On Friday afternoon Active Minds, Bradley University’s mental health organization, planned a destress event for students to attend.
Situated in Room 222 of Bradley Hall, students filled the room and lined the hallways outside, determined to relieve the stress of midterms and take a break from homework and studies. The atmosphere was welcoming and full with laughter as people met up with friends or took the opportunity to make new friends. The destress event surrounded painting plant pots for guests to take home, as well as engage in conversation surrounding mental health.
Active Minds is a national nonprofit organization with smaller groups established in high schools and on college campuses. Founded in 2003 by Alison Malmon, the group focuses on removing the stigma of mental health as well as educating others on mental health, different mental illness, and general mental health tips. The group also focuses on creating a safe environment and teaching others the warning signs of mental health crises, as the founder lost her brother to suicide and wishes to teach others how to prevent mental health crises and cope with healthy mechanisms.
Many students expressed appreciation for the Active Minds event.
One student, Olivia Cook, senior Industrial Engineering major, said: “I don’t think there are many or enough events that help with de-stressing…there’s a lot more events that help with networking and connecting, so it feels nice to have events tailored to simply de-stressing and relaxation.”
Another student agreed with Cook.
“Sometimes I just forget to take time for myself, and coming to events like these help me let go of my stress and worries, and help me be calm and mindful,” said freshman Kaia Wolfe, Special Education major.
Active Minds has a large presence on Bradley’s campus. Recently, they hosted a men’s mental health seminar and self-care group discussion. They have also taken to social media and Hilltop Happenings to promote positivity, remove stigma surrounding mental health online, and advertise their mental health events. Despite this, both Cook and Wolfe commented on the university’s engagement and promotion of mental health groups and wellness groups such as Active Minds and The Bradley H.E.A.T. (Help, Empower, and Teach).
When asked, Cook said: “The only reason I know about H.E.A.T. is the drug and alcohol events they hold. I didn’t even know about Active Minds until seeing them on Hilltop Happenings – I definitely think that they need to be promoted more by campus.”
Wolfe agreed, adding: “I don’t think that campus necessarily promotes Active Minds and H.E.A.T. enough, but the organizations themselves work really hard to promote themselves and make themselves be seen. I think campus should promote the organizations more frequently, especially after seeing what a success this was with other students.”
With a full room and attendees participating in the halls, Active Minds President Gabi Necastro deemed the event to be a “raging success”: “We plan for usually 50 people to come, and to know that all my supplies are being used that I ordered makes me feel very good.”
“The key is to find what works for you and get out of your comfort zone – whether that be learning coping mechanisms or attending a wellness event. Active Minds is a great way to get yourself out of the headspace you’re in and relax for a little while,” Necastro said.
Active Minds is currently looking for members to join their event committee. For more information, contact: gnecastro@mail.bradley.edu