Welcome to Balance Week Spring 2023! Take a break from the stress of the semester and exam prep to practice wellness skills and celebrate the end of the semester. Balance Week has a full calendar of events designed to help you connect, have fun, and support your own mental wellness. Check back often to find resources, info, and activities, and share how you’re participating on Instagram with #kelleybalance.
Manage stress during Balance Week
Balance Week YouTube playlists
Balance Week events
See More EventsNeed to talk?
If you need support, please email ksbwell@indiana.edu or make an appointment for a 30-minute virtual visit with the counselors at IU Counseling and Psychological Service by calling 812-855-7688. The after-hours crisis line is available to students 24/7— call 812-855-5711 and choose option 1.
Unwind anytime, anywhere
From energy-boosting dance to calm-inducing yoga, explore these free resources to find a physical activity to match your mood:
- Yoga with Adriene: Free classes in a variety of lengths and topics
- IU Rec Sports at Home Fitness Classes: Set up a date with a virtual fitness buddy
- Alvin Ailey Online Dance Classes: Get creative and connect with the power of music
Feeling uncertain? Focus on the positives.
Start a gratitude journal
Sometimes when we’re feeling uncertain it’s helpful to focus on what we value and what we’re grateful for. This helps pull our focus away from our worries about what might be and what we cannot control. Consider keeping a gratitude journal to lower stress levels, feel calmer, and find new perspective.
Use this daily planner to establish routines and prioritize wellness.
Five science-backed tips to deal with uncertainty
- Acceptance: Embrace uncertainty as an essential part of life
- Gratitude: Zoom in on what’s good
- Intentional Kindness: Reach out and be kind to someone
- The Bigger Why: Build a bridge of resilience from your sense of meaning
- Self-Care: Find comfort in daily rituals
Source: Happier
Feeling stressed? Make small changes.
Each of us will have to discover what is most helpful during stressful times. Start small. What is the next good choice you can make? Understand you don’t have to do anything perfectly and little things can add up. Making a small choice towards a healthy activity makes it more likely that you’ll make the next healthy choice leading to decreased stress and increased motivation and concentration.
In this podcast, Dr. Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Harvard University, gives her personal tips on how to be happier. They include:
- Find a way to contribute from home. We benefit from being purposeful and generous. Being other-focused helps everyone.
- Limit time on social media and the news, especially before you go to sleep. Sleep is crucial in managing stress.
- Practice self compassion. It’s okay to not be okay. When you have the space try some things out to feel better.
Resources
- Podcast, The Happiness Lab: Beat Your Isolation Loneliness
- Start a habit of art making with NPR’s Life Kit
- Focus of positives with Some Good News and The Good News Network
- Harvard Business Review: How to Manage Your Stress When the Sky is Falling
- Podcast, The Hilarious World of Depression, a series of frank, moving, and, yes, funny conversations with top comedians who have dealt with depression
- Meditation Minis Podcast, 10-minute meditations for the busiest of bees