Wellbeing Wednesdays
Wellbeing Wednesdays are sessions which provide staff and students an opportunity to take a break from their day and focus on their own wellbeing.
Facilitated by Workplace Health, Safety and Wellbeing (WHSW), Wellbeing Wednesdays have been ongoing since May 2022, becoming weekly in September 2022.
Current activities:
- Nordic Walking sessions are held every week - regardless of the weather - and is only available in person at Colchester Campus. See below for more details.
Previous activities - recordings of sessions are available on the Wellbeing Directory (via Moodle):
If you have any queries, please email ohquery@essex.ac.uk.
Wellbeing Events
Body-Mind-World: a 6 week meditation course to support the development of awareness, wellbeing and connection
Tuesday 20th May – Tuesday 24th June 13.00-13.50 on Zoom
Run by Dr Sāgaradevī Barratt, a senior lecturer in the School of Health and Social Care, this six-week course for University of Essex staff provides an introduction to meditation and explores how the development of awareness can help you overcome distraction and disconnection to support your wellbeing and find meaning and connection in the world.
You will be introduced to three different meditation practices, drawing on personal experiences of meditation, secular mindfulness approaches and cognitive science research to inform the teaching.
Register via Zoom. You will be registered for all 6 sessions, you do not have to attend all of them.
Each session will be for 50 minutes with approximately 15 minutes of teaching followed by a 35-minute meditation practice. It is recommended that you are in a place where you are unlikely to be disturbed and can sit in an upright position (a desk chair is fine).
Your learning will be supported with resources available on Moodle including audio recordings to enable you to practice at home (including shorter versions that you may find more accessible). There will also be optional, self-guided homework tasks that will deepen your exploration.
Who is the course suitable for?
No previous experience of meditation is needed. You will get more from the course if you are able to attend all the sessions but this is not essential.
Sāgaradevī is a Buddhist and that inevitably informs their teaching, but this is a secular course. All are welcome to attend, of all religious beliefs and none. If you have any questions regarding the suitability of the course in the context of your religious or spiritual beliefs, please get in touch.
Please note - the course may not be appropriate for you if you are currently experiencing acute mental health difficulties or stress, particularly if you have not tried meditation before. In certain situations, meditation may worsen mental health conditions. If this is a concern for you, please get in touch to discuss this before the start of the course.
For up to date information on Wellbeing Events, please check Events or the EDI Events calendar.
Activities
Nordic Walking
What is Nordic Walking?
Nordic Walking is a low-impact, full-body exercise that uses specially designed poles to engage the arms and core muscles while walking. The poles help to distribute effort between the upper and lower body, making walking easier and reducing the pressure on joints. Due to this, Nordic Walking can be beneficial for anyone who has mobility issues, is recovering from an injury, or has a long-term condition such as arthritis.
Nordic Walking is a great option if you dislike or struggle with motivation to exercise as the walks are group sessions, providing an opportunity for socialisation and accountability.
Our Nordic Walking sessions
Sessions are delivered by a qualified Nordic Walking Instructor and are aimed at people of all abilities. Beginners are taught the correct technique before the group sets off on the walk, enjoying the scenery around campus along the way.
The group leaves at 12:10 from Square 2, outside the RAB Butler building, and returns by 1pm.
Walking poles are provided if needed, but you should ensure you wear comfortable clothing and suitable walking shoes or trainers. Please ensure you have filled out a Health Declaration (.docx) and bring it with you to your first session.
Staff can book in via HR Organiser, students please email ohquery@essex.ac.uk.
Sessions are currently limited to 8 people due to availability of poles. If you have your own poles, you are not required to book through HR Organiser, but please let us know you will be attending via email.
