Just Be
This is your Time! Just Be...
College is a time of growth, exploration, and discovery, and with that also comes the opportunity to prioritize your mental well-being and to "Just be..." We have intentionally selected the phrase Just be... as a mental wellness theme because it reminds us that our life journeys call us to respond in different ways at various times in our lives. For example, there will be moments when we need to just be reflective, kind, bold, happy, encouraging, sad, aware, healthy, and so on. Some ways to do this include building healthy habits, making space each day for intentional self-reflection, and creating opportunities for personal growth.
Need a Self-Care Journal? Stop by the Dean of Students Office (room 226, KSC) or the Information Desk in the 蜜桃视频 Student Center to get one!
September 29, 2025 鈥 October 05, 2025
This Week鈥檚 Theme: Take a Nature Break - Time outdoors boosts mood and attention, even 10 minutes helps. Feeling lonely? Explore nature, make connections, seek support. When you unplug, recharge and reconnect to nature, it is the ultimate stress reducer.
Journal Prompt: Describe a place in nature where you feel at peace. What sensory details come to mind?
Vibe: Just Be鈥 Grounded
Research says: Spending just 10 minutes in nature can significantly reduce cortisol levels and perceived stress (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020).
Campus Highlights:
- Wilderness Wardrobe
- Outdoor Rental Center
- Winter Break Trip Sign Up: Big Bend National Park
Engagement Question/Prompt: If you could teleport yourself to one outdoor spot right now (i.e., the beach, a forest, the desert, or mountain), where are you headed?
September 22, 2025 鈥 September 28, 2025
This Week鈥檚 Theme: Building Happiness & Resiliency
Train your brain for joy and optimism. Grow through your experiences and realize that your perspective is unique. It is important and it counts.
Journal Prompt:
Write about a time when you bounced back from a challenge. What did it teach you about yourself?
Vibe:
Just Be鈥 Joyful
Research says:
Practicing optimism boosts resilience and improves long-term mental health (Journal of Positive Psychology, 2021).
Campus Highlights:
- Fresh Check Day (September 24th)
- Building Happiness and Resiliency Workshops
Engagement Question:
What is your favorite 鈥渓ittle joy鈥 moment? Fresh coffee? Memes? Baby animal videos?
September 15, 2025 鈥 September 21, 2025
This Week鈥檚 Theme: Move to Manage Stress
Movement is medicine. Exercise reduces anxiety and improves confidence. Shake out your stress! When you move your body, you clear your mind.
Journal Prompt:
What kind of movement makes you feel good in your body? How can you incorporate more of into your week?
Vibe:
Just Be鈥 Active
Research says:
Twenty minutes of moderate exercise can reduce symptoms of anxiety in students (Anxiety & Depression Association of America, 2023).
Campus Highlights:
- Yoga Glow Workshop
- Late night skating
- Fitness Consultations
- Group X Classes,
- Intramural Play Passes
- Day Hike at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Hocking Hills Camping Trip
- Free Try Climb Fridays
Engagement Question:
What is your go-to hype song that gets you moving, even if it is just a kitchen dance break?
September 08, 2025 鈥 September 14, 2025
This Week鈥檚 Theme: Sleep and Resilience
Resilience starts with rest. Good sleep = better mood and focus. Sleep is fuel for your mind, mood, and motivation. If you want to feel better, get better sleep.
Journal Prompt:
How do your sleep habits affect your mood and energy? What is one small change you could make this week?
Vibe:
Just Be鈥 Rested
Research says:
College students who sleep 7-9 hours per night report significantly better mental health and academic outcomes (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2017).
Campus Highlights:
- Sleep 101 Workshops
- Full Moon Floats
Engagement Question:
Are you TEAM EARLY BIRD or TEAM NIGHT OWL? Be honest 鈥 who鈥檚 guilty of saying 鈥渏ust one more episode鈥?
September 01, 2025 鈥 September 07, 2025
This Week鈥檚 Theme: Find Your People
You are enough 鈥 courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.
Finding your people matters. Connection is about belonging, support, and being real with others.
Journal Prompt:
Describe a moment when you felt truly connected to someone. What made that moment meaningful?
Vibe:
Just Be鈥 Connected by Finding Your People
Research says:
Social belonging is a key predictor of mental well-being in college students
(Walton & Cohen, 2007).
Campus Highlights:
- Black Squirrel Festival
- Boosting Your Relationships Workshops (sponsored by CAPS)
- Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment
Engagement Question:
Tag someone who makes campus feel like home 鈥 your people make all the difference.
August 25, 2025 - August 31, 2025
This Week鈥檚 Vibes: Normalize Emotions
It鈥檚 okay to feel nervous, homesick, or overwhelmed 鈥 it鈥檚 part of adjusting.
Emotions are part of the human experience. Allow yourself to feel your feelings.
Challenges are a part of life. The best way forward is through.
Journal Prompt:
Name one emotion you鈥檝e felt today. What triggered it? How did you respond to it?
Vibe:
Just be real.
Research says:
Emotional self-awareness is linked to lower stress and higher academic performance in college students
(American College Health Association, 2021).
Engagement Question:
If your mood today were a weather forecast, what would it be?
August 18, 2025 鈥 August 24, 2025
WELCOME to the Just Be鈥ental wellness website. The purpose of this website is to provide you with information that will aid and help you succeed during your time in college and beyond. One of the practices that research shows to enhance individual wellness is journaling, or rather taking a moment to stop, reflect, and plan. Additionally, research suggests that journaling can enhance social comfort and increase interpersonal skills such as talking (conversation), listening, and forming relationships (Pennebaker and Graybeal 2001). Our hope is that as you start this academic year, you will consider taking time to journal, reflect, or add a reflective practice that suits you.
This week鈥檚 journaling prompt: Reflect on how you are feeling right now as you start the semester. Write about something that you hope to accomplish this semester. Make it as big or as small as you want.