Jevon Moore, LLMSW, joins this episode of Michigan Minds to talk about the services Wolverine Wellness offers students, how to incorporate mindfulness and self-care into daily activities, and strategies that can be used to reduce anxiety about returning to school. Moore is a Health Educator at U-M University Health Services, where he works alongside his team at Wolverine Wellness to foster personal and community wellbeing for students at the University of Michigan.

“I’ve really enjoyed diving in and being more of an investigative, kind of experimental, educator that really looks at what works best for the individual and what works best for them depending on their situation—what you’re coming to college with or how you’re planning to achieve your goals. I’m interested in hearing about that and to whatever degree I can help you along the way to help you achieve those goals,” he says. 

As a collaborative group of public health and higher education professionals and social workers, Moore explains the welcoming atmosphere of Wolverine Wellness that provides students the opportunity to flourish. From taking a course where students can earn credit for learning about topics regarding self-care and wellness in college (ALA 240) to enrolling in wellness coaching throughout their studies, undergraduate and graduate students can access the robust resources that Wolverine Wellness offers to receive support in achieving their goals. 

As the start of fall term approaches, Moore outlines how students can focus on what’s currently happening to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety about the future. He explains that reframing the idea that fall is “quickly” approaching can help ease nerves or reduce the pressure that students must be ready to go back to school.

“I’d say as you’re really thinking about standing where you are, really think about what you actually have control over,” Moore says. “I think sometimes in what we’re trying to prepare for, we’re missing what’s happening today and today is what makes tomorrow possible.”

Moore explores how parents, caretakers, and educators can also support students, not only in adjusting to school but also on their wellness journey. He emphasizes the importance of being honest with young adults about the challenges they are facing in order to ease the pressure of perfection. He says it is common for parents and educators to hide issues they’ve had to overcome, but that sharing this information with students can help them realize that what they’re going through is normal. Embracing failure is a strategy that can be used to navigate through not only college life for students, but also their personal and professional lives.

“It’s a failure on our part to these kids because as they start to struggle, they think about the people in their life and they think, ‘well this didn’t happen to my parents,’ or, ‘I’ve got this Nobel Peace Prize-winning professor that’s teaching to me and they’ve always had it go their way,’ and we know that’s not true. So really for the adults, it’s being a better role model to students.”

Another strategy that Moore says can help students throughout their studies is practicing self-care and mindfulness. He explains that everyone can practice self-care in different ways, for example, taking time to go for a walk without your phone can prevent the urge to answer emails, or allowing yourself to sit alone in silence can help clear your mind.

“How do I show up, what do I feel like on the inside? That feels like an integral part of myself. Once I’ve answered that question, now I can really start to feel better about what self-care looks like,” he says. “Now, caring about myself can be so much more intuitive than when I’m thinking about myself or my own identity as something that is in comparison to others.”