Wellness

There are many hazards related to psychosocial issues. The University has a range of services to support staff including:

• Counselling and psychological services - for individual counselling, emergency counselling, a range of workshops, staff wellbeing programs and resources.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)- a confidential personal and professional development resource available for all employees and their immediate family members.
• Making the University a fair, equitable and safe workplace, Appropriate Workplace Behaviour Policy and related contacts.
• Diversity and Inclusion - to learn more about how the University embeds diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Safer Community Program - The Safer Community Program (SCP) promotes a respectful, inclusive, and connected campus community that fosters safe learning, working and living at the University of Melbourne. The SCP provides the opportunity to seek support and advice about behaviours of concern.
• Respect. Now. Always awareness campaign materials.
• Mental Health First Aid training for university staff.
• TrainME courses including change management, conflict resolution for employees, developing resilience, emotional intelligence in leadership, managing my work, understanding myself and others, and many more to discover.

Please note: due to current restrictions campus based activities may be cancelled or moved online.

Melbourne University Sport

Staying active with MUSport has a range of online ways to help you stay active, from workouts and stretching plans to challenges and competitions.

Cycling@Unimelb

Do you ride to the university? Use the Cycling@Unimelb Map to locate bike parking, bike repair stations, drinking fountains, showers and change room facilities on Parkville campus.

Melbourne University Sport alongside the Campus Services Sustainability Team host regular Ride2Uni breakfasts for UniMelb cyclists. At past Ride2Uni events, cyclists have enjoyed free coffee, a light breakfast and help with bike repairs. Keep an eye out on the Sustainability events page for details of future events.

Melbourne Farmers Market

The Melbourne Farms Market is held on Wednesdays at Union Lawn. Purchase some delicious Victorian produce to take home or enjoy lunch at the market. Remember to ask for your lunch to be served on a reusable plate, and drop off your used dishes with the Wash Club volunteers.

Meditation

Open Heart Meditation

Open Heart Meditation is offered every Wednesday from 1:00pm-2:00pm at Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre (Meeting Room 3, 251 Faraday Street, Carlton) for a gold coin donation.

Open Heart Meditation is a gentle and deeply effective form of meditation centred around naturally experiencing the feelings of peace, joy, gratitude. This enjoyable and relaxing meditation also helps our heart to be effortlessly cleansed of negative emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, and dissatisfaction so that we become more peaceful, joyful and able to follow our heart's own inner guidance to be happier in our daily life.

Research

Bugs and Brains: The Gut and Mental Health Study - The Bugs and Brains Study is aiming to better understand the role of the microbiome, particularly in relation to some common mental and physical health conditions. We are also interested in learning about how the microbiome is related to biological functions (such as levels of hormones and inflammation), stress, and wellbeing.

The Victorian Oral Microbiome and Lifestyle Study (Vicspit) - The Victorian Oral Microbiome and Lifestyle Study aims to better understand the bacteria that live in our mouths, and how they vary with different lifestyles, diets, and backgrounds.

Activities you could organise locally

Get together with your work colleagues and organise one of the following:

• Lunchtime walking groups - our campuses are stunning and anytime is a great time to get out and enjoy the views.
• Walking meetings - take your meeting outside and get some fresh air and exercise while you discuss work.
• Meet outside to enjoy the University campus surrounds.
• Healthy eating group - share recipes, organise a cooking class or a grazing lunch to share your home cooked meals.
• Healthy lunchbox completion - bring a healthy varied homemade lunch with no plastic packaging.
• Book or movie clubs.
• Crafting groups in the park or over lunch.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Thank you to everyone who entered. Entry to this competition is now closed.

Healthy Evening Meal Recipe Competition

Enter the competition to find the healthiest main evening meal recipe for your chance to win a $100 book voucher per category.

Open to anyone with a university log on. All entries must be submitted from a University of Melbourne email address.

Email your entry to the Health & Safety Services team, ensuring the subject line reads Healthy Evening Meal Recipe Competition Entry for [your name] in the [category name] category.

The recipe must be your own creation or an adaptation of a published recipe, and include 25 words or less explaining your recipe choice.

Entrants are allowed to enter one recipe per category (maximum four entries per person).

The categories are as follows:

• Open - no rules, anything can go into this meal, it is chaos.
• Vegetarian - no animals are harmed in the making of this meal.
• Vegan - no animals are exploited in the making of this meal.
• Restricted - intolerance (ie. lactose-free / gluten-free / nut-free, etc) to something is considered in the making of this meal.

The top three recipes in each category will be published on the safety website.

The overall winner in each category will win a book voucher valued at $100.

Entries close at 5pm on Friday 25th October. No entries will be accepted after this time.

Winners announced 31st October via email and this page.