My Day at the Wellness Carnival

I had the opportunity to attend the Wellness Carnival, an annual event put on by the Center for Campus Wellness. The Wellness Carnival is a great place for students to come and take their mind off school for a little bit and focus on improving their wellbeing. Here’s a look into my day at the Wellness Carnival!  

 

When I first arrived at the Wellness Carnival, my first activity was visiting all the different tables to learn more about campus and community resources related to wellness. Each table corresponded to a different area of wellness. For instance, I visited the Feed U Pantry, a campus resource to help students meet their physical wellness needs. I visited the University Counseling Center and Huntsman Mental Health Institute, which both offer mental/emotional wellness services. I also visited the Learning Center, which provides academic/intellectual wellness support for students. It was cool to see the amount of resources available to support students in multiple areas of wellness.  

After I went around to all the tables, I participated in a couple activities to improve my mental/emotional wellness. I went to the therapy dog station, where I met an adorable little nine-month-old dog who showed me lots of love. This brief interaction with the therapy dog allowed me to de-stress for a few minutes, which improved my mental/emotional wellbeing. I also took an anxiety and depression screening and had the results evaluated by a therapist with the University Counseling Center. It was a good way to see how I’m doing with my mental wellness and if I might benefit from any mental health services offered at the counseling center.  

 

A couple other notable activities I participated in were “chat with a chaplain” and the drawing booth. I was able to talk with the spiritual wellness chaplain, Cindy, for a few minutes, and I received a handout to take with me. The handout was a whistle, compass, and flashlight combined in one, and she explained how each of those tools related to spiritual wellness. At the drawing booth, someone drew a mini portrait of me, which encouraged me to be confident in my physical appearance, and thus increased my physical wellness. 

I really enjoyed my time at the Wellness Carnival! The resources I learned about and activities I participated in allowed me to explore wellness and better understand how I can apply wellness practices in my own life. My biggest takeaway from this event is that there are so many ways I can incorporate wellness into my life, whether it be identifying wellness resources, being willing to learn more about my own wellness, or simply petting an animal.

I think an event like the Wellness Carnival is beneficial because it allows students to consider what wellness looks like for them, and what it has to offer. If you are interested in improving an area of wellness in your life, consider meeting with a Wellness Coach, who will work with you to help you achieve your wellness goals.