Be Well
Be Well is the outreach arm of the Bergeron Wellness Center. Be Well engages students in holistic wellness exploration through activities, events and education. The Be Well team consists of Bergeron’s Coordinator of Wellness Outreach and Education, mental health counselors, nurse practitioners, and wellness staff as well as student wellness ambassadors and numerous campus partners. We hope to offer students opportunities to share, reflect and respond to relevant issues all while having fun and creating a culture of wellness here at SMC.
Meet the Coordinator
Bridgette Akins is Bergeron’s Coordinator of Wellness Outreach and Education. She is also a certified health and life coach.
“I’m originally from TN and take pride in my Southern roots and Northern boots. Born and raised in east Tennessee, I’ve now lived in Vermont for two years after layovers in upstate NY and eastern North Carolina.
I enjoy yoga, hiking, singing, and the occasional ice bath. I love spending time with my family and friends. I can be found in Joyce 154 where I am here to assist you in connecting the dots between who you are and who you want to be. I am here to listen to what’s important to you and help you navigate the steps needed to reach your goals. No judgment and no telling you what to do.
My purpose is to serve, explore, connect, and inspire. Striving to live out my purpose, I encourage students to do the same. “
Bridgette Alpha Akins
Coordinator of Wellness Outreach and Education
she/her pronouns
bakins@smcvt.edu
802-654-5230
Be Well Mind
Feeling Alone?
TalkCampus is a free app that allows students to receive peer support 24/7 with world-class clinical safeguarding.
Students can sign up using their SMC emails.
Bergeron Counseling
The college years are a time of transition and growth for students, which is both exciting and demanding. The Counseling staff at Saint Michael’s College are here to assist current full-time, undergraduate students in their development.
Men’s Mental Health
“Mo”vember is an annual event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide (similar to No-Shave November). This tradition started in Australia but has since been adopted around the world.
The Movember Foundation aims to:
- Address the men’s health crisis on a global scale
- Fund groundbreaking projects all over the world
- Engaging men where they are to understand what works best for them
Curious about your relationship with technology?
Use these resources to discover trends and reassess your digital use!
Need Help with Time Management or a Peer Tutor?
Reach out to Dina Alsaffar in Durick 207 or via email at dalasaffar@smcvt.edu
Click here to see all Academic Support options
Need to Press Pause?
Press Pause is a project from The Jed Foundation and powered by PINK to help us get creative, curious, and consistent about taking care of our mental health. Sometimes we think of mental health only as the difficult things – stress, anxiety, or conditions like depression. Mental health is actually the full range of our feelings, thoughts and emotions — from struggling to thriving and everything in between. And there are simple things we can do to help protect our mental health and boost our moods whenever we need to. This site contains tips and video experiences that can help us do that…anywhere, anytime.
7 -Day Relaxation Challenge
Are you up for the challenge? Print out this 7-Day Relaxation Challenge from Rachael Kable!
The Radical, Revolutionary Resilience of Black Joy
In the face of trauma, happiness is resilience: a revolutionary act of thriving despite all odds, rather than wilting or surrendering. Community organizer and activist Miracle Jones offers a heart-to-heart meditation on the role of joy as a form of radical resistance, survival and protection for Black folks in the US and across the world. A warm reminder to embrace the guiding light of hope in the presence of darkness.
Rachael Kable
Rachael Kable is the vibrant and warm-hearted creator of The Mindful Kind podcast. She is passionate about empowering people around the world to live more mindfully in fun, simple, and meaningful ways! In terms of resilience, Rachael describes this as “how well we handle and adapt to stressful events or changes in our lives.” You can hear more about her insights on resilience in her article Five Practical Strategies to Increase Resilience and Decrease Stress.
If you want to hone these skills and put them into practice, print out Rachael’s workbook on resilience!
Be Well Body
The Body Positive Blog
“The Body Positive Blog” promotes resilience by teaching people practical skills to support themselves with self-compassion, an attuned relationship to the body, sustainable self-care behaviors, and a positive connection with others. These resources provide people with effective coping strategies to face adversity without internalizing the difficulties and traumas in their lives and experiencing self-loathing and conflicts with their bodies and self-care.
My Body Story
The process of becoming the expert of your own body begins by writing what we call your “body story.” This practice lets you consciously examine the messages, both external and internal, that affect your current-day relationship with your body.
Click here for the My Body Story Worksheet!
Body Acceptance Week
Body Acceptance Week is an exciting initiative promoting body acceptance—including body positivity, body neutrality, and body liberation—for all.
As part of the National Eating Disorders Association’s (NEDA) commitment to eating disorder prevention, Body Acceptance Week provides resources, education, and support for those experiencing body dissatisfaction and its associated risk factors.
To learn more about body image and body image movements, click here.
Did you know our campus has a Registered Dietitian?
Megan Dennis is here to provide nutrition and dietary support to students and promote a healthy lifestyle on campus. Whether you are looking for more healthy options and general guidance, seeking help due to dietary restrictions and food allergies, or trying to boost your athletic performance, Meagan is here for you!
Yoga in the Commons
More info to come!
GoNoodle
The idea behind GoNoodle is simple: be a force of joy, health, and self-discovery. While these activities are designed for kids, we encourage you to try some to let your sillies out and embrace your inner child!
Need to Press Pause?
Press Pause is a project from The Jed Foundation and powered by PINK to help us get creative, curious, and consistent about taking care of our mental health. Sometimes we think of mental health only as the difficult things – stress, anxiety, or conditions like depression. Mental health is actually the full range of our feelings, thoughts and emotions — from struggling to thriving and everything in between. And there are simple things we can do to help protect our mental health and boost our moods whenever we need to. This site contains tips and video experiences that can help us do that…anywhere, anytime.
Headspace
Headspace’s mission is to provide every person access to lifelong mental health support. Through the app, Headspace provides mindfulness tools for everyday life, including meditations, sleep casts, mindful movement, and focus exercises.
TACO inc
Team Awareness Combating Overdose (TACO)’s mission is to combat drug overdoses among young adults by building a peer-to-peer culture of well-informed decisions with comprehensive access to neutral, scientific data and subsidized tools to keep each other safe.
What started as an initiative at the University of Southern California now serves as a valuable resource for several colleges throughout the US!
Click here to check out TACO inc’s Instagram
802 Quits
802 Quits is Vermont’s resource for quitting smoking and other tobacco. Wherever you are on your path to quitting, help is here.
VT Helplink
VT Helplink is your statewide, public resource for finding substance use treatment and recovery services in Vermont. Services are free and confidential.
T-Break Guide
Are you thinking about taking a tolerance break from cannabis use? Use this t-break guide to help support you!
Smokefree Teen
Smokefree Teen is part of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Smokefree.gov Initiative. The goal of Smokefree Teen is to reduce the number of youth who use tobacco.
Smokefree Teen aims to reduce teen tobacco use by:
- Preventing early and occasional tobacco users from becoming regular users.
- Promoting tobacco cessation among established users.
Rethinking Drinking
Rethinking Drinking is designed for U.S. adults who drink alcohol. They provide evidence-based information about alcohol and health, along with tips, tools, and resources for those who want to cut down on or quit drinking.
Be Well Soul
Consent: Health Promotion & Well-Being
Health Promotion and Well-Being cultivates and supports holistic well-being for individuals, relationships, groups, and the community. Check out this resource from Johns Hopkins University.
Scarleteen
Founded in 1998, Scarleteen is a progressive, inclusive sexuality and relationships education, information and support organization and digital clearinghouse.
Click here to read their article”Driver’s Ed for the Sexual Superhighway: Navigating Consent”
Recognize Violence, Change Culture (RVCC)
RVCC is a national sexual violence prevention organization of a 501(c)(3) non-profit. They provide inclusive and easy-to-implement prevention tools and strategies to draw in one’s community, spark conversation, and build essential skills.
Click here to follow the RVCC on Instagram!
Holistically Grace
Maria G. Sosa, aka “Holistically Grace,” is a Relational Wellness Expert who uses her platform to give her audience tips and tools for your mind, body, and relationships.
Click here to follow Maria on Instagram!
Project Callisto
Callisto’s mission is to use technology to empower survivors of sexual assault. Their solution, Callisto Vault, is an encrypted platform designed to empower survivors of sexual assault, provide a safe alternative to reporting, and increase the likelihood that serial perpetrators will be held accountable.
Within Callisto Vault, survivors can access two tools: the Matching System and the Incident Log.
Gratitude
How can gratitude help me be happier? How can I be a more grateful person? In this podcast from Headspace Studios, you will learn the difference between gratitude practice and toxic positivity, get tips on practicing mindfulness with a gratitude list, and learn how acknowledging the blessings in life, even in the worst of times, can make us happier.
Purpose
Click here to read Emily Talas’ article “Our Obsession with Finding Purpose.”
This article is especially important to those who have just graduated!
Campus Ministry
Saint Michael’s College was founded by the Society of St. Edmund. The core Edmundite values of social justice, education, spiritual renewal, and ministry are expressed throughout the college, but importantly through our Campus Ministry.
Campus Ministry welcomes all students who want to explore how thinking and talking about God, values, responsibility to others, the nature of life, and the question of a soul can be an important part of education and personal development.
The Book of Joy
In this interview, Seth Doane talks with the Dalai Lama, a man for whom the pursuit of happiness is just part of the job. They discuss “The Book of Joy,” which the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists has co-authored with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Mindful Communication
Everyone has their own experiences with communication and stories to share about it, from saying the wrong thing or making an inappropriate joke, to being there for someone during a meaningful conversation. The good news is that communication skills can be learned, practised and applied in everyday life!
Rachael Kable’s Mindful Communication Guide shares some super simple, practical, and interesting tips and helpful exercises that will help you create meaningful communication and express your opinions, needs, and thoughts in powerful ways.
Downtown Burlington
Looking for ways to get off campus and immerse yourself in fun and culturally enriching activities and events?
Check out Hello Burlington’s calendar of events!
SMC Events
Want to stay up to date on events happening at SMC?
Office of Purposeful Learning (OPL)
Purposeful Learning is Saint Michael’s intentional approach to education.
It is an overarching program that helps you discover your passions, develop your skills, and find meaning and connection in and out of the classroom. Success Advisors will help you explore and answer the big questions, like: What is important to me? What do I value and what brings me joy? What am I good at? You will learn how having a clarity of purpose in life is fundamental to being equipped to do well and driven to do good.
Click here to follow OPL on Instagram!
Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts (MOVE)
MOVE seeks to expand the concept of community service by embracing social justice and deepening our connection to the world, as defined by Catholic social teaching.
The organization does this by providing students opportunities to go outside their comfort zones and help others; to work together; and to participate through service trips and local programs.
Click here to follow MOVE on Instagram!
Student Government Association (SGA)
SGA is a student-run organization that seeks to support the numerous clubs on campus and to accurately communicate on behalf of students.
Click here to follow SGA on Instagram!
Athletics
At Saint Michael’s College our student-athletes are exactly that: students first. But however you keep score, our numbers are impressive: 21 varsity teams; 25 percent of the student body on varsity teams; a near 100 percent student-athlete graduation rate. Saint Michael’s College athletics also includes dozens of intramural activities, a ski and ride pass and classes from kickboxing to yoga.
Click here to follow SMC Athletics on Instagram!
Identity and Affinity Spaces/Clubs
- Common Ground (LGBTQIA+)
- Student Disability Advocacy Alliance (SDAA)
- Diversity Coalition (DC)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Society
- BIPOC Womxn’s Group & Knights of Philo
- Center for Diversity, Empowerment, and Community (DEC)
- Serves BIPOC, International, and First Generation College Students (grad and undergrad)
- Center for Equity and Justices (CEJ)
- Student Veterans of America (SVA)
- Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS)