Schedule
McMaster’s second Thrive Week is the week of January 20, 2020. Join us at these events and activities to explore your path to mental health. We are excited that the Healthy Workplace Committee will be hosting a set of Thrive events for faculty and staff at the university.
Monday, January 20
Wellness Fair (drop-in)
11am-2pm, Student Wellness Centre foyer (PGCLL Level 2)
Drop by the new Student Wellness Centre (SWC) space and get connected to resources that here to serve YOU and support your mental wellness. All tables will be located in the foyer area on PGCLL Level 2, immediately outside the SWC clinic and lounge.
University-run, student-run, and community-run organizations will be present. A free, hot breakfast (including vegan options) will be available in the Wellness Lounge to the first 60 attendees.
Meditation Circle (drop-in)
3:30pm-4:20pm, PGCLL 207 (meeting room in the Wellness Lounge)
Join us to learn about meditation and to support each other in becoming more mindful. Each session begins with a check-in about our experience of the past week, then a meditation practice is introduced and guided for 15-20 minutes of practice, followed by an opportunity to discuss any questions or insights. Each week we explore a different mindfulness practice including breath awareness, guided imagery, artistic expression, and other activities that the group wishes to learn together. No experience necessary.
Wednesday, January 22
Mental Health First Aid (registration required; TWO DAYS, Wednesday and Thursday)
9am-4:30pm, LRW 1003
Mental Health First Aid is a two day interactive course focusing on adults with mental health problems and how to better engage with them. Attendance for the full two days is required.
Body Mind Spirit Circle (drop-in)
3:30pm-4:20pm, MUSC 203
A supportive space for sharing about our journeys, questions, and ideas about spirituality and authentic healthy living. Whether you are looking to explore your spirituality or following a specific spiritual path we can learn from each other in an atmosphere of respect and openness. Try out practices for wholistic living such as meditation, creative expression, journaling, hiking.
Thursday, January 23
safeTALK Training (registration required)
12:45pm-4pm, IAHS 364
safeTALK is a half-day alertness training that prepares anyone over the age of 15, regardless of prior experience or training, to become a suicide-alert helper.
Creativity Circle (drop-in)
2:30pm-3:20pm (MUSC 206)
Experience guided creative practices (visual, written, or other) while reflecting with a theme. Let go of what you think you “should” create, following your inner knowing while practicing letting go of the outcome. You might be surprised by what you create. No artistic experience needed.
Friday, January 24
Movement Meditation Circle (drop-in)
3:30pm-4:20pm *updated time*, Museum of Art, 4th floor Coin Room
A safe space for authentic and free-flowing movement. Journey via music and guided movement meditation inward towards your own truth, then outward to discover how to bring this new glimpse of yourself into daily life. Join us in the deeply liberating practice of shedding imposed expectations about how you should move and instead listening to the wisdom of your own body and allowing it to guide you in your own way of moving and perhaps dancing. No experience needed, just a willingness to move and let go into the moment.
Comedy Night with AspieComic, Michael McCreary (registration required)
5:30pm-6:30pm, The Grind
A night of laughter with AspieComic, Michael McCreary, at The Grind! Michael is a young comic who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrom at the age of five. In an act of self-preservation, combined with the desire for constant attention and the inability to stop talking, stand-up comedy seemed inevitable.
About Thrive Week
Thrive is a week-long series of events focused on helping students, faculty and staff at McMaster explore their path to mental health.
Thrive is also a mindset. We all have mental health, and we can each strengthen our mental health by learning about it, thinking about it, talking about it, and discovering new skills and resources to help us! McMaster is committed to enhancing mental health and well-being for all of our community members and supporting healthy and sustainable workplaces and learning environments.
Schools across Canada have been hosting Thrive Weeks annually as a means of educating, promoting, and advocating for student mental health on campus. Thrive first began in 2009 as an idea between two colleagues at the University of British Columbia. Over a decade later, many other universities have joined the Thrive network.
Together with the Healthy Workplace Committee, the Student Wellness Centre is committed promoting mental health among staff, faculty, and students for healthy McMaster community.
Mental Health Resources
Learn about resources available to students on campus and in the community
Information Box Group
Resources Learn More
Guided self-help, peer support, student services, phone lines, and more
Crisis Support Learn More
Mental health crisis support, medical emergencies, sexual violence support, and more
Information Learn More
General information about mental health and mental illness