January is a tough time for mental health. The days are shorter and darker. The weather is mostly gloomy and cold, and finances can be tight after the holiday season. Add in food security, housing, and academics to the worry list for UFV students, and it can quickly feel overwhelming. 

“Balancing work, school, and personal life can be super challenging, especially when you have to study for midterms and then work an early shift the next day,” says Justine Dapat, UFV student and Wellness Centre assistant. 

This is also a time of year when social media use is high. People are stuck indoors and spend far more time online.  

But Justine knows there is help. 

UFV’s Student Health & Wellness team provides year-round services and resources to UFV students who may be struggling. 

“At the Wellness Centre, these things can feel a little less heavy thanks to the mental health resources provided, trained wellness peers available for support, events that de-stigmatize mental and sexual wellbeing, and a comfy place to chill,” she says with a smile. “The connections you can make with others and the support you can receive and provide others drew me in to get involved.” 

Two days in January highlight this approach.  

Student Wellness Days are Jan 27 at the Chilliwack campus, and Jan 29 at the Abbotsford campus. 

Student Wellness Day is a time for students to focus on their well-being and discover support services. The theme for this year is “Building Bridges Through the Power of Community Connection,” highlighting the importance of mental health and community. 

Both campuses will offer opportunities to engage in movement, connect through creative activities like painting and button making, and explore resources at the Student Wellness Centre. Students can also enjoy free snacks and visit the take home Naloxone “Ask Me” station. In Abbotsford, students can visit the Community Fair in the S building atrium to learn more about local resources and services available in the Fraser Valley.  

On Jan 29, a Mental Health Screening Day event takes place at the Chilliwack campus A Building atrium, and Trades and Technology Centre from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.  

Mental Health Screening Day is hosted by the UFV counselling team, supported by the Canadian Mental Health Association. The counselling team has been hosting free mental health screening twice a year for the UFV community for the past 19 years. During this event, UFV students are encouraged to come by the event booth to fill out brief, confidential screens on topics such as depression, anxiety, substance use and general well-being, after which they have an opportunity to debrief with a counsellor and learn ways to support and enhance their mental wellness.  

Counsellors understand that students are busy people, so if you don’t have time for a screen, you can always pop by the booth to grab a snack, discover a few resources, get some fun swag and meet your UFV counselling team. Students are also welcome to call the Student Services front desk at 604-854-4528 to book a future screening appointment that fits within their schedule.  

In the past, UFV has promoted Bell Let’s Talk, an annual event created by Bell Media to raise awareness and combat stigma around mental illness in Canada. Student Wellness Day and Mental Health Screening Day represent a new path, one that better aligns with UFV’s culture and values. 

“We strongly believe in promoting mental health and well-being, and de-stigmatizing challenges people experience with their mental health” says Robbyn Bennett, Director of Student Health & Wellness. “But we don’t want to just talk about it. We want to be authentic in living those values, and we’re choosing to bring awareness to mental health in a way that’s aligned with what UFV wants to be as a university.” 

Robbyn believes progress has been made in bringing mental health issues to light and creating space for people to feel comfortable talking about their struggles. She sees more willingness to engage in counselling and other support, but there’s still a way to go. 

“There’s still a tendency to minimize the severity of a problem and say, ‘It’s not so bad. I can just keep going,’” Robbyn says. “There’s more work to do on normalizing the ebbs and flows of mental health, recognizing that there’s a whole spectrum, and it’s okay to reach out for help no matter where you are on that spectrum.” 

“It doesn’t mean you’re failing or letting someone down if you’re feeling like you are on the lower end of that spectrum for a while. It’s all part of the human experience.” 

Click here to learn more about UFV’s Student Health & Wellness mental health services and resources.