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Health and Wholeness

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New guide and training to help students' mental well-being

Students walk on the academic quad with Perkins Library in background on the campus of Duke University. Photo by Les Todd, Duke University.
Students walk on the academic quad with Perkins Library in background on the campus of Duke University. Photo by Les Todd, Duke University.

The number of 18- to 26-year-old students who report suffering from an anxiety disorder has doubled in the last decade. One in five young adults live with a mental health condition today. There is a mountain of data to support what those who work on college campuses already know: students are struggling.

Now there is something you can do. Learn how you can help your students build resilience, find joy and connect with the world around them.

The Awakened Life: An 8-Week Guide to Student Well-Being” is an exciting new training program and hands-on guide offered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), the leadership development agency of The United Methodist Church.

Recently released by the GBHEM Publishing Office, the simple but profound purpose of this guide is to help address issues of student well-being through mindfulness practices proven to improve mood, concentration and relationships.

The retreats focus on teaching campus ministers, chaplains and spiritual leaders the core components of The Awakened Life curriculum and equipping them to address common issues with their students. All participants will receive one free copy of “The Awakened Life: An 8-Week Guide to Student Well-Being.”

For more information about the retreats or The Awakened Life curriculum, please contact GBHEM director of collegiate ministry leadership development, Sarah Bollinger, at sbollinger@gbhem.org.


Originally published by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry April 25, 2019. 

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