Frantically closing web tabs and putting together a homework assignment due by midnight while simultaneously finding the Zoom link I saved in a google doc buried in a folder inside another folder that was haphazardly titled “school stuff” was not the most ideal mindset to enter an event titled Wellness Wednesday.
However, after clicking the three most anxiety provoking words an online college student sees on a regular basis, “Join Zoom Meeting” I was embraced with a voice that cut through my perturbations like a polar bear through the arctic tundra.
Laney College Health Coordinator Indra Thadani “Mz. T” from Laney Student Health Services, and a speaker for their Wellness Wednesdays weekly event, warmly welcomed me with a hello, a smile and a relaxing energy that has been getting me through the day more than my usual 40oz of coffee and 65° thermostat.
I was pulling myself together, settling in and getting acquainted with my new peers when the meeting began, and I heard Mz. T declare that it was time to, “move to music!”
Let me preface this by saying that I’m the kind of person who disappears into the quantum realm when the rest of the party gathers to sing “Happy Birthday.” So when I heard that we’d be standing up and doing a guided stretch along with music, while my webcam had the unfiltered opportunity to display any and all of my stretch faces and wrinkles on someone else’s computer screen, I felt my heart and stomach trade places for far too long.
Fortunately however, the environment that Mz. T established in the Wellness Wednesday Zoom room is nothing less than an open, accepting and safe place to learn the skills that will help manage your stress and ease your peace of mind.
After a relaxing, yet energizing guided meditation led by Mz. T, it was time to discuss the topic of the week.
Each week a new topic is brought up to help attendants achieve the tranquility that always feels like a xanax and six glasses of wine away.
This week’s topic was Financial Wellness. Given I’m someone who has paid for an entire year of Disney+ having only watched one episode of “The Mandalorian,” I know what it feels like to high five my forehead after checking my bank statement.
Mz. T intelligently shared several professional techniques for achieving financial stability, and mentioned experts such as Suzy Orman, as well as sharing some personal techniques that have helped her maintain financial security.
As the event drew to a close I checked the clock to see if there was still a little more time left before I had to dive back into my world of open tabs and due dates. I’ll be honest, when I first heard of Wellness Wednesday I expected something more like an AA meeting. What I got was an invigorating hour I was treated to by Mz. T and her attendees. For those of you who are continuously chasing that carrot, or too wrapped up in that assignment or whatever else you’re supposed to worry about, I prescribe an hour at noon, on Wednesday, to elevate your day.
Wellness Wednesday will meet again March 24th for an Improving Interpersonal Communications event.
