August 13, 2020

Rec manager offers Be REAL mindfulness course

More than ever the world is a place of constant change and uncertainty. The good news is that human beings have the capacity to adapt and be skillful even in the most challenging of times. This fall, recreation mindfulness manager Danny Arguetty is offering Be REAL (General Studies 297), a virtual course that will help students navigate these changes.

Be REAL (REsilient Attitudes & Living) is an engaging one-credit course that will support students in cultivating lifelong skills to navigate perceived stress, challenging emotions, and employ compassion for self and others. Rooted in the ethos of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and mindfulness, time spent together in the class will focus on short, practical practices that support emotional regulation, executive functionality, and social connectedness.

The course has been offered previously, and was well-received. Some comments* past students have made follow.

“Connecting with other students made me feel much less self-conscious about my own efforts and I feel the practices were genuinely helpful and empowering in my own life.”

“I started to fall really low winter quarter and I began to feel like UW wasn’t where I belonged. I started meditating for 10 min as a study break and used the anchor phrase ‘I belong here’.”

“After using these methods, I treat myself better and tried not to put too much pressure on myself. When I’m tired or felt pain, I will leave myself enough time to relax and recover.”

Registration for General Studies 297 is currently open; learn more in the Time Schedule Course Catalog.

*The Center for Child & Family Well-Being created the Be REAL course and the student quotes are taken from their page.