As students are almost a month into their spring semester at Oklahoma Christian University, stress, sports, and homework among other activities can become hard to balance. The Counseling Center created a podcast called Mental Health Moment to educate students and faculty on ways they can improve their mental health.
Director of the Counseling Center, Sheldon Adkins, said the idea to have a podcast came up a few years ago but didn’t get initiated until this year.
“This was something that we first thought of five or six years ago and we even recorded one episode back then,” Adkins said. “When that group of therapists moved on, I kind of forgot about doing it until Johanna started with our office and she brought up that she was interested in doing this. She had a real interest, so I encouraged her to pursue it.”
Adkins said the main objective of this podcast is to create a space where students can gain information about mental health practices.
“Really, we want to give out some basic information about our services and information about common mental health issues,” Adkins said. “Our hope is to educate our students and ultimately to reduce mental health struggles on campus.”
Counselor Johanna Lange, who is heading the podcast, said she felt it would be an easy way for students to easily retain information even amongst hectic schedules.
“As a regular podcast listener myself, I’ve always found them to be a convenient way to get quick, useful information on the go. Creating a Counseling Center podcast felt like a great way to make mental health resources more accessible to students,” Lange said. “Podcasts are easy to listen to during a walk, while studying, or even during a quick break between classes. This format helps make learning about mental health and practicing self-care feel more manageable and naturally integrated into daily life.”
Lange said the podcast, titled Mental Health Moment, will feature topics relative to students and handling stress.
“[The podcast] will cover a wide range of topics related to mental health—everything from stress management and building healthy coping strategies to practicing effective breathing exercises and prioritizing self-care,” Lange said. “We’ll also highlight resources available at the University Counseling Center.”
Within busy and stressful times such as college, Lange said self-care needs to be prioritized.
“I know the spring semester can feel especially overwhelming with deadlines, exams, and all the other responsibilities students often face. It’s easy to get so caught up in the busyness that self-care takes a backseat. That’s why it’s so important to prioritize self-care and find a balance between being productive and taking care of yourself,” Lange said. “Basic practices like getting enough sleep, eating well, and taking short breaks throughout the day for mindfulness or deep breathing can be powerful tools for managing stress. The key is to keep self-care manageable—not perfect. When small self-care routines are built into your daily life, they can have a big impact over time.”
Lange said her ultimate goal with this podcast is to shed light on resources and helpful tips for both students and faculty to utilize.
“We hope this podcast will be a helpful resource for students, staff, and faculty by offering practical, accessible tips for managing life’s challenges and prioritizing well-being,” Lange said. Additionally, we want to highlight the services offered by the Counseling Center and remind our campus community about the mental health resources available to them.”
Mental Health Moment is now available on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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