A Recap of T2 Self-Care Week 2025
University life is filled with a wide range of demands and pressures. Students often juggle extended hours of studying, placements, club meetings, society events, group projects, and volunteering commitments, all while trying to maintain a healthy work balance. In addition to academic responsibilities, many students also have to navigate personal complexities while undertaking their studies. This may include managing relationships with family and friends, coping with financial uncertainties, and making decisions about future career pathways or options. For those who live far away from home, homesickness can add another emotional burden. With multiple deadlines across different subjects and the constant pressure to perform, universities can become environments of high stress and competing priorities. These challenges highlight the importance of support systems, time management, and mental health resources in helping students succeed both academically and personally.
The Deakin University Student Association (DUSA) recognises the importance of time for students and staff to step back, reflect, connect, and unwind away from the rigorous expectations of responsibilities that come with being a student or a teacher at university. Across all four campuses, including Burwood, Geelong, Warrnambool, Waurn Ponds, and online, a range of events was organised to support cognitive, physical, and psychological health. This is how the week progressed…
A key feature of the week was Beats & Eats, conducted at Burwood and Geelong campuses. Students and academic staff enjoyed cheese toasties and rice paper rolls, watched live performances, and were entertained by displays from clubs and partners, all while participating in relaxing activities. For many people, a highlight was meeting the Delta Therapy Dogs, which is always a guaranteed mood lifter. DUSA smoothie bikes were a bright way to mix light physical activity, time with friends, and delicious refreshments.
At Warrnambool, Self Care Week took an enjoyable path, featuring a trivia night to test general knowledge, karaoke, and impromptu dancing, which rounded out the evening with roars of laughter and a sense of connection. Furthermore, it is essential to be aware that comfort and contentment can also mean just letting loose and forgetting about individual responsibilities for a time being. Elsewhere on campus, more laid-back gatherings were scattered across the week. By sharing warm drinks and relaxed conversations, students can pause from submission dates and pressures just for a moment.
Movement and being outside are also fundamental for positive well-being. On the Burwood and Waurn Ponds campuses, social runs and walks offer students the opportunity to stretch their legs, get some fresh air, and interact with peers outside the classroom. The Deakin Runners Club plays a crucial role in organising these events, bringing students together through motion.
Recognising that not everyone could be present, DUSA organised a range of online activities to ensure inclusivity and engagement for all students, regardless of location and circumstances. For the first time, a vision board workshop took place, where students could discover their goals, reflect on them, and plan for the future. Additionally, the mature-aged mix & mingle session provides an opportunity for students who have delayed their studies or are returning after taking care of personal duties, as well as other individuals. This type of event strengthens the idea that the university experience is inclusive to all.
On Thursday, campuses recognised R U OK? Day, a date devoted explicitly to checking in with one another, to ensure they feel safe, well, and heard. To facilitate this, Burwood and Geelong distributed cupcakes and cookies, small objects designed to encourage conversations, offer kindness, and reassure people that they’re not alone.
Self-Care Week 2025 went beyond a sequence of events; it stood as a way of communication. Activities focusing on mental health, physical well-being and emotional balance are not just optional extras, they are central to the university experience, regardless of the role one has, whether a student, teacher or someone who works behind the scenes and having a supportive community that takes the initiative to facilitate events to enhance creativity and celebrate the power in connection with others, particularly when it comes to handling stress. A simple reminder that little moments, like enjoying a hot drink, listening to your favourite music, unwinding with a comfort show, wandering in nature, or catching up with a friend, can go a long way and really make a difference in an individual’s state of being. Thanking student volunteers, clubs, partners, and staff, DUSA highlighted that such events are a collaborative effort that deserves applause.
In a fast-paced academic environment, Self Care Week was a helpful reminder: you don’t have to wait for a break to prioritise your wellbeing. Whether through sharing food, animal companions, or recounted experiences, the most valuable point is to understand that you are important, loved, supported and not alone in the encounters you experience or in how you feel. Maintaining positive wellness is an essential aspect of life that we can achieve together.
Writer: Jemima Pathak
Editor: Minahil Amin
Image: Allegra from Owl Illustration Agency