NESCAC promotes Mental Health Awareness Week

For schools across our conference, this week is NESCAC Mental Health Awareness Week. But what does “awareness” mean? It’s a question the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, or SAAC, asked ourselves as we planned the events for the week. Being aware of your mental health is about taking time to reflect, treating your feelings as real and valid and about understanding that, especially at Middlebury, as much as everyone else may look like they have it figured out, everyone is going through something. But there’s more to this week than mental health awareness. We want to promote concrete ways to take care of your mental health, and there’s a number of activities planned to do it. Go to a spin class on Thursday, or a yoga class on Friday afternoon. Support your classmates by wearing green on Friday, or cheer at any of the athletic events this weekend. Try to keep your phones away. Lastly, we want to note that one of the best ways to support your mental health is through service and appreciation. Take the time to enjoy the beauty of the mountains, and go out of your way to thank a custodian, dining hall employee, coach, or friend. Find the things that work for you, and hopefully each week moving forward can be its own Mental Health Week.