By Kylie Heisz, Kayla Smith & Emmy Wolfe
When the stress of finals starts to weigh down on the students of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, why not join some of the Phoenix fans and take a break?
Dogs from Happily Ever After taking a break with students in the University Union
The pairing of Healthy Choices Task Force and Good Times Programming presents to the students a once-a-month opportunity to take some time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a little bit of time focusing on themselves. November’s event was on the 17th, at 5:30 p.m. in the Phoenix Rooms. “The activities are a great way to be in the moment and just enjoy some time. But we also want students to take away resources that they can use in the long term,” said Caitlin Henriksen, member of the Healthy Choices Task Force. In each event during the series, an educational program on how to de-stress is included as well as de-stressing activities or crafts.
Students and faculty of UWGB are welcome to come to the event to take a step back from the stressful life of the college. “This campus is a very vibrant campus filled with students who are purposeful in their everyday lives and give back to the UW-Green Bay community,” said Soundra Ritzman, programmer with GTP. Healthy Choices Task Force and Good Times Programming understand the weight put on students’ shoulders, especially while approaching finals week. Ritzman said, “As college students, we have high aims and hopes for ourselves which can lead us to be in danger of burnout; I want to try to prevent that from happening as much and give back to UWGB and take care of students.”
Henriksen explained some of the previous events in the series, “the big activity at the first event was yoga. There have also been additional stations such as coloring, making a mindfulness kit, gratitude board, sensory activities, etc.” Each event is tailored and geared towards one aspect of staying mindful and healthy. “I’ve collaborated with UREC to provide educational workout sessions, Exercise is Medicine on Campus to provide resources, and the Wellness Center also provides great resources,” Ritzman added specifics on one of their collaborations.
Snacks provided to the students at the Take A Break event.
During the November event of the series, coloring pages, snacks, and dogs from Happily Ever After were featured. Students had the opportunity to sit down, color, and snack while petting dogs as a much-needed break. “It was a great way for me to press pause and enjoy some time with some dogs,” said Cassie Tucker, a student attendee. While it may be finished for the fall semester, students look forward to new programs put on by the group and what opportunities they will provide for them to take a break.