From Freaking Out to Climbing the Wall

Let’s be real, everyone has felt defeated at some point in life. I know there is a stigma around the topic of mental illness, but it is so much more common than we can all imagine. October 2-8 is Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) in Canada and we’ve seen many on-campus events to promote awareness. I am grateful for this.

Today I participated in one of the UVic Vikes Fit Week events following a friend’s advice. The truth is, I was feeling overwhelmed by the crazy amount of school work and trying to keep everything in my life organized. So I stopped being busy and ran to CARSA for a “beginners open climb” class at the Peninsula Co-op Climbing Centre. I simply walked in and was welcomed by the staff, who explained everything to me, and enough I found myself on the top of the huge climbing wall!

I was afraid (yet laughing so much), as 30 minutes earlier I had been frustrated with studying and ready to give up on it, yet here I was climbing a 16 metre high wall, and having the best time of my life! After just 30 minutes of climbing, I felt refreshed enough to continue working and studying, ready for new challenges.

It is rare to find a week where there is nothing happening on campus! This week CARSA offered some free drop-in recreation sessions. Today (October 7) from 12-12:45 pm there is “Yoga Chill Out” in the Mind Body Studio and R.I.P.P.E.D. an intense fitness group class from 4:45 – 5:45 pm in the CARSA Movement Studio. What a perfect session to attend with a few friends!

Stop being busy and invest time in yourself! You deserve it!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Peace~