CU Anschutz’s National Mental Health Innovation Center (NMHIC) will be hosting five-minute guided meditation exercises via Zoom every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7:50 a.m. beginning Sept. 1. The meditations will focus on stress management in response to COVID-19, and all staff, faculty, and students are welcome to attend.
The pandemic has negatively impacted mental health in many ways as students and staff struggle with the impact of social distancing, quarantining, working remotely, juggling childcare, worrying about loved ones, and coping with the uncertainty of the future. Mindfulness is an evidence-based coping tool linked to positive mental health outcomes, including reduced anxiety, increased attentional control, greater acceptance, and increased connection with others. The mindfulness exercises led by NMHIC will focus on a variety of stress management topics, including relaxation, emotion regulation, compassion, and gratitude. The practices will provide an avenue for connection and unity across campus.
Use the following Zoom Webinar link below to register for the meetings live every Tuesday and Thursday morning:
https://ucdenver.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FgFHTbfeQ1C67WxY1FaHGg
NMHIC will also post details about the guided meditations, including references about meditation and resources with additional meditation content on their website: http://mentalhealthinnovation.org/.
Additionally, NMHIC will conduct an anonymous survey about the meditations to obtain information regarding ongoing interest and areas to target for improvement. The survey link will be available on NMHIC website and provided in the Zoom chat at the end of each session. All feedback will be welcome!
Please contact Drs. Debra Boeldt (debra.boeldt@cuanschutz.edu) or Chloe Nicksic Sigmon (chloe.nicksicsigmon@cuanschutz.edu).