Is it that time of the semester already? With midterms almost upon us, it’s important to prioritize your own mental wellbeing and make sure that you have enough outlets to relieve stress during these next few weeks. To help you prevent academic burnout, we reached out to the best resources on campus for tips!
Meditation is a great activity to practice mindfulness, and let your mind rest without the constant distractions of text notifications, and approaching deadlines. McGill’s own spoke with us on how meditative practices helped them find peace of mind during the height of the pandemic. Kush, co-President of the Meditation Club, told us, “I grew up [meditating] and Mark’s been doing it for a really long time as well, and we both got into it during the pandemic. It was nice because when we’d see each other we’d talk about it.”
Meditation might typically be thought of as a solitary activity, but Mark and Kush aim to foster a sense of community on campus within this club. They provide the perfect opportunity for students who might want to take some time for themselves this midterms season, but still want to participate in social communion.
If you’re looking for something more spiritual and want to connect with your peers through faith-based initiatives, you should check out the McGill Office for Spiritual and Religious Life’s Peer Faith & Volunteer Program.
Sana Mohtadi, one of MORSL’s Program Assistants, describes it as “a peer support network that is inclusive of conversations around faith and spirituality”. The objectives of the program are to “provide a wellness service to students that is inclusive, and an open space to explore spirituality and to draw upon all the different faith-based resources on and off campus.” MORSL also offers a plethora of programs and services for secular students – if you love yoga or want to learn about the spiritual aspects of the practice, you can sign up for their yoga series on their website!
Getting outdoors and moving your body is also a fun, effective way of increasing serotonin and putting you in a more balanced, relaxed mood before you study. Lucky for McGill students, we have our very own walking club, Moser Walks, a non-hierarchic club in McGill’s Geography department that aims to get the student body moving, outside, and exploring the city. Ryan Cho, a member of the club, spoke to us about the origins behind the name.
“Moser Walks started because Professor Sarah Moser was so kind and invited her GEOG 325 class to hike up Mont Royal last year during Winter 2022. A couple of us showed up and we had so much fun that we eventually continued doing walks, trying to invite more people, and then this year we made a group chat.” Walking can be a great method of building community, and Ryan hinted at how integral Professor Sarah Moser was in facilitating the space to foster such positive connections over a shared interest. He reveals, “truly, it couldn’t have happened without Sarah Moser. [She] is highly regarded amongst students as being one of the most supportive faculty members who truly goes above and beyond to help students grow and succeed – and this is one of the many ways she continues to be an incredible professor.”
Outings with Moser Walks are fairly frequent, so if you are interested, definitely get into contact with him or another member for more details! Ryan hinted that they have a few upcoming skating trips, and potentially planning a Montreal walking food tour. What better way to recuperate from long studying hours than an energizing walk, good company, and some delicious food?
Hopefully, this midterms season isn’t too arduous, and if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, get in touch with one of the initiatives outlined above for some well-deserved relief.
Good luck, everyone!