Stress Less Week

The Student Counseling Service, the Office of Student Wellness, and the Suicide Prevention Team are proud to sponsor Stress Less Week. Our goal is to help students increase awareness of ways to manage stress and anxiety and to improve the emotional health of those in our campus community. Stress Less Week will be held April 7-11, 2025 and includes the activities listed below.

Monday, April 7

Aromatherapy for Spring
Noon to 2 p.m., Wellness Studio, 2002 Clinical Health Sciences Facility
Come and experience the power of scents for mindfulness and relaxation in our Wellness Studio! All participants will leave with their own unique essential oil spray or roller.

Weekly Dog Therapy
2-3 p.m., Wellness Studio, 2002 Clinical Health Sciences Facility

“She’s Crazy:” Mental Health and Other Myths Musical
6-7:30 p.m., Armstrong Student Center, Wilks Theater
This musical theater education and entertainment production presented by Stop the Stigma Productions is a free performance inspiring audiences to rethink the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction. Take the journey to a better world through art.

Q&A with A.J. Brown, NFL Super Bowl Champion from the Philadelphia Eagles
8-9:30 p.m., Armstrong Student Center, Pavilion
Join A.J. for an engaging Q&A session where he will discuss his own mental health journey and share the coping strategies that have helped him along the way. This is a free event, but tickets are required and available in limited quantities.

Tuesday, April 8

Weekly Dog Therapy
1-2 p.m., Wellness Studio, 2002 Clinical Health Sciences Facility

Stress Less Mental Health Workshop
5-6 p.m., Student Counseling Service, 2001 Clinical Health Sciences Facility

Wednesday, April 9

Mobile Teaching Kitchen
Noon-2 p.m., Rec Quad, outside Phillips Hall
Enjoy healthy snacks served by registered dietitian nutritionist Cameron Stauffer, MS, LD, RDN. Cameron will share recipes, and students can win door prizes!

Hosted by the Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health and the Miami Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Pop-Up Tea Tasting
1-3 p.m., International Students & Scholar Services/Global Initiatives, MacMillan Hall 017
Try international teas that reduce stress.

Post-Spring Break Blues: Easing Back Into Routine
1-1:30 p.m., Wellness Studio, 2002 Clinical Health Sciences Facility
Feeling a little blue coming back from spring break? Come to this workshop to get back into routine and finish the academic year strong!

Stronger Together: A Mental Health Mixer
5-6 p.m., Wellness Studio, 2002 Clinical Health Sciences Facility
Are you interested in leading your student organization with mental health in mind? Don’t know how to get started? Join Miami Hope, Active Minds, and other campus organizations for a drop-in mixer event to learn more about how you can lead with mental health in mind and gather resources for your organization. 

Hosted by the Mental Health Commission

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training Program
6-8 p.m., 0206 Clinical Health Sciences Facility

Provided by Mental Health Peer Educators

Power Up! Video Games and Mental Wellness
6-9 p.m., Esports Lounge, 2074 Armstrong Student Center
Drop in for a fun, casual evening playing video games such as Valorant, Overwatch 2, Fall Guys, Rocket League, Fortnite, League of Legends, Marvel Rivals, and Siege. On Nintendo Switch, games available include Smash Bros. and Mario Kart.

In partnership with the Esports Club 

Thursday, April 10: Stress Less Day!

Mindful Mornings Creation Station
9-11 a.m., Wellness Studio, 2002 Clinical Health Sciences Facility
Start your Thursday off well in our Wellness Studio! Make your own yogurt parfait or cereal and then stay for a while to do a de-stressing activity like watercolor painting, LEGO building, or puzzling.

Ramblin’ Roast Coffee
9 a.m.-2 p.m., Cook Field
Want free coffee? Join us at Cook Field and look for the coffee cart (while supplies last).

Stress Less Day
3-5:30 p.m., Armstrong Pavilion A, B and C
Join us in Armstrong for Stress Less Day activities, including therapy dogs, free massages, giant board games, giveaways, and more. Additional activities include:

• Food: cookies, fruit and other snacks
• Giveaways (gift cards, Oxford Community Yoga free passes)
• Virtual reality headsets — Beat Saber game and relaxation apps
• Crafts
• Adult coloring books
• Tea tasting
• Blood pressure assessments
• Legos
• Stress ball making
• Mindfulness and gratitude activities
• Mental health treatment and referral information
• Messages of hope and kindness
• Positive affirmations
• Substance use safety and harm reduction information
• Watercolor painting
• Anxiety screenings
• Suicide prevention resources and information on how to help friends in distress

Friday, April 11

Art and Wellness at Miami: Growth
1-4 p.m., Wellness Studio, 2002 Clinical Health Sciences Facility
Join Art and Wellness at Miami for a workshop dedicated to art and your well-being. Learn about art as expression, and leave with your own creation. Materials will be provided, and participants will be watercolor painting and using embroidery string to add dimension. 

Thanks to Our Partners

We would like to thank the following campus and community partners for assisting with Stress Less Week:

• Active Minds
• The Apple Tree
• Armstrong Student Center
• Art and Wellness at Miami
• Art Therapy/Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum
• Associated Student Government
• Cameron Stauffer, MS, LD, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist)
• Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion
• Center for Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership
• Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Health
• Esports Club
• HAWKS Peer Health Educators
• Holiday Auto Theater
• Insomnia Cookies
• International Students & Scholar Services/Global Initiatives
• Kofenya
• Makerspace at King Library
• Mental Health for Nursing Students Club
• Miami Hope
• Miami Oxford Student Nurse Association
• Miami Student Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Miller Center for Student Disability Services
• Nursing Students for Mental Health Club
• Office of Student Wellness
• Oxford Community Yoga
• Phi Alpha Social Work Honors Society
• Ramblin’ Roast Coffee
• Shademakers
• Stop the Stigma Productions cast and crew
• Starbucks
• Student Counseling Service
• Suicide Prevention Team
• Therapy dog teams and volunteers
• Wild Berry Inc. office/distribution
• Women Helping Women
• You’re Fired