Wellness, from Every Direction, for Everyone

By Rebecca Goldfine
Peer Health students, along with Bowdoin's health and wellness staff, have found new ways to inspire the Bowdoin community—no matter where they are—to stay healthy through the pandemic. (Start those jumping jacks! Then join a mindfulness-based stress-reduction session.)
Peer health weekly newsletter
Peer Health's new Weekly Wellness Newsletter.

Peer Health

Part of the Office of Residential Life, Peer Health is made up of approximately thirty-five student volunteers who raise awareness and educate other students about issues pertinent to young adults—from healthy relationships and stress reduction to alcohol use and body satisfaction. Additionally, a large part of Peer Health's mission is helping first-years transition to college life.

On campus, back in February, Peer Health's student members launched a news flyer they posted inside bathroom stalls across campus. The first issue of the Stall Street Journal covered topics like "five ways to slay the Sunday scaries," the benefits of spending time by water, and how to prevent the flu.

After the pandemic forced Bowdoin to close the campus, the Peer Health leadership committee reconvened via Zoom in late March to find a path forward. "We regrouped to figure out what we wanted to do, and how to continue being Peer Health in the midst of quarantine," coleader Grace Feigl ’22 said. 

Since their first edition of Stall Street Journal had been a hit, the group decided to create more issues (with the temporary subtitle "BYOBS," that is, bring your own bathroom stall). These days, the writers target possible problems arising from an enforced "couch-bound lifestyle."

"Since quarantine, Stall Street Journal has been more curated toward reflecting on productivity in a home environment, how to combat isolation, and how to help out virtually," Peer Health coleader Brandon Lee ’21 said. "The themes have been revolving around this crisis." 

Peer Health also began sending out a popular weekly wellness newsletter on Mondays. Members alternate researching and writing various sections—covering topics like toxic positivity and the surprising gifts of imperfection. They share workout playlists, where to find free ebooks, mental health resources, and the Baldwin Center for Learning and Teaching's remote learning tips (and cookie recipes!). They also solicit guest columns from Bowdoin's health practitioners.

Grace Feigl and Brandon Lee
Grace Feigl and Brandon Lee, @bowdoinpeerhealth, are part of a five-student Peer Health leadership team, along with Emma Adrain ’21, Elliot Ramirez ’21, and Callie Burkhart ’21.

Celeste Hynes, who advises Peer Health for Residential Life, said the group's members wanted to respond to people's heightened interest in more health and wellness resources right now. (She also pointed to a secondary benefit of Peer Health's efforts: "It's been nice to have some sort of normalcy, and for students to work toward a goal with others they were working with on campus before.")

Additionally, members used their time off campus to update the Peer Health web and social media sites. "Having a website for students to access will be really helpful," Feigl said. 

In these uncertain times—dominated by a scary virus and a disabled economy—Fiegl and Lee both said Peer Health next semester will be especially crucial, particularly for first-years. "It'll be extra important to reach out to first-years so they feel they are part of Bowdoin and that they know people are looking out for them," Lee said.

Medical professionals

One of the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by Congress in response to the COVID-19 crisis, enables health care providers to practice across state lines. This allows people like Director of Health Services Jeffrey Maher and Nurse Practitioner Kathy Thorson to offer telemedicine consultations with Bowdoin students throughout the country.

Though the medium—Zoom, FaceTime, or phone call—is different, the basic ingredients of telemedicine visits are the same as in-person meetings would be. "It is the type of care we’d offer anyway," Maher said. "The bulk of what I do as a physician is listen to the patient's story and talk about symptoms and . . . the likelihood of what it is they’re dealing with, and what the best next steps are. That can all be done without a stethoscope."

Julie Burk, Kathy Thorson, and Jeff Maher
Julie Gray, Kathy Thorson, and Jeff Maher. Health Services staff offer regular virtual office hours, inviting students to drop in and confidentially chat about any issue they wish.

Health Services staff also contributed a weekly column to Peer Health's Weekly Wellness Newsletter, discussing subjects like allergies and sexual health. Responding to students' requests, the staff plans to write future columns about over-the-counter skin care, travel, health insurance, and contraceptive options.

Additionally, the team has reached out more to the student community. In times past, the office would post an occasional online notice for flu clinics, Thorson said. But this semester, the health care providers posted their virtual office hours every day, "encouraging students everywhere to reach out to us, even if it's just to talk," she added.

"That is the message we established before we closed," Maher added. "That people could reach out to Health Services as a confidential one-on-one health resource for anything. That doesn’t go away."

Wellness, from Every Direction

Sunday Stretches, episode two, with Bowdoin Athletics.

Wellness initiatives came from many corners of campus.

Coaches created and posted Sunday Stretches videos, (which are especially helpful to people working with awkward desk situations, from the couch, or from their bed).

Kate Nicholson, assistant director of student wellness, also offered a live virtual yoga class from her living room every Friday morning. (She also led yoga or meditation sessions by request for sports teams.) Additionally, she launched a new social media feature, Daily Community Connections, at B Well Bowdoin Instagram, to invite a student, alumnus, or staff member to chat with her about what life is like for them right now.

"That was an attempt to foster an effortless, spontaneous connection to our Bowdoin community, something students expressed that they missed now by not bumping into people while walking to class, having a meal with a friend, or late nights in a dorm room," she said.

And after hearing from students that being at home was triggering a return to disordered eating, Nicholson organized a weekly group Zoom meeting with an intuitive eating coach for anyone struggling with food issues.

Kate Nicholson, teaching yoga
Kate Nicholson, teaching yoga and meditation, and a recent journaling prompt.

Journaling: Besides offering several Zoom programs—on dating in the digital world and supporting friends who have experienced trauma—Lisa Peterson, associate director of gender violence prevention and education, has been running a weekly journaling group for women with Rachel Reinke, associate director of the Sexuality, Women, and Gender Center. First launched three years ago, the women's journaling group has now migrated to Instagram live (@bowdoinviolenceprevention).

During the live video, Peterson and Reinke offer a cue to prompt self-reflection, and students can pop in to write or respond. Or they can access the link as an Instagram story over the following twenty-four hours.

"Now you have this knowledge that women around the world are taking some time in the day to reflect on the same prompt in their journal, and sharing that moment of reflection," Peterson said.

Other Spring Semester Offerings

Bowdoin sangha group meditation for students and alumni
Bowdoin sangha group meditation for students and alumni, with the Mindfulness over Matter student group (Thursdays, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. EST).
  • Stress Less virtually, A mind-body stress-reduction workshop for students, with Kate Nicholson and Counseling Services' Chelsea Stephenson. 
  • Bowdoin sangha group meditation, for students and alumni, with the Mindfulness Over Matter student group.
  • One-on-one well chats with students, with Kate Nicholson. "I have enjoyed checking in and just talking with students individually to see how they are coping, managing, feeling," Nicholson said. "I'm available anytime; just email!"
  • Small group support session for seniors, with staff facilitators, weekly at different times.