to fix them. Resource: https://aasm.org/
As we prepare for W&M Earth Week 2021, we talk with the Director of Sustainability Calandra Waters Lake and Senior Mary Lawrence Young to take a deeper dive into sustainability. They share with us that you don't have to be all about the environment, or even all about sustainability, but if we can help you make wiser, long-distance decisions towards a better people and planet, then we've done our job.
Resource: https://www.wm.edu/offices/sustainability/
Contact Information: sustain@wm.edu
As we near the end of the semester, we may be all finding ourselves to be "checking-out". Our very own Lindsay Heck and Eric Garrison sit down and talk to us about how we can make sure to mentally check back in and persevere to the finish line.
Out team talks with Haider Ali about the new NOD app that has just been released on Apple and Android devices. This app provides an environment for student to achieve the social connections that are needed for success in college. In a time where we have been very isolated, this app can provide the tools to build social connections.
Link to the app: https://nodapp.app.link/aVwC6vYJq9
We sit down with Adjunct Lecturer for Mindfulness Meditation, Wellness Mindfulness Professional, and Yoga Instructor Martha Rouleau, Gail Pascaris, Laura Beltrán-Rubio and Sophia Sabardine to talk about Mindfulness. During this stressful time during the semester, they talk to us about ways to help manage our stress so that it does not control out life. They share some tips of what one can be doing now along with ways to get connected to one of the many mindfulness programs W&M Health & Wellness has to offer.
Resource: wellness.wm.edu to find a Mindful Mediation class
Class of 2021 Senator, Helen Tariku & Class of 2021 President, Aria Austin talk to us today about the W&M Student Assembly. They share with us how they can be that middle ground voice between the students and the campus administration to help elevate various topics & concerns throughout campus.
Resource: https://www.wm.edu/sites/studentassembly/index.php
Dr. Warren Buck, Special Advisor to the President for Equity in the 21st Century, talks to us about meditative objects to cultivate a calmer and more focused self. He dives in to concentration mediation and some of the benefits. He reminds us to be kind to ourselves and what we can do do right now to practice healthy, mindful habits.
Resources: http://leighb.com/
Today we chat with Associate VP for Health & Wellness, Dr. Kelly Crace and Wellness Ambassador, Marrin Scalone on why our willpower fails us. The dive in to the topic of how many people currently address motivation with an unhealthy mindset and that the secret to motivation is shifting from trying to “be” motivated and focusing on more deeply understanding your values-entered motivation. Resources:
- https://www.wm.edu/offices/wellness/index.php
- W&M Wellness App
- lifevaluesinventory.com
Kamila Mehdi, Current FitWell instructor (since 2018) talks with our team about the combination of seeking out the things that make you feel your best including your passions/spaces that uplift you. She discusses how being a FitWell instructor has impacted her life and how one can join the FitWell instructor community.
FitWell Instructor Applications: https://www.wm.edu/offices/wellness/campusrec/fitwell/classes/becomeafi/index.php
We sit down with Assistant Director of Campus Recreation for Outdoor Recreation Michael White, Willa Moffit ('21) and Daria Moody ('22) to talk about the Tribe Adventure Program (TAP) and how the outdoors is a powerful wellness resource. TAP offers COVID-conscious outdoor experiences designed for everyone from the seasoned adventurer to the first time camper.
Resources: https://www.wm.edu/offices/wellness/campusrec/outdoorrec/index.php
Sign up for Tribe Adventure Programs at: campusrec.wm.edu and click on the "outdoor trips"
Dorothy Ibes, Senior lecturer for Environmental Science and Policy Program and Center for Geospatial Analysis, has such a fun topic to share with us today! She conducts research to help promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles in cities and college campuses by focusing in on parks and greenspace. She shares with us the importance of nature engagement on our mental health and how you can get your daily dose nature each day.
Resource Link: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/eb580ec7c77346e39fe97fc03fca0d75
Eric Garrison talks with the Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Psychology and Gifted Education and Director for the Center for Gifted Education, Dr. Tracy Cross.
Reference Link: https://education.wm.edu/centers/cfge/
Our very own Eric Garrison sits down to talk to us about how we can prepare our bodies for Daylight Savings. Tune in as he provides some tips on how to make the 1-hour loss of sleep this Sunday a little less tough on our minds and bodies.
Campus Recreation has welcomed a new position to their staff, BOC and state licensed Athletic Trainers Christi Ferrell & Kim Gong. They will be primarily working with sports club but will be offering their services to Campus Rec community too. They talk to us about what led them to the decision to become AT's, some common misconceptions about the profession and how one may look in to becoming an athletic trainer.
Resource: https://www.nata.org/about/athletic-training
Wellness Professional and Health Coach Jenny Call talks with Lindsay Heck about the current climate on W&M's campus in regards to the staff wellbeing during these challenging times. She discusses that many essential employees have continued to work non-stop during this past year and how their work goes unrecognized. She provides some advice on how we can cultivate a community where all employees can flourish and how hearing about the work and needs of staff on campus will build awareness and empathy. This provides students the ability gain understanding of the value staff provide and be motivated to show appreciation.
Article in regards to Staff Wellbeing: https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-staff-are-not-ok
We sit down with Dr. Natoya Haskins who is the Associate Professor of Counselor Education and Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the School of Education. As the Director of Diversity and Inclusion, she shares information about the current climate on W&M's campus, some of the biggest challenges right now, how we can work to continue to make changes and how to elevate those voices and support the faculty, students and staff around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Today we are excited to bring you W&M alum Kelly Gorman. She is the Health Promotion Specialist at Columbia University where she oversees initiatives related to resilience, nutrition, sleep and stress management. On today’s episode, she will be discussing a new approach that Columbia is developing and implementing that is moving away from a ‘nutrition science’ frame of reference.
To view the resources that Kelly mentions in the recording, check out: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZVBfCfbDrXU4UQzsdVeWjSlBq2w5gQz9/view.
We received some great questions from the community for this first ever Q&A day! Lindsay Heck and Eric Garrison share these questions and answers to help provide you more information on ways you can continue to flourish in your everyday life.
For more information on W&M Health & Wellness, check out wm.edu/wellness.
On our next self-care episode, we site down with Wellness Professionals & Certified Yoga Therapists Patti DeBlass and Cindy Crace to talk about all things yoga and help us answer the tough question of "Which yoga class is right for me?" They help to explain the variation of class that W&M Campus Rec offers and even dive in to how can become a yoga instructor.
For more information on the various types of yoga classes that W&M offers, check out campusrec.wm.edu or the Wellness App today.
For more information on becoming a Yoga instructor, check out https://www.wm.edu/offices/wellness/campusrec/fitwell/yogaschool/index.php.
We are back with Part 2 of our Consent & Boundaries series Hannah and Katie. Today they dive in to helping you determine your boundaries, and what you like and dislike during sexual intimacy it can be helpful to spend some time alone exploring.
Resources mentioned: Betty Dodson’s Book, Sex for OneFor more on the W&M Office of Health Promotion, check out wm.edu/ohp.
We are excited to bring you this 2-part series with Assistant Director in the Office of Health Promotion Hannah Artile-Stravers and W&M Junior Katie Grotewiel. In part 1, she will discuss sexuality as a part of who we are and answer the questions: What is consent? Why is it important? How do we know if our partner expresses consent?
For more on the W&M Office of Health Promotion, check out wm.edu/ohp.
Have you ever wondered what exactly Reiki is? Adjunct Lecturer of Mindfulness Meditation & Wellness Professional Martha Rouleau helps answer this question for us and provides us some ways we can incorporate presence in to our self-care routines.
On today's episode, we sit down with Wellness Professional, Massage Practitioner and Alum Grace Anderson on the power of touch. During this time of COVID, this lack of touch is impacting our overall health. She shares with us that our bodies are missing that exchange of core energy from one person to another and provides us with a few tools to help facilitate the mind-body healing during this time.
We sit down with Art Therapist Sarah Balascio and Freshman Raven Pierce as they introduce us to Art Therapy. Sarah shares what a typical Creative Arts class may consist of while Raven shares her experience as a freshman on campus during a pandemic and what drew her to joining the Virtual Creative Arts class. To find offerings of either Virtual or In-Person Creative Arts classes, check out wellness.wm.edu today.
We are excited to be back for the second season of the Ways to Flourish podcast! We are kicking off Season 2 with a series of self-care episodes. Joining us will be our Art Therapist Sarah Balascio, wellness professionals Martha Rouleau & Grace Anderson, Sexual Assault Prevention Specialist Hannah Artiles-Stravers, Yoga Therapists Patti DeBlass & Cindy Crace, and W&M alum Kelly Gorman. This is just a little glimpse of what we have in store this season so make sure to check out our new episodes every Tuesday & Thursday! And for more in formation in regards to the W&M Health & Wellness Center, check out www.wm.edu/wellness.
As we have all faced many challenges during this shortened semester, we would like to thank so many people for helping us get the Ways to Flourish podcast up and running. We also want to thank you, the listener, for tuning in to our episodes each week! It has been so much fun to sit down and talk with so many individuals in our community on ways we can continue grow our knowledge in the health and wellness world. If there are any topics you would like to hear next semester, please feel free to email us at wellness@wm.edu. While we take this "planned pause" we invite you to take a look at all the resources on the W&M Virtual Health & Wellness page. We hope everyone continues to stay safe and we will see you back here next semester!
As the holiday season approaches, giving gratitude can be received in many ways. While showing appreciation may be viewed mostly in a positive light, there is also some form of discomfort that also may occur. Dr. Kelly Crace and Wellness Ambassador Sam Litt talk to us about some of those comforts and share with us different ways we can rethink gratitude.
We talk again with Dr. Carina Sudarsky-Gleiser about how isolation and self-criticism can have an impact on your mental health and provides some ways to help "silence the dinosaur" with your self-care routine. Check out the Counseling Center on the W&M Wellness App.
Sophomore Ian DeHaven chats about caring for himself, honesty and the real work done at the Wellness Center.
Dr. De Falcon and Dr. Dafashy of the Student Health Center and student Sam Litt talks about how one optimizes their immune system while managing the effects of stress and provide some behaviors that one can engage in to make sure our immune health is as good as it can be.
We sit down again with Charlie Foster to discuss men's health and how partaking in Movember was such a jarring experience for him.
No Shave November encourage participants to forgo shaving for the month of November and strives to raise cancer awareness. Movember encourages participants to grow a Mustache during November and strives to raise awareness around not only cancer but also, mental health and suicide prevention. Ultimately, the idea is to bring awareness to men’s health issues by embracing facial hair growth. When individuals question participant’s new style, the door will be open for conversations about prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide. Join us as we raise awareness around these issues and use #WMLETITGROW to show us your best pic. More information about this topic can be found at wm.edu/offices/wellness/ohp/.
Charlie Foster joins us to talk about the student veteran experience. The W&M Office of Student Veteran Engagement (OSVE) supports veteran students in a variety of ways. From bolstering the efforts of veteran student organizations, connecting veterans with resources on and off-campus. To find out more information, check out https://www.wm.edu/offices/osve/.
On today's episode, we talk with Dr. Kelly Crace and PhD candidate of American Studies Joseph Lawless as they discuss self-care vs. soothing and some healthy strategies to address your own needs.
Jenny Dunfee (Associate Director of Fitness & Wellness) and Junior Maddy Havranek (FitWell Class Supervisor) talk about how the Bee McLeod Recreation Center has taken the precautionary steps to create a safe and comfortable environment for students, faculty and staff to work out in during these times of COVID-19. While there has been challenges, the entire W&M Campus Recreation department has been able to offer a variety of options from virtual classes to outside classes at Matoaka and even intramural sports and Tribe Adventure Program outings all while being able to follow the Healthy Together/COVID-19 policies. You can check out all of these offering at either campusrec.wm.edu or on the W&M Wellness app.
Martha Rouleau talks about her journey to practicing Mindful Meditation and leads the audience in a few short exercises you can incorporate in to to your everyday life. You can join Martha on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:00-8:15 am as she leads a 15 minute mindful meditation to start your day. You can find the class at campusrec.wm.edu or on the W&M Wellness App.
Dr. Carina Sudarsky-Gleiser, Director of the W&M Counseling Center discusses intentionality and how to maintain your sense of harmony during a time that is trying for many. Check out bit.ly/WMCCSignUp for the sessions Carina mentioned in the episode as well as other workshops the Counseling Center is providing.
Ever wonder why BOTH spring and fall changes to Daylight Saving Time throw many of us off? Check out the latest podcast by Eric Garrison ‘94, our residential sleep guru, to see how resources such as Sleepy Time [link to: www.sleepyti.me] along with common sense can help you feel more energized after any time change – be it annual or travel related!
Dr. Dafashy talks about his experience with COVID, community culture, and how you can empower your wellbeing with a flu shot.
Tune in to part two of this three-part conversation with Dr. Dafashy as he dives in to the impacts of stress on our body and some ways we can help relieve some of those stressors.
Dr. David Dafashy from the Student Health Center explains Situational vs. Chronic Depression and some helpful management tips in the first of his segment of a three-part conversation.
Join Eric Garrison as he builds on the information from Episode 1 and puts "step two" into action. Hear his perspective on the importance of grounding yourself when things start to get out of control and then take the opportunity to get grounded as he guides you through a brief progressive muscle relaxation exercise.
Dr. Kelly Crace and Wellness Ambassador Maz Rossert discuss the topic of Stress vs. Strain and how to flourish through this time of chronic uncertainty. Listen in as they share their stories and how you can put your purpose and meaning over your mood.
The William & Mary Health & Wellness staff are looking to dive deep in to some of the most crucial areas of conversation right now within the W&M Students, Faculty, Staff and Community. Each episode will bring light to not only new topics, but voices as well. Tune in to hear who's speaking on Episode 1!