Center for the Advancement of Well-Being

Spring into Well-Being Week 2024: Blossoming into the best version of you

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:40:10 +0000

Spring into Well-Being Week 2024: Blossoming into the best version of you Lauren Reuscher Wed, 04/17/2024 - 10:40

��AV’s annual Spring into Well-Being week emphasizes well-being and happiness through diverse experiences. Mason will host its annual week promoting well-being from Monday, April 22, to Friday, April 26, featuring events designed to embrace individual and community well-being. Activities will include Stress Less Fest, Meditation on Wheels, the Graduate Student Picnic, and Mason Day, with many others in between.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

"Spring into Well-Being offers a week of recognition and events dedicated to delving into well-being, making it especially valuable for those new to the concept,” said Lewis E. Forrest II, associate dean for University Life. “It’s an opportunity to deepen understanding and cultivate a lasting impact on individuals within the Mason community.”

Meditation on Wheels is a new activity making its way to Mason’s Fairfax Campus this year. A meditation mobile unit, Meditation on Wheels aims to make meditation accessible and convenient to all persons, including those who may not have easy access to traditional meditation centers. This program highlights the importance of self-care and encouraging people to pause, breathe, and connect with themselves and others through meditation practice.

Well-being at Mason is defined as building a life of vitality, purpose, resilience, and engagement. The university works to nurture a culture where individuals are equipped with knowledge and skills essential for thriving beyond their time at Mason. Well-being is viewed as a multidimensional concept, encompassing physical, emotional, and social aspects, providing individuals with a sense of purpose, belonging, and fulfillment.

Spring into Well-Being will happen at Mason from April 22–26. Photo provided

“Mason’s goal is to ensure that every participant not only understands but also internalizes and implements the core concepts of well-being into their journey moving forward,” said Forrest, who has spearheaded the Spring into Well-Being program since 2015. Mason’s well-being leaders are committed to uplifting an environment that supports this goal by highlighting a wealth of on- and off-campus resources tailored to the Mason community throughout the week.

Kye Hopkins, a senior success coach and the 2024 co-chair for this year’s event, emphasized the impact of well-being initiatives, noting how Mason’s resources and support have helped him maintain balance and resilience.

"Spring into Well-Being Week is a key part of fostering a culture of self-care, support, and empowerment,” Hopkins said.

Spring into Well-Being events are open to students, faculty, and staff. Photo provided

Through collaboration with the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, Mason aims to engage students, faculty, and staff in promoting a culture of wellness. The positivity around campus is inspiring, and Hopkins said he is eager to see the continued growth of well-being activities on campus.

Activities like Spring into Well-Being enable the Mason Nation to celebrate its diverse culture and advance the mission of thriving together as a community. Whether participants are well-versed in well-being practices or just beginning their journey, the week serves as a reminder to prioritize well-being and take a step toward a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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Fostering kindness is just good business

Lauren Reuscher — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:49:10 +0000

Fostering kindness is just good business Lauren Reuscher Wed, 09/20/2023 - 14:49

Here’s how one school uses the Mason Chooses Kindness Toolkit at the unit level.

In 2020 Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at ��AV, and Lewis Forrest II, associate dean for University Life, created Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK).

“From the beginning, Mason Chooses Kindness has worked to elevate the idea and actions related to kindness across our campus,” Forrest said. In the 2022-23 academic year, 30 members representing 19 departments or units across Mason were part of the Mason Chooses Kindness committee.

Kindness Station at the School of Business includes treats, giveaways, and tips on how to spread kindness at Mason. Photo by School of Business

After attending university-wide Mason Chooses Kindness events, several School of Business colleagues saw an opportunity to address a larger need for continued encouragement and connection within their unit. Jackie Brown (MA ’12), area chair and senior instructor, business foundations; Cameron Harris (BA ’06), assistant area chair and associate professor, business foundations; Gretchen Hendricks, senior instructor, business foundations; and Christine Landoll (BS Accounting ’89, MS Taxation ’92), director of business engagement at the School of Business, formed the core of the group.

This “goodwill team” highlights and encourages acts of kindness and well-being across the school, leading the first unit-focused MCK activities. With the support of School of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé, the group focuses on four key areas: staff and faculty recognition and engagement, student engagement, alumni engagement, and curricular impact.

“I am delighted with the efforts of our team,” Vinzé said. “The intent of Mason Chooses Kindness and its applications are closely aligned with a key strategic priority for the business school, one that emphasizes our focus on inclusive excellence and a cohesive culture.”

One way the team has implemented kindness in the school is through its Kindness Stations at each school location. Kindness stations include a quick list of no-cost acts of kindness that can be done right at the station, such as using the Thank a Teacher or Pats for Patriots forms to share gratitude or recognition. They also served as a one-stop shop for other tips, such as helping a colleague or classmate, smiling and checking on friends and colleagues. The stations also included giveaways such as coffee, cookies, small succulent plants, and stickers, as well as fidget toys that could be borrowed from the station.

As a result of the increased visibility of Pats for Patriots, the School of Business submitted more Pats for Patriots than any other school or college during the academic year.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

The emphasis on kindness also extends to the student experience. In the BUS 103/303: Developing Your Professional Skills I and II classes, kindness and well-being are integrated into the curriculum. In BUS 103, students are asked to participate in mindfulness exercises and complete gratitude journals or cards to help deal with end of the semester stress. In BUS 303, students are asked to write for the Thriving Together Series through the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, which is a series that highlights both the research and practices used to enhance one’s well-being. This assignment allows students the opportunity to research professional skills topics through a well-being lens.

Mason sophomore Jivantha Fernando became a Kindness Ambassador in fall 2022. “Many peers and professors have embraced me for my kindness. As an international student [being a Kindness Ambassador] has also given me the chance to spread kindness from my cultural viewpoint,” Fernando said.

Lucas is pleased with the growth of the project. “I applaud my colleagues in the School of Business,” Lucas said. “We’ll be able to apply what they’ve developed and lessons learned to other units across the university, which puts us on a path to sustaining this kindness revolution at Mason.”

Interested in getting involved with MCK or learning more about how to integrate kindness into your microcosm? Check out the MCK Toolkit.

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New meditation garden and labyrinth offer Patriots a place for reflection

Colleen Rich — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 17:16:27 +0000

New meditation garden and labyrinth offer Patriots a place for reflection Colleen Rich Wed, 03/23/2022 - 13:16

The garden and labyrinth are meant to provide the Mason community a peaceful place for contemplation and relaxation in the heart of the Core Campus Project. Photo courtesy of Cathy Pinskey/Mason Facilities

Just in time for spring, ��AV’s new meditation garden and labyrinth are now open to the community. The garden and the labyrinth are visual artifacts signaling Mason’s commitment to the well-being of its community. They can be found between Horizon Hall and the renovated Harris Theatre, adjacent to the new mini amphitheater that sits on the former site of Robinson Hall.

The garden and labyrinth are meant to provide the Mason community a peaceful place for contemplation and relaxation in the heart of the Core Campus Project. According to Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, the garden connects to the university-wide goal of Mason evolving as a model well-being university.

“We want well-being to be in the DNA of this institution, and this garden is symbolic of it," Lucas said. "It also supports the research on being in nature and meditation.”

The garden—which is filled with purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, creeping phlox, and purple aster flowers—allows individuals to experience a calming atmosphere while studying, walking, or relaxing.

Those who choose to walk through the labyrinth will notice a slight rise in the path. Stephanie Wolfgang, the project’s senior landscape architect from Perkins & Will, said that’s intentional, so people feel as though they are “building toward a destination.” The center of the labyrinth is marked with a sandstone boulder surrounded by a ring of linden trees. Similar to the garden, the space is configured for sitting and contemplation.

Lauren Long, executive director of Student Involvement, encouraged the community to visit the new space. “[It is] a place of deep contemplation and a place to reflect and renew after such a long time being isolated from others,” Long said.

“Individuals can sit on the steps, take a stroll through the garden, and enjoy being outside, relaxing and spending time alone or with others,” she added.

Damian Cristodero contributed to this story.

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Mason offers expanded options for emotional support

Colleen Rich — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 15:09:16 +0000

Mason offers expanded options for emotional support Colleen Rich Thu, 03/03/2022 - 10:09

Patriots Thriving Together, an awareness campaign that focuses on improving and sustaining mental health and well-being, is offering the ��AV community new opportunities to access mental health services.

“Navigating the pandemic has overwhelmed most people, and many of us have difficulty managing stress, low energy levels and a lack of motivation,” Robyn Mehlenbeck, director of Mason's Center for Psychological Services, said. “It’s so important to address these issues, normalize emotions and reactions, and give people the skills to help them cope with the evolving pandemic and other stressors.”

The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, Student Health Services and the Center for Psychological Services recently joined together to ensure all members of the Mason community—faculty, staff, students and contractors—have immediate free access to brief mental health services.

While CAPS has been available for Mason students, now staff, faculty and contractors can access this free service. An emotional support telephone line 703-215-1898 is open from 8:30 a.m. – 8: 30 p.m., seven days a week. Anyone in the Mason community—faculty, staff, contractors, or students—can speak to trained mental health and first-aid facilitators who will provide specific ways to reduce anxiety and to increase energy.

Those who feel as though they need more support can sign up for the second step: in-person or virtual Brief Therapy Skills. Here individuals are offered up to three free one-hour sessions with trained doctoral students where they can talk through their struggles and learn targeted and active coping skills to tackle their concerns.

If more than the initial three hours are needed, individuals can move on to step three, which includes additional therapy sessions on an income-based sliding scale that is significantly discounted over the going rate in the community. In addition, sliding-scale medication management services are also offered through this program, if needed.

“It’s often difficult for people in the middle of a stressful situation to either recognize that they need help, or to feel like they can take the time to get it,” said Keith Renshaw, Psychology Department chair and professor. “These services offer tips and strategies that people can use to manage their stress and reduce their anxiety, depression, or simply feeling overwhelmed. It’s quick but highly effective, and it can make a real difference in their day-to-day living.”

Those faculty and staff who work with and are relied upon by students are encouraged to consult a resource created by University Life, which helps navigate difficulties students are facing including health concerns, personal losses, isolation, race-based violence, or uncertainty about their future. The information contained here can help faculty and staff recognize students’ concerns and guide them in managing challenges.

Mason is committed to helping support the well-being and mental health of its entire community and encourages anyone in need of assistance to reach out.

For more information, visit the Center for Psychological Services Emotional Support Resources website.

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Patriots Thriving Together offers new resources for spring 2022

Colleen Rich — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 19:59:50 +0000

Patriots Thriving Together offers new resources for spring 2022 Colleen Rich Thu, 01/20/2022 - 14:59

In September 2021, Mason’s Offices of University Life, the Provost and the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being joined forces and created Patriots Thriving Together, an awareness campaign that focuses on improving and sustaining mental-health and well-being for the Mason community through a wide range of experiences and resources.

The campaign targets everyone connected with Mason: students, faculty and staff, families, and the broader community.

“We're living in a time when we're yearning for greater well-being in our lives and in our communities. Patriots Thriving Together also means that no community member is alone in challenging times, struggles, or in their personal growth connected to well-being,” said Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being.

Since the campaign’s kickoff, several events or initiatives have launched such as Mason Chooses Kindness, Mason Kindness Ambassadors, BIPOC Well-Being Month and Gratitude, each followed by a handful of activities allowing engagement and interaction from the Mason community.

Photo by Evan Cantwell

During Spring 2022, Patriots should expect activities around topics such as Intentional Acts of Kindness, Strengths, Financial Well-Being and Importance of Lifelong Learning.

This semester includes both online events and resources and in-person events during Spring into Well-Being Week, April 18-22. Specifically, there is a revamped Acts of Kindness Calendar available for February 2022 tying into the upcoming Intentional Acts of Kindness topic. This calendar features ideas for putting kindness into action every day of the month along with links (in the PDF version) to related articles and research.

For the Strengths topic, Patriots are encouraged to take the CliftonStrengths assessment, which allows for a deeper understanding of one’s strengths and talents. Once the assessment has been taken, various options are available on the Strengths website to engage with this new learning. The Importance of Lifelong Learning can be viewed through the Thriving Together Series page where Patriots can learn about diverse well-being topics.

“The Patriots Thriving Together campaign has helped the Mason community grow stronger, which has been a lifesaver for many during the pandemic,” said Pam Shepherd, communications director for the Office of the Provost. “Each month the topics have brought out the best in people because they’ve reminded us to look out for others and ourselves. I’m looking forward to personal growth the upcoming months will bring.”

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst that pushed the offices to create the campaign. The landing page, thrivingtogether.gmu.edu, contains many resources for the Mason community. Every member of the Mason community can access resources pertaining to mental health and well-being.

“We know it can be hard to find the type of well-being event, resource, or learning experience that fits one’s needs,” said Melissa Schreibstein, director of well-being programs for the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. “The best thing about the Patriots Thriving Together initiative is that it puts all of Mason’s well-being and mental health resources in one, easy-to-find online location.”

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Well-being leaders emphasize the importance of focusing on student mental health

Colleen Rich — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 16:54:21 +0000

Well-being leaders emphasize the importance of focusing on student mental health Colleen Rich Wed, 10/27/2021 - 12:54

A panel of some of Mason's top mental health and well-being experts gathered to discuss student success strategies in October. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

��AV student surveys conducted during the pandemic have shown increased levels of stress, anxiety, loneliness and isolation, mirroring national college student data, according to Rose Pascarell, vice president of University Life.

“I think Mason is at the forefront of responding to that proactively with our programs,” Pascarell added. “We’re trying to create a culture of well-being and equity.”

Pascarell was part of a six-person panel of Mason experts on mental health and well-being that discussed student success strategies as part of a week-long series of events marking President Gregory Washington’s Investiture.

“Student stress and anxiety are the greatest factors in determining student success,” President Gregory Washington said. “I wanted to have this panel to begin to evolve a collective consciousness among all of us around mental health issues.”

In addition to Pascarell, panelists included Rachel Wernicke, associate dean and chief mental health officer, University Life; Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being; Leah Adams, assistant professor, Department of Psychology and Women and Gender Studies Program; Elisa Akins, psychology major, peer success coach; and Shekila Melchior, assistant professor, College of Education and Human Development.

Melchior noted the importance of well-being, diversity, and inclusion work at Mason. “Cultural competency goes beyond your stereotypical narrative to really getting to know our students and what matters to them, and honoring that,” she said.

The university is seeing a rise in the need for mental health services, Wernicke said, with Mason students seeking help for issues such as anxiety, stress, loneliness, and trauma. “We need to keep asking: What are the barriers to students seeking mental health services and how can we break them down?”

Adams said one issue is the way the huge need for mental health care often translates to a lag in obtaining services, both at Mason and in the greater community. Mason’s Center for Psychological Services is constantly working to increase accessibility to care, Adams noted. For instance, she said, the helpline that the center began for essential workers during the pandemic will eventually expand to help all community members.

Many of the students Akins serves as a peer success coach tell her they are feeling overwhelmed by stress due to time management issues and academic pressures, she said. “College is a stressful time. There’s so much information coming at you from all directions.”

Provost Mark Ginsberg noted that there is a level of compassion fatigue among faculty.

Wernicke said creating community and sharing stories is one way to relieve that.

“It’s really an ethical imperative for faculty and staff to engage in self-care, because otherwise we could cause harm,” Wernicke said.

The Mason Chooses Kindness initiative has brought our Mason community together around the pursuit of greater well-being, Lucas said. “If we can all commit to just being kind to each other, that’s going to really shift how we see each other and increase our well-being around our common humanity.”

As the pandemic continues and Mason leaders respond to changing mental health and well-being needs, “I think we’re a community in recovery, and we need to be continually learning,” Pascarell pointed out.

“The connections to well-being in education really matter,” Lucas said. The Center for the Advancement of Well-Being works to help all members of the Mason community thrive, she said. “Our center’s role as a catalyst for well-being is to have well-being be in the DNA of the whole university.”

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Mason Chooses Kindness emphasizes intentional kindness

Colleen Rich — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:49:10 +0000

Mason Chooses Kindness emphasizes intentional kindness Colleen Rich Mon, 02/15/2021 - 14:49

Those who come to the Fairfax Campus in person will also notice visible signs of Mason Chooses Kindness, including kindness messages written in chalk by students and the Mason Chooses Kindness banner outside the Johnson Center. Photo provided

While National Random Acts of Kindness Day on Wednesday, Feb. 17, celebrates being kind spontaneously, the Mason Chooses Kindness (MCK) initiative is emphasizing intentional acts of kindness every day. Mason Chooses Kindness aims to help Patriots thrive together through kindness with resources, events and ways to get involved in creating a kindness revolution at Mason.

“At Mason, we’re calling the National Random Acts of Kindness Day the National Intentional Acts of Kindness Day,” said Nance Lucas, Mason Chooses Kindness co-chair, Mason’s chief well-being officer, and executive director of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. “While recognizing kindness on Feb. 17 is important, it’s really about emphasizing kindness on the other 364 days of the year. Giving and receiving kindness are bucket-fillers for our overall well-being. Kindness deepens our connections with one another, which is something I think we’re all yearning for during these challenging times.”

Mason Chooses Kindness Co-Chair and University Life Associate Dean Lewis Forrest said being kind intentionally helps connect Mason students and employees to the movement. “From the beginning of the initiative, MCK has emphasized being intentional in the education, awareness and engagement with our community.”

Since the start of this academic year, the Mason Chooses Kindness movement “has been able to energize members of our campus in a short period of time,” Forrest said, with events that have reached faculty, staff and students. Those events have included service projects, such as assembling care packages for local first responders, and a guided kindness meditation walk.

“The goal is not just to spread kindness, but to share stories and educate our community about the research related to kindness,” said Forrest.

The “Connecting through Kindness” online panel on Feb. 3 featured students and employees discussing why kindness matters and ways to practice it. Kathleen Dwyer, an integrative studies major and student leadership consultant in the Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD) Office, was one of the panelists. She said the initiative is helping students “create a different dialogue where we can focus on personal kindness.

“Internalizing that within yourself and being understanding, having the patience with yourself, is a great place to start,” Dwyer added. “Being able to connect that to service, I think, is a really great opportunity to watch yourself grow. And I think Mason has done a great job of still providing different ways to get involved in a virtual setting.”

MCK has accomplished a lot so far, said Lucas, including creating an MCK Toolkit and raising awareness about the science behind kindness and its well-being benefits.

More events are planned this semester—starting with the online “Leading with Kindness” program at noon Wednesday, Feb. 17, in which participants will develop a mind map focused on how to use kindness as a guiding leadership value. Patriots can visit the MCK website for such online activities as a kindness calendar and kindness bingo.

The center will continue to share videos and stories of kindness while hosting workshops, panels and roundtables for students, faculty, staff and alumni, Lucas said. “We plan to host gatherings featuring instructors who integrate kindness in their classrooms and student leaders who are educating others about compassionate leadership.”

Those who come to the Fairfax Campus in person will also notice visible signs of MCK, said Forrest, including kindness messages written in chalk by students and the Mason Chooses Kindness banner outside the Johnson Center.

“We’ll know we’re successful when we see a kindness revolution happening on all our campuses,” Lucas said.