Ways to Flourish

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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! W&M Health & Wellness website: https://www.wm.edu/offices/wellness/index.php

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.

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 One For 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.

Today, we chat with art therapist Sarah Balascio & freshman Raven Pierce about art therapy, preventative practice, and being okay with not being perfect. Make sure to check out our new episodes every Tuesday & Thursday! And for more information in regards to the W&M Health & Wellness Center, check out www.wm.edu/wellness.

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.