Take Time Out... on 3 March 2022

University Mental Health Day is a day which “brings together the university community to make mental health a university-wide priority and create ongoing year round change to the future of student mental health.” UCL Student Support and Wellbeing provide support to all UCL students, free of charge, so please get in touch with us to access support. In the meantime, join us for a range of events on 3 March to take some time out and connect with yourself and others. All events are for UCL students only unless stated otherwise.

What's on

Drop-in events 

• Take Time Out to... have a cuppa
• Take Time Out to... get crafty  
• Take Time Out to... cuddle a therapy dog

Booked events

• Take Time Out to... learn how to knit  
• Take Time Out to... make a candle   
• Take Time Out to... join mindfulness meditation 
• Take Time Out to... do a birdwalk around campus
• Take Time Out to... do puppy yoga 
• Take Time Out to... do some origami 

Drop-in 

Take Time Out to... have a cuppa 

9:00-17:00, Garden Room, Wilkins Building/South Cloisters, Wilkins Building

Join us for our events and reward yourself with a cuppa and a snack to take a break from your day, have a chat with an old or new friend, and find out more about Student Support and Wellbeing. There's no need to book, just come along any time!

Take Time Out to... get crafty

11:00-16:00, South Cloisters, Wilkins Building

Creativity can help you feel more positive and grounded and help alleviate stress from your studies. Drop by the South Cloisters and take a moment to get lost in a puzzle, colour in to your heart’s content, collage your emotions, or make an uplifting card for someone special. Come along on your own or with some friends - everyone is welcome! 

Take Time Out to... cuddle a therapy dog

12:00-14:00, Japanese Garden Pavilion

Our much-loved therapy dogs will be making a return to campus. Take a moment to yourself away from laptops and lectures and pop down to the Japanese Garden to see our furry friends for a wellbeing boost. There's no need to book, just come along any time! This event is open to both staff and students. 

Book your spot 

Take Time Out to... learn how to knit

9:00-10:50, Garden Room, Wilkins Building

Join UCL Knitting Society to learn how to cast on, do knit stitch and cast off, giving you a great introduction to knitting so you can produce your very own handknitted goodies. Knitting has been proven to occupy the same part of the brain as worrying, so take some time out to use your hands to make something, while taking a break from your studies.  All equipment is provided, so just sign up, turn up and knit along!

This workshop is now fully booked. Sign up to join the waiting list. 

Take Time Out to... make a candle

9:00-10:00, 10:00-10:50, 14:30-15:30, 15:30-16:30, Garden Room, Wilkins Building

Join UCL Lamorna Society to learn, step-by-step, how to make a scented candle from scratch. This is a great chance to learn how to create a candle and personalise it to your tastes, choosing the type of wax (soy/paraffin), colour (limitless) and scent of your candle. All materials will be included and members of the society will support you to create your own candle.

This workshop is now fully booked. Sign up to join the waiting list.  

Take Time Out to... join mindfulness meditation

11:00-11:30, Quiet Contemplation Room, Floor B2 of the Student Centre

Do you feel overwhelmed with workload and studies?  Do you want to meditate but you feel you need some help? Come to a guided mindfulness meditation session where we’ll mindfully scan through the body from head to toes for about 20 minutes, noticing our emotions and the sensations in our body whilst paying attention to our breath.  Finally, we’ll spend the last 5-10 minutes in complete silence. 
 
Meditation has been shown to slow down brain wave activity, reduce stress and anxiety and improve wellbeing. By the end of the session you should experience an inner peace and calmness that you can take with you throughout your day ahead. 

Sign up to join us. Places are limited so please let us know if you are no longer able to make it. This event is open to both staff and students. 

Take Time Out to... do a birdwalk around campus

13:00-14:00, meeting point Gordon Square Cafe

Join Nature and Conservation Society to take a breather in nature and discover the birds that call London home (not just lovely pigeons!). Binoculars useful, but there will be pairs to be shared around.

Sign up to join us. Everyone is welcome, whether you've done zero or one hundred birdwalks already. This event is open to both staff and students. 

Take Time Out to... do puppy yoga

15:00-16:00, Bloomsbury Theatre

Join Pawside Yoga for this one hour class, comprised of 30 minutes of yoga (comfortable stretches, relaxing breathing techniques and meditation) and 30 minutes of quality time with the pups.  

The class is taught by fully qualified and trained yoga teachers, and partnered with therapy and service dog trainers, rescues and licensed breeders, who all have pups that need to learn socialisation. All animals are vet-checked, vaccinated, de-wormed and flea-free, to make sure both attendee and puppy health is protected. Yoga mats will be provided or you can bring your own. 

This event is now fully booked, and the waiting list is full. 

Take Time Out to... do some origami

16:00-17:00, Garden Room, Wilkins Building

Learn the beautiful art of folding paper in this step-by-step origami workshop led by Angel, Events Officer of UCL Mental Health Society. Paper folding has been shown to aid relaxation, concentration, hand eye co-ordination and memory, so why not come along and give it a try! All materials will be provided.  

This event is now fully booked. Sign up to join the waiting list.

Further events and information 

Students' Union UCL Project Active runs inclusive exercise classes to support an active lifestyle. Classes are running each day of the week including on Thursday 3 March. 

The CUBE Clinic will have a stand in the mezzanine level of the Student Centre on Thursday 3 March to speak about their services. The CUBE Clinic offers assessment and treatment for students with problems related to their use of alcohol, drugs and other addictive behaviours such as gaming, gambling and pornography. Drop by between 12:00 and 14:00 to speak to the team. 

Contact Student Support and Wellbeing. Got any questions about our events? Email us.