The Murray State chapter of Active Minds is planning to revitalize the club and encourage people to join and learn more about mental health while having fun. 

Active Minds is a nonprofit student organization that provides activities to help students find ways to destress and learn more about mental health. 

Senior Japanese and pre-med major Olivia Yaste,president of the chapter, is working toward reviving membership.

“Active Minds existed prior to the pandemic, but the chapter had sort of died out because a lot of members, and then the officers, graduated,” Yaste said. “A friend of mine heard about the club and decided to try to start back up.”

Yaste said Active Minds  members think that, as a result of  COVID-19, a light has been shined on the importance of mental health. 

To spread awareness about mental health on campus, Active Minds hosts “destress parties” and special activities around the holidays.

“We do a lot of board game nights or yoga nights, just stuff that’s really good for relaxation,” Yaste said. “Then we also try to talk about, you know, just big topics and mental health because I feel like there’s a lot of misinformation out there.”

During her time in high school, Yaste said she recalled hearing a lot of mental health misinformation, which pushed her to join Active Minds.

“It seems like there’s so much information, so people know about mental health, but they don’t know what’s true and what’s not,” Yaste said. “There’s a lot of fluffy stuff like, ‘Oh, you know, if you’re stressed, just go take a hot bath and have some self care,’ but a lot of times you need something more than that, something more substantial.”

Active Minds holds monthly team meetings to plan activities to engage and inform the campus community. 

Regarding upcoming activities, Active Minds is planning an event for early October to recognize World Mental Health Day, along with a national Active Minds Spirit Week focusing on education, awareness, advocacy, connection and community. 

“International Mental Health Day is on Oct. 10, so we are looking forward to planning something big for it,” Yaste said. “Spirit Week is a five-day long event where each day focuses on a different element of mental health.”

For anyone interested in learning more about Active Minds or getting involved, visit their Instagram at msu.activeminds or Facebook at Murray State Active Minds, or email them at [email protected].