Campus self care group makes time for ‘Me Time’

Daniel Leonard, Staff writer

Whether someone is an athlete, part of numerous extracurricular activities or a leader in the community, the number of hours in a day can feel inadequate for anyone and the first thing to suffer tends to be the time dedicated to self care.

“Me Time” is a new group on campus that meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Student Union and is focused on helping students learn about the different aspects of self care.

Erin Blashock, group facilitator and an intern working on her master’s degree in college counseling, explained, “every session is meant to build off one another with regard to self care and wellness. We will be talking about different facets of wellness and trying different things.”

The first group meeting focused on defining what self care is, discussing misconceptions about self care, and acknowledging positive and negative habits students may partake in.

“By recognizing certain habits, students who share in the struggle can know they are not alone, while students who don’t directly share can empathize with those who may be struggling,” said Morgan Stacey, a junior and athlete on the women’s ice hockey team. “I think Erin does an awesome job of creating a safe space for everyone.”

Carlena Bressanelli, a sophomore Art Therapy major, stated, “Knowing that you’re not alone is important, and I like the idea of a group setting where we can have this raw discussion that’s confidential without it being a counseling session.”

The second group meeting revolved around each student’s lifestyle. By acknowledging different behaviors, students had the opportunity to see their habits on paper and gain a broader perspective on the possibilities. Members also learned new methods of self care that are simple without being time consuming.

In future meetings, students will have the opportunity to try journaling, meditation and potentially enjoy a visit from Bailey the therapy dog. The group aims to appeal to a variety of students who are interested in furthering their understanding of self care in a nonjudgmental environment.

“One of the great things about group is the universality and being able to recognize that I’m not the only one who’s going through this. Even though we’re not going through deep emotional things we are talking about things that are relevant to everyone,” Blashock said.