
For any queries or for further information, please contact l.taib@ucl.ac.uk
Monday 13th May
12:15 - 13:00: Street food Walk
Join your wellbeing champions and mental health first aiders for a walk to Leather Lane street food market, the walk will take around 45 minutes.
We will meet at 12:15 outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, look out for us in our hi-vis jackets!
13:00 - 16:45: Chair Massage
What is chair massage and why is it perfect for the office?
Chair massage is a fully clothed massage that is performed by a therapist in a chair specifically designed for massage. It's perfect for an office environment as there's no need to remove any clothing and no oils are used, making the transition back to your desk easy breezy.
Stress is something that seems unavoidable in the workplace, but studies have shown that even 15 minutes of chair massage at work can help reduce levels of anxiety and improve brain performance, meaning you can get back to work feeling reenergized, rejuvenated and ready to take on the rest of your day.
Venue: 2nd floor small seminar room, Queen Square House
Tuesday 14th May
12:30 - 13:00: Webinar – Mindfulness
We are offering staff at UCL to join a free, online, guided meditation practice lasting approximately 25 minutes with a 5-minute reflection at the end with Dr Olga Zubko.
Access this session on Microsoft Teams
15:30 - 17:30: Seminar on apathy in psychiatry and neurology
The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is “Movement: Move more for your mental health”. Although the benefits of exercise on well-being are well established, simply getting up and out is not always an easy task. This is particularly true for people who experience apathy, a symptom described as a loss of motivation or interest in goal-directed behaviours. Apathy is common in people with certain psychiatric and neurological conditions.
In a short seminar dedicated to apathy, we want to raise awareness of this symptom. We start with a panel discussion of people with Parkinson’s disease, who will share their lived experiences with apathy. The second session will feature short scientific talks in which researchers from the Institute of Neurology at UCL will present insights into different aspects of apathy from neuroscience research. Speakers include Professor Jonathan Roiser, Dr Anna Kuppuswamy, Anna Hall, and Professor Quentin Huys. We conclude the afternoon with a group discussion.
The seminar is free to attend and open to all who are interested. We aim to welcome a broad and diverse audience. The Lecture Theatre is wheelchair accessible. To find out more on the accessibility of this venue, please visit the AccessAble website.
- 15:30 - 16:00 - Session 1: Panel discussion of people with Parkinson's disease, hosted by Charlotte Dore
- 16:00 - 16:15 - Short break
- 16:15 - 17:00 - Session 2: Scientific talks
- Professor Jonathan Roiser - Understanding disrupted motivation in Parkinson's disease using neuroscience
- Dr Anna Kuppuswamy - The neural basis of post-stroke fatigue
- Anna Hall - A mechanistic account of anhedonia
- 17:00 - 17:30 - Research panel discussion hosted by Professor Quentin Huys
- 17:30 - Coffee, tea, and cakes
Venue: Lecture Theatre, 33 Queen Square
Wednesday 15th May
12:30 - 13:30: Wild Bloomsbury walk & Lunch
Join IoN/DRC Green and Wellbeing Champions for a walk through green spaces, finishing with a picnic lunch in Calthorpe gardens.
The event will be Powered by Plants and Fairtrade.
Please bring:
- A vegetarian/vegan lunch – ideally in your own Tupperware!
- Sustainability tips and hidden green spaces you would like to share
- Appropriate clothing/footwear!
We will meet at 12:30 at the St George the Martyr end of Queen Square gardens
Please join us to enjoy the green spaces of Bloomsbury meet people and get some fresh air!
14:30 - 15:00: Gong Siesta
Tap Into Your Superpower with A Gong Siesta
Are you ready to release some stress and get more sleep? Enjoy both with a restorative Gong Siesta - a relaxing and therapeutic sound bath.
Live Gong frequencies help you drift into a deep state of rest, which helps release stress and improve energy and focus. Book your place today.
The Health & Exam Benefits of a Gong Siesta
A Gong Siesta is a powerful alternative to the pharmaceutical approach to treating stress, insomnia, low energy, fatigue, poor focus, jet lag, and other sleep-related issues. Not getting enough sleep or having poor quality sleep directly impacts mental and physical health. During sleep, inflammation and waste products are filtered and reduced from the body and brain, which boosts healing, repair, regeneration, mood, energy, and health.
Osteopath Jarvia Foxter will be available.
Location: Room 6.02, 22 Gordon Street, Bloomsbury
Thursday 16th May
13:00 - 14:00: What to do about bullying and harassment? - Michael Moutoussis
This will be a 30-minute presentation follow by a 30-minute discussion over a cup of coffee.
In this session you will learn what bullying and harassment is, how to report it and what support is available through UCL. At the end of the discussion, you will have the opportunity to confidentially request a 1-to-1 session.
Venue: Gilliatt Lecture Theatre, Ground floor, Queen Square House
No registration necessary, just put it in your diary and turn up!
Friday 17th May
11:00 - 17:00: Chair Massage
What is chair massage and why is it perfect for the office?
Chair massage is a fully clothed massage that is performed by a therapist in a chair specifically designed for massage. It's perfect for an office environment as there's no need to remove any clothing and no oils are used, making the transition back to your desk easy breezy.
Stress is something that seems unavoidable in the workplace, but studies have shown that even 15 minutes of chair massage at work can help reduce levels of anxiety and improve brain performance, meaning you can get back to work feeling reenergized, rejuvenated and ready to take on the rest of your day.
Venue: 2nd floor small seminar room, Queen Square House
12:30 - 13:30: UCL Walking Tour
Join a UCL walking tour to explore UCL’s campus and delve deeper into the researchers, students and stories that have helped shape the UCL of today. The tour will depart from North Lodge, which is situated at the entrance to the UCL Main Quad on Gower Street. The tour will start at 12:30pm and last roughly an hour.
13:00 - 15:00: Still Life Drawing
An opportunity to relax and draw from a still life in a gently guided 2 hour workshop. The aim is to enjoy the process and act of drawing rather than focus on a finished piece. All skill levels welcome There will be some limited materials available (pencil and paper) but please feel free to bring your own.
Location: 5.02, 22 Gordon Street, Bloomsbury
Other events
Student wellbeing events
If you are a student at UCL you can also access other wellbeing events. Please visit the Student Support and Wellbeing page for more information.
Wellbeing surgeries
We have set up wellbeing surgeries for staff to talk to a wellbeing champion.
We understand that not everything can be fixed by medicine and many factors influence a person’s sense of wellbeing. It’s key that our staff find the appropriate support to help them regain control and take responsibility for their own health.
The Wellbeing Coordinator can work with staff who need signposting and support in a whole range of areas such as support services, diet and exercise, emotional health, loneliness, bereavement, financial issues, anxiety and mental health problems and lots more. We offer online consultations to discuss your situation further, make an action plan together to help you move forwards and may also involve some ongoing support sessions.
The surgeries are being held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 2-4pm.
Email ion-wellbeing-surgeries@ucl.ac.uk to make an appointment.
The Bartlett Mental Health Awareness Week
The Bartlett Mental Health Awareness Week is taking place from Tuesday 14 May to Friday 17 May, hosting free events centred around wellbeing for all students and staff. Find out more on The Bartlett webpage.