Calm and Connect Week

A little prayer, a little silence, and a lot of peace to start your day.

9.00am to 9.30am
Chapel

Treat yourself to some loveliness at the Students' Union Spring Crafts Fair. You can expect homemade jewellery, stationery, artwork and lots of other unique crafts! Supporting small businesses is a sure fire way to feel positive, especially when you get to treat yourself as part of the process.

10.00am to 3.00pm
Creative centre 

Setting your study goals and planning your week is a sure-fire way to reduce unnecessary stress and academic anxiety. Join this weekly planning hub with our Study Development team to help keep you organised, focused, and motivated.

11.00am to 12.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Celebrate Calm and Connect with by joining in a craft session. Crafts are so beneficial for mental health and help to reduce anxiety through repetitive actions, and boosting self-esteem through tangible accomplishments. Crafts encourage focus on the present moment, which lowers stress, increases dopamine, and provides a productive outlet for emotional expression and cognitive stimulation.

12.00pm to 1.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Focus and Write gives you 2 hours of dedicated writing time each week in a quiet, supportive environment with fellow postgraduate researchers. Whether you're drafting chapters, editing, or working on articles, these sessions provide time and space away from distractions, a gentle structure, and a sense of community with peers who understand the challenges of PGR work. 

1.00pm to 3.00pm
Online

Join on MS Teams

Come along for a free HIIT session at YSJ Active. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) boosts mental wellbeing by triggering a rapid release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, which improve mood and reduce stress. It enhances brain function by increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and provides a time-efficient way to reduce anxiety, depression, and perceived stress.

1.00pm to 1.30pm
YSJ Active Gym 

Book a place

(first come, first served)

At our free wellbeing drop-ins you can meet with a specialist Mental Health Practitioner for a short 1 to 1 session, offering you support and information for your wellbeing and mental health. Our Practitioners can listen, provide a space for you to talk about your current mental wellbeing, signpost you to internal and external services, and support you with coping strategies. To visit the drop-in, go to the Student Hub Desk and let staff know that you are there for a wellbeing drop-in. You will be asked to complete a short form when you arrive, and will be offered a session of around 20 to 30 minutes to explore your concerns. If the service is in demand, you may have to wait to be seen.

1.00pm to 3.30pm
Student Hub

Join this mini workshop to refocus on your time management with some amazing hacks to help you better plan your studies and ensure you have a good study/life balance. University academic work is hard and time consuming but managing your time effectively will make your over all experience so much more positive.

2.00pm to 3.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Do you have an assignment where you need to present your work? Do you get nervous when speaking in front of people? This Study Development session is designed to help you to communicate your ideas clearly and with confidence, removing stress and anxiety. We'll talk about how to structure your presentations and offer practical tips on managing nerves, and on how to use your body language and voice effectively. 

3.00pm to 4.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Join in our Calm and Connect Week Board Games Café, the perfect antidote to a hard day of studying. Do you know that board games benefit mental health by reducing stress through distraction, fostering social connections that combat loneliness, and improving cognitive functions like memory and problem-solving? 

3.00pm to 4.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Visit our gratitude wall in the dining hall and library and stop to appreciate the little things in life that bring a smile to people's faces. Let us know what lifts your day and helps lift your mood. You never know how it might also positively affect others.

All day
Dining Hall and Library wellbeing wall 

Dotted around campus are colouring posters, ready for you to add your personal touch and take a moment out! The simple activity of a few minutes colouring can soothe your busy mind and act as a form of mini meditation. Pick up a DIY bookmark from the library to take some creativity home with you.

All day
Around campus 

Pop into the library or find one of the book swap shelves on campus to enjoy some reading for pleasure. Reading can significantly lower stress levels by reducing heart rate, easing muscle tension, and altering the state of mind and provides a fantastic avenue of escapism.

All day
Around campus

We often speak kindly to others but rarely to ourselves. This is your moment to change that. Pick up one of our 'postcards to yourself' from the Student Hub or cafes across campus and write down three things you truly appreciate about yourself. The goal isn't perfection, it's self-recognition.

All day
Student Hub, Dining Hall and Cafes

Enjoy the fresh spring air with some old fashion games dotted around the grounds. Play with a friend or ask another student you may not know, if they fancy a game. Small social connections make a big difference.

All day
Around campus

Find some conversation starters on the dining hall and café tables. Talking to new people can promote wellbeing by providing fresh perspectives on personal challenges, genuine support from unexpected sources, and strengthened community integration. At York St John we like to think that students are all friends, even if they don't know it yet!

All day
Dining Hall and cafés

Pick up one of our affirmation cards, found in the Student Hub, cafés and dining hall. These affirmation cards are a small reminder of your self-worth, hopefully boosting your confidence, self-belief and positivity while reducing anxiety and stress.

All day
Student Hub, Dining Hall and cafés

If you pass by one of our 'stop stations' posters, on campus, take a moment to stop, reflect and learn a quick wellbeing or mindfulness skill. Take a photo to remind you about these skills, for a time when you may need them. Practising mindfulness helps to cultivate present-moment awareness, significantly reducing stress, anxiety, and depression while improving emotional regulation and cognitive focus.

All day
Around campus

Pick up a copy of our Calm and Connect Week wellbeing guidebook, designed to give you a single resource filled with information and ideas to help you on your journey to positive wellbeing.

All day
Student Hub, Dining Hall and cafés

A little prayer, a little silence, and a lot of peace to start your day.

9.00am to 9.30am
Chapel

Turns out there is such a thing as a free lunch! Pop in for free soup, cake and a chat. Talking to new people can promote wellbeing by providing fresh perspectives on personal challenges, genuine support from unexpected sources, and strengthened community integration.

12.00pm to 1.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Celebrate Calm and Connect with by joining in a craft session. Crafts are so beneficial for mental health and help to reduce anxiety through repetitive actions, and boosting self-esteem through tangible accomplishments. Crafts encourage focus on the present moment, which lowers stress, increases dopamine, and provides a productive outlet for emotional expression and cognitive stimulation.

12.00pm to 1.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Come along for a free HIIT session at YSJ Active. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) boosts mental wellbeing by triggering a rapid release of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, which improve mood and reduce stress. It enhances brain function by increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and provides a time-efficient way to reduce anxiety, depression, and perceived stress.

1.00pm to 1.30pm
YSJ Active Gym 

Book a place

(first come, first served)

At our free wellbring drop-ins you can meet with a specialist Mental Health Practitioner for a short 1 to 1 session, offering you support and information for your wellbeing and mental health. Our Practitioners can listen, provide a space for you to talk about your current mental wellbeing, signpost you to internal and external services, and support you with coping strategies. To visit the drop-in, go to the Student Hub Desk and let staff know that you are there for a wellbeing drop-in. You will be asked to complete a short form when you arrive, and will be offered a session of around 20 to 30 minutes to explore your concerns. If the service is in demand, you may have to wait to be seen.

1.00pm to 3.30pm
Student Hub

Join in this workshop to make sure that you are kind to yourself whilst studying at full capacity. Study kindness involves a shift from purely competitive, high-stress academic approaches to a more sustainable, holistic method that improves both mental health and academic performance.

2.00pm to 3.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Join in our Calm and Connect Week Board Games Café, the perfect antidote to a hard day of studying. Do you know that board games benefit mental health by reducing stress through distraction, fostering social connections that combat loneliness, and improving cognitive functions like memory and problem-solving? 

3.00pm to 4.00pm
Future You Careers Centre, Holgate 013

Dotted around campus are colouring posters, ready for you to add your personal touch and take a moment out! The simple activity of a few minutes colouring can soothe your busy mind and act as a form of mini meditation. Pick up a DIY bookmark from the library to take some creativity home with you.

All day
Around campus 

Visit our gratitude wall in the dining hall and library and stop to appreciate the little things in life that bring a smile to people's faces. Let us know what lifts your day and helps lift your mood. You never know how it might also positively affect others.

All day
Dining Hall and Library wellbeing wall 

Pop into the library or find one of the book swap shelves on campus to enjoy some reading for pleasure. Reading can significantly lower stress levels by reducing heart rate, easing muscle tension, and altering the state of mind and provides a fantastic avenue of escapism.

All day
Around campus

We often speak kindly to others but rarely to ourselves. This is your moment to change that. Pick up one of our 'postcards to yourself' from the Student Hub or cafes across campus and write down three things you truly appreciate about yourself. The goal isn't perfection, it's self-recognition.

All day
Student Hub, Dining Hall and cafés

Enjoy the fresh spring air with some old fashion games dotted around the grounds. Play with a friend or ask another student you may not know, if they fancy a game. Small social connections make a big difference.

All day
Around campus

Find some conversation starters on the dining hall and café tables. Talking to new people can promote wellbeing by providing fresh perspectives on personal challenges, genuine support from unexpected sources, and strengthened community integration. At York St John we like to think that students are all friends, even if they don't know it yet!

All day
Dining Hall and cafés

Pick up one of our affirmation cards, found in the Student Hub, cafés and dining hall. These affirmation cards are a small reminder of your self-worth, hopefully boosting your confidence, self-belief and positivity whilst reducing anxiety and stress.

All day
Student Hub, Dining Hall and cafés

If you pass by one of our 'stop stations' posters, on campus, take a moment to stop, reflect and learn a quick wellbeing or mindfulness skill. Take a photo to remind you about these skills, for a time when you may need them. Practising mindfulness helps to cultivate present-moment awareness, significantly reducing stress, anxiety, and depression while improving emotional regulation and cognitive focus.

All day
Around campus

Pick up a copy of our Calm and Connect Week wellbeing guidebook, designed to give you a single resource filled with information and ideas to help you on your journey to positive wellbeing.

All day
Student Hub, Dining Hall and cafés