Esports is a $1.1 billion industry that is becoming ever more popular, and William & Mary's Esports program is flourishing, too. Because Esports players face some unique challenges from that of other sports and competitive groups, our program has members who are dedicated to helping players look after their mental health. Allen Ngo and Caleb Rivers join us today to talk about what the Esports program does, what Wellness Esports Pioneers do to help players, and how the advice they give to players can apply to any one of us.Resources:W&M Esports websiteW&M Esports Discord

Welcome back to Season 4 of the Ways to Flourish podcast! We are so excited to get started and dive back into wellness this semester. Today, we are talking about a skill that everyone needs, but many struggle with: time management. We talk to Claire Forbes (Assistant Director of Academic Enrichment Programs) and Ashley Kohl (Academic Coach), both from William & Mary's TutorZone. We discuss why time management is so often a struggle, how a lack in time management skills affects our overall wellness, and how individuals can take steps to better manage their time.Episodes of Ways to Flourish are published every week on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the W&M Wellness website, or wherever else podcasts are found!Resources:TutorZone [email protected]

Welcome to the season 3 finale of Ways to Flourish! For our final episode of the season, we sit down with Reggie Williams, writer, civil rights activist, Disney executive, and former NFL player. He talks to us about building resilience, giving gifts, tackling the unknown, and speaking truths, all through the lens of his incredible life experiences. As we continue finals season, find your resilience.Enjoy your break, and we will see you next semester for the next season of Ways to Flourish!

As we head into finals season, it is natural to feel overwhelmed, but it's not something we want to experience. Today, we sit down with Dr. Kelly Crace, Associate VP for Health and Wellness,  to talk about "chronic too-muchness," why we tend to fall into negative mindsets, and how we can employ strategies to foster self-compassion. When we rethink trust and compassion, we can rethink our relationships and how to get the support we need and deserve.ResourcesCenter for Mindfulness and Authentic Excellence (CMAX)

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of diets and unhealthy eating patterns.Diet culture has become pervasive in our society in large part due to misinformation spread through social media. Wanting to try new diets and eating patterns is especially common during and after the holidays. This week, Stephanie May, William & Mary's Registered Dietitian, talks to us about the unhealthy practices many people often fall into around the holidays, common misconceptions about nutrition and dieting, and trustworthy resources people can consult for reliable nutrition information. Most importantly, enjoy your Thanksgiving, and while being mindful, enjoy your food!ResourcesStephanie's pageeatright.org

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 14 million Americans are newly infected with HPV each year. Nancy Moul, a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner at W&M, talks to us today about how HPV impacts college students, what some common misconceptions are about HPV, how one can get the HPV vaccine GARDASIL 9, and how one can take precautions to prevent HPV.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of self-harm and suicide.Today, we sit down with Dr. Jennifer Cross, Director of Research at the Center for Gifted Education and Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted Students. We discuss how to check in on friends, why suicide is so prevalent in the college age group, and how William & Mary's suicide prevention efforts differ from other colleges. Resources:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741W&M Campus Connect website (to contact, email [email protected])W&M Suicide Prevention Coalition websiteThe Institute for Research on the Suicide of Gifted StudentsThe Jed Foundation website

The term "spirituality" often gets misunderstood, with many thinking it is the same concept as religion. Even though it is one of the eight dimensions of wellness, spiritual wellness is often overlooked and neglected, particularly in higher education. Jenny Call, Wellness Professional and Health Coach, talks to us today about how spirituality has developed, how it benefits our well-being, and how someone who may want to tap into their spirituality can begin their journey.Contact Jenny Call about spiritual wellness at [email protected].

The Bee McLeod Recreation Center offers many services and resources to help you keep up your physical (and, therefore, mental) health. These include FitWell classes and personal training. Today, Devin Pereira, Personal Training Supervisor, joins us to talk about what personal training at W&M looks like, how regular movement benefits our mental well-being, and what someone should do if they are interested in becoming more regularly active.Information on applying to become a personal trainer at W&M can be found here. Fall 2021 applications are due 10/29/21.Email [email protected] if you have any questions about personal training.

Relationships in college are often filled with new experiences, and with new experiences can arise new problems. For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we have a discussion with Liz Cascone (Director of the Haven), Hannah Artiles-Stravers (Sexual Violence Prevention Specialist and Asst. Director of the Office of Health Promotion), Priya Singh (member of HOPE), and Erica Eubank (Haven employee). We talk about what healthy relationships look like, what red flags people should look out for, where we often get our expectations of relationships, and what someone should do if they begin to question the health of a relationship.Resources:The Haven websiteThe Avalon Center of Williamsburg