(Photo courtesy of Nate Coady) “Students practice mindfulness by journaling with the Psychology Club”

Nate Coady
Connector Editor

Being a student can be very stressful. Staying on schedule, staying on top of homework, being consistent, and getting to class on time, can all be a bit of a struggle. No shame. With spring break just around the corner, combined with the natural loss of motivation that seems to come so soon after the beginning of a semester, being a student can be very stressful. An effective tool to combat the pitfalls of navigating the semester is mindfulness. Mindfulness keeps mental health at the forefront, while still focusing on what needs to be done. It is essential for college students, and this past Thursday, February 16, The UMass Lowell Psychology Club hosted a mindfulness activity for all to participate in.

Sometimes all it takes to practice mindfulness is a pen and paper. During the activity, Psychology Club Vice President, Yesmairis Perez, asked students questions about self-reflection and personal goals. Students were given a pen and a little notebook to write down their answers to the questions. After a few minutes of thoughtful, introspective writing, students could share their responses with the group. Open to insightful discussion, some topics students responded to included little steps to take in order to achieve daily goals, what advice they would give to close a friend, and how to be a better person. It was an open and welcoming environment that promoted the self-care and mindfulness that is so important to college students. As important as it is, the club doesn’t always focus on mindfulness. “Sometimes we’ll do a more laid-back discussion night… sometimes we’ll have a structured activity,” says Perez. Their first meeting of the year was a discussion on pop-culture and psychology. The club also does arts and crafts.

The Psychology Club also holds career exploration nights for students interested in the psychology field. “We did a resumé night, we did a Q&A panel with the assistant chair of the department,” says Perez. Any students interested in psychology, whether as their major or as an interest could find useful resources in the Psychology Club. “We have an ongoing list of psych-related jobs that we plan to send out in the near future, probably during the career night,” says President Gordon Wachira, “Basically we’re trying to be here for the students, we’re trying to create a community where we can provide networking for students with professors and faculty… At the end of the day, everyone can gain something out of Psych Club.” Other events that are in the works include a murder-mystery night hosted alongside the CJ Society, a volunteer event with the Lowell Humane Society, and a big collaboration involving both the Latin American Students Association (LASA) and the CJ Society. “More details to come,” says Wachira.

Interested in the Psychology Club? Meetings are held every Thursday in the Health and Social Science building room 165 from 6p.m. to 7p.m. Students can contact the club on the Engage website or by reaching out to the club’s Instagram page @umlpsychologyclub.