USJ Mental Health Week to Raise Students’ Awareness of Mental Well-being
USJ Mental Health Week to Raise Students’ Awareness of Mental Well-being
13
Apr
13/04/2026
The Office for Student and Alumni Affairs at USJ hosted a series of mental health week activities throughout March.
Organised by the Office for Student and Alumni Affairs and sponsored by the DSEDJ, the “USJ Mental Health Project 2026” was held throughout the third week of March at all three USJ campuses. This project was aimed to raise students’ awareness of mental health, learn stress management skills, and promote the counselling service of the University. Through games, workshops, and display boards, over 100 students have joined this activity. This activity is aimed to promote the UN SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) as well.
Crossover of Booths and Workshops: to Enhance Students’ Mental Resilience
Booths were displayed in the IIha Verde Campus, including topics “Improving Sleep Quality,” “Self-Care,” “Food and Emotions,” and “Understanding Intimate Relationships.” It was aimed to enhance students’ self-awareness and promote adaptive ways for stress management and emotion regulation. Some students showed great interest in the topics presented on the display boards and engaged in conversations with the counselling team. There were also various booth games: “Stress Seesaw” to help students become more aware of their current stress levels, and explore personal strengths and resources that were adaptive to achieve balance. The”Food Matching Board” was also introduced to students about foods helpful for stress-relief, and to learn about emotional eating.
For the “What Makes Me Happy” board, students were invited to explore and connect various personal interests and activities for making them feel good. The most popular strategies included “enjoying delicious food,” “travelling” and “sleeping in”. A “Gratitude Tree” was also set up on the bulletin board in front of the Office for Student and Alumni Affairs. Students could take a moment to notice and acknowledge the people and things that they were grateful for, and to discover the “little moments of happiness” in their daily life. It was found in the research of Seligman et al. (2005) that regular gratitude practices are helpful to promote happiness. This activity aimed to promote students’ positive emotions, enhance their sense of well-being and psychological resilience.
“Nurturing Plants, Nurturing People”: Feeling the Healing Power of Plants
The horticultural therapy workshop of “Nurturing Plants, Nurturing People” was held on March 16th at the Student Lounge. Under the guidance of therapists from the Macau Horticultural Therapy Association, participants were introduced to how to make use of horticultural therapy in promoting well-being. Through making herb bags and engaging in plant arrangements, participants could make use of their creativity and experience the amazing power of plants. Positive feedback was received from the participants, that they found the activities to be satisfying for their mind and spirit. Some also expressed that they seldom engaged in planting activities before, and found the sensory experiences in planting activities to be new to them.
“Draw A Person in the Rain”: Exploring the Inner World through Art Creations
The Expressive Art Therapy Workshop “Draw A Person in the Rain” held on March 20th at the Student Lounge was also well-received by both local and international students alike. Through cards and drawings, participants were able to express their inner feelings and thoughts in a non-verbal way. Afterwards, participants also experienced a mindfulness exercise. Through redirecting their focus to the present moment, participants might be more aware of their sensations and feelings, and were able to experience different ways of self-care.
