You Are Invited: Alumnae Engagement Series Event – Mindfulness for Women
Join your St. Mary’s Academy community for a series of engaging and entertaining workshops led by some of our most talented alumnae and community members.
Our first workshop is a virtual Mindfulness for Women hosted by Kate Symes, class of 1994. In this workshop you will learn to identify the types of stress that fuel us vs. the stress that contributes to mental and physical decline. You will practice mindfulness techniques that are proven to be effective in acknowledging and disarming the sources of stress and soothing their effects. Join fellow alumnae as you explore mindfulness of breath, body and the difficult thoughts and emotions that cause stress. You’ll leave with practical tools and plans for how to address stress when it comes into your life.
Why is this so important? According to Kate:
Women have faced a new level of stress since the start of the pandemic - taking on more and
more responsibilities at home while keeping pace with the growing demands of an always-on
workplace, all while worrying for the safety and security of their families.
According to CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis (which measured the impact of the pandemic on
mental health across 38 countries), the number of women who reported mental health impacts
from COVID-19 was threefold that of men. More than a quarter of women reported increased
stress, anxiety and other mental health struggles (CARE, 2021).
While some amount of stress is natural and even useful, when left unchecked for long periods,
stress can cause undue mental and physical problems. And we’re seeing the effects of this long
period of pandemic stress play out disproportionately among women. (Journal of Women’s
Health, April 2021).
We’re excited to introduce the first St. Mary’s Academy Alumnae Engagement Series event for the 2021-2022 school year, and we hope you will join us on on Zoom, Wednesday, October 27 at 6:00PM PST for this important conversation.
