Every year, the Office of Student Affairs hosts a Mental Health Week in October during which students have fun, build community and pause for some self-care. Below are ways students have come together to commit to their well-being.
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The American Bar Association's Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP) Law School Committee and the ABA Law Student Division are partners in the annual Law Student Mental Health Day on October 10. Each year we offer programs both from OSA and nationally from the ABA. |
ABA Mental Health Week - Fall 2021
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Monday, October 4Just Ask: How We Must Stop Minding Our Own Business in the Legal World: Depression and Suicide Prevention EssentialsA powerful ABA video featuring lawyers and judges speaking about suicide prevention, with opening remarks from Congressman Jamie Raskin whose 25-year-old son attended Harvard Law School and died by suicide. |
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Thursday, October 7Protecting Well-Being in Law School and in the Transition to Law PracticeModerated by the ABA Law Student Division Chair and includes panelists from the ABA Practice Forward Initiative as well as Professor Kate Bender, one of the three collaborators of the 2021 Survey of Law Student Well-Being. |
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Saturday, October 7–Sunday, October 10A weekend to dedicate to personal well-being activities to celebrate ABA Law Student Division Mental Health Day (October 10) |
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October 12–15Wall of HopeTake a message of hope and leave one for another person. Mia and Catherine will kick off this community activity on Tuesday October 12 at 11am. Come say hi and grab some goodies! |
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Tuesday, October 12Art Therapy Intro with MiaMia will be walking you through a mindful art practice. Law school can feel overwhelming and you'll have a chance to reflect on a place that feels safe for you and then paint it. No skill required or expected! You'll also have the opportunity to practice other techniques for grounding when you feel stressed or anxious. This will be a semi-structured time. |
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Wednesday, October 13Befriending StressChange your mind (& body) about it and thrive! Catherine will define stress, share neuroscience-backed ways to meet it, and lead you in mind-body practices — mindfulness & EFT tapping — that help in the hard moments. |
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Thursday, October 14Let's Get Organized!Therapeutic Meeting with a Focus on CBT: Do you struggle with organizing your thoughts? Do you find these thoughts to be anxious, ruminative or negative? Does this transfer to your work and responsibilities? Cognitive behavioral therapy provides a simple way of understanding challenging situations and maladaptive reactions to them. Research shows that CBT-based interventions can decrease anxiety and depression. Come learn and discuss with Mia! |
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Friday, October 15Learn Tapping with CatherineTapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, is a self-help tool you can use on myriad issues: procrastination, fear of public speaking, relationships, insomnia, pain, etc. You think about your problem while gently tapping on acupressure points, bringing the nervous system into balance and allowing for shifts in perspective and more responsiveness. Catherine will share the basics of tapping and we'll get to practicing together right away! |
ABA Mental Health Week - Fall 2020
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Monday, October 5thCognitive Reset: Grace TrailBalancing well-being, resilience and performance, the Grace Trail is a simple five-step resiliency process that begins with gratitude and ends with hope. "GRACE" stands for: Gratitude, Release, Accept, Challenge, Embrace. |
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Tuesday, October 6thWeekly Meditation with Professor ListokinJoin Professor Listokin for a five-minute meditation every Tuesday. |
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Wednesday, October 7thMidweek Pick-Me-UpGrab a face mask and a mini mindfulness coloring book during the lunch hour to-go. Color and De-stressDrop-in and take some time to recharge through conversation and coloring. |
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Thursday, October 8thHIIT WorkoutDo you want to stay active, have fun, and really break a sweat? Join Woodbridge Fellow Alexa Vaghenas for a high-energy High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout! Exploring the Intersection Between Racial Justice, Social Activism and Mental HealthProfessor Rhonda Magee, Author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness. Finding Balance: A Weekly Meditation SeriesJoin Wellness Counselor, Catherine Banson, for a fifteen minute guided meditation every Thursday. Weekly Functional Fitness ClassJoin Professor Ian Ayres for a weekly workout. All levels of experience are welcome, but for some classes you will need an item to lift with one hand. |
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Friday, October 9thNational ABA WorkshopNational Workshop with the ABA Law Student Division to discuss practical strategies that law students can undertake in the year ahead with your law schools, the ABA, and with each state bar board of examiners. Show Up for Yourself and OthersA crucial component of well-being is knowing, and feeling known by, others in your world. Spend an hour doing some activities that permit you to extend curiosity to other participants and to decide what you’d like to share about yourself. |
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Saturday, October 10thABA Mental Health DayJoin the Office of Student Affairs in honoring the ABA Law Student Division’s Law School Mental Health Day by revisiting some previously recorded meditations. Vinyasa YogaJoin Lulu Zhang '23 for a vinyasa yoga class focused on fluidity and connection to the breath. |
