If you think stress has to be a normal part of your Penn life, think again.
Last night, several student organizations on campus hosted leaders from various groups for the campus' first Mental Health Camp.
The initiative was started to provide students with practical mental-health techniques and strategies they can apply in their everyday lives.
The Asian Pacific Student Coalition, the Mental Health Coalition, Counseling and Psychological Services, Sangam, a women's discussion group and the United Minorities Council came together to try and debunk the stigma that is often associated with mental-health issues.
The event also tried to show the Penn community that mental health is integral to a person's overall well-being, organizers said.
32 student leaders from groups such as the Undergraduate Assembly, Lambda Alliance, cultural groups, and campus resident and graduate advisors were invited to come and learn about aspects of mental health.
CAPS director Ilene Rosenstein and associate director Meeta Kumar hosted two workshops last night on understanding depression and reducing procrastination.
Michael Baime, director of the Penn Program for Stress Management, gave the audience tips on meditation techniques that improve memory and concentration, like the Ten Breaths model.
These techniques, Baime said, bring individuals' attention back to their own presence, reducing outside stressors.
"We're looking to give a basic overview of not only the issues students face on campus but also the resources that are available to them," said Jasmine Fournier, vice chairwoman of the Mental Health Coalition and former editor-in-chief of 34th Street.
Kumar has been working closely with student groups to develop Mental Health Camp and said she agreed that many students can benefit from the model set up with this camp.
"Campus groups, including minorities, all face different kinds of issues that come under the umbrella of mental health and this kind of initiative recognizes those needs and wants to show people they can get help," Kumar said.
The Mental Health Camp also helped introduce students to those who are the "first resources" for students in need, said Sandra Zhao, former vice chairwoman of external affairs in APSC.
Organizers also said the camp aimed to encourage more discussion of mental-health issues around campus.
"I would hope that people leave with more of an awareness of what's going on with people around them and be able to start a dialogue about it," Fournier said.
She added that increasing communication about mental health will also help students realize that talking about problems can make coping easier.
Organizers said they hope the camp will become an annual event that "serves as a template for other coalitions or groups to use to increase awareness of mental health," said Zhao.
